Pretty European island with unique pink sand beach that once had just one resident
AN island in Italy that had just one person living there is home to a rare pink beach.
Part of the La Maddalena Archipelago, Spiaggia Rosa is found on Budelli Island in northern Sardinia.
While tourists have been banned from stepping foot on the island since the early 1990s, one person was allowed to live on its shores.
Nicknamed ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by the Italian newspapers, Mauro Morandi acted as the island’s caretaker for more than 30 years.
Morandi found himself island after his catamaran broke down on the way to the South Pacific and soon took over as caretaker.
The real-life ‘Robinson Crusoe’ lived inside a shelter from the second world war and used a homemade solar system to power his lights, fridge and internet.
He was evicted by the island‘s national park authority in 2021 and passed away earlier this month.
Speaking to The Guardian he said that he planned to relocate to the nearby island of La Maddalena.
He added: “My life won’t change too much, I’ll still see the sea.”
Even though Morandi spent 30 years living on the island, tourists weren’t allowed to step foot on the famous pink sand beach.
The ban came into force to protect the pink sand, which was starting to lose its rose-tinted hue because of overtourism.
Over the last 30 years, the sand’s pink shade, which is caused by the crushed shells of a micro-organism mixing with the sand when it dies, has returned to the island.
Holidaymakers can book day trips around the Maddalena Archipelago.
While tours include stops in the waters surrounding the island, visitors will not be allowed to step on shore.
Despite the ban, a new wave of unauthorised daytrippers are threatening the pink shores.
In an article in the Times, Fabrizio Fonnesu, director of the Maddalena archipelago national park said: “The beach is again in danger as people arrive by boat, clamber up the beach, then post photos, which allow us to fine them up to €500 (£430).”
Tourists who’ve attempted to take Sardinia’s pink sand away as a souvenir can up fined up to €3,500 (£3,007).
And according to the Guardian, a couple were fined €1,000 (£860) in 2001 after they were caught filling a plastic bottle with sand.
Brits who want to visit the island will need to book themself onto a private boat tour or a ferry service to glimpse this secluded spot from afar.
But British holidaymakers don’t need to trek to Italy to see a pink sand beach, with a couple of little-known spots in the UK.
Located on the English Riviera, Paignton Beach has stretches of pink sand.
The pinky-red shade is caused by iron minerals in the sand oxidising with the air.
Other beaches in the area like Broadsands Beach and Goodrington Sands are also known for their unusual pinky-red shade of sand.
What is it like to visit a pink beach?
THE Sun’s Lizzie Parry visited Elafonissi Beach in Crete, one of the few pink beaches in the world, here’s what she thought…
Hidden away in a secluded corner of Greece’s biggest island lies a rose-tinted paradise worthy of a spot on your Instagram grid.
Elafonissi Beach is one of only a handful of pink beaches in the world — and with a flight time of just over four hours to Crete, it’s one of the closest to the UK.
The promise of pink sands was enough to entice me, and one of my oldest friends, when we were deciding where to escape to for a week in the sun.
In the 20 years we’ve known each other, we’ve put some effort into refining our holiday “wish list”.
Miles of sandy beaches, guaranteed sunshine, crystal clear waters, great food and wine, a little bit of (affordable) luxury, beautiful towns and villages to explore — plus a bit of history and adventure thrown in.
The Island of the Gods ticked every box and Elafonissi proved to be the pink icing on the cake.
I won’t lie, wandering down to the water it did just look like any other sandy beach. But the closer we got to the water’s edge it was clear to see what all the fuss was about.
Dipping my slightly sunburnt toes into the sea, my pink foot blended in perfectly with a stunning stretch of bright pink sand.
We arrived early morning, just in time for a coffee at one of the cafes nearby, and it meant we had the beach to ourselves, almost.
It’s a vast beach, but our guide for the day, Aris from Uncharted Escapes, warned it can fill up quickly — especially at the height of summer as it has been ranked one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Here are several other pink beaches holidaymakers can visit across Europe – and one’s in the UK.
And a beach in the Canary Islands even has sand that looks like popcorn, due to the shape of the coral.