A child caught eating a smuggled homemade sandwich at a private beach club in Puglia has reignited Italy's long-running beach disputes, as families push back against high costs and food restrictions at the country's pricey seaside resorts.
Incident sparks debate on private beach rules
The controversy began last weekend in Vieste, a town on Puglia's Gargano peninsula, when a woman named Rosaria was confronted by staff after her son was spotted eating a homemade sandwich. Rosaria, who had paid for loungers and umbrellas, had concealed the sandwiches at the bottom of her bag. Luca Pernice, a journalist with Corriere della Sera who witnessed the incident, said the mother advised her son to eat close to the sea to avoid detection. “It’s a common occurrence on the beaches here,” Pernice said. “People don’t want to be forced to spend at the restaurant every day, they can’t afford it, and so this is what they do, they strategise.”
Beachgoers defend packed lunches
At Il Tirreno, a private beach club in Montalto di Castro on the Lazio coast, Beatrice Bordo, who rents two loungers and an umbrella for the entire season for €850 (£725), expressed defiance. “I’ve paid €850 for the season and I spend money in the bar – on coffee, ice-cream, granita,” she said. “So they can’t expect me to spend up to €50 a day to eat at their restaurant. It is not an obligation. They can do what they want in their resort, but I’ll do what I want beneath my umbrella.”
Concession holders defend policies
Nicola Ragno, president of the local unit of Assoturismo, the association for beach concession holders, argued that packed lunches “damaged the image” of beach clubs. “In most cases, we see full-blown meals – pasta, main courses, fruit, desserts, drinks – all manner of food,” Ragno told Corriere della Sera. “This creates issues with hygiene, waste management and general orderliness.” However, Antonio Decaro, president of the Puglia region, countered on Facebook: “No one can stop you from eating food on the beach that you’ve brought from home. The cost of loungers and umbrellas is already exorbitant. The sea is a common good and must not become a luxury.”
Costs rising as families struggle
The average cost of renting two loungers and an umbrella is up 6% on 2025, with some areas seeing increases of 16%, according to the consumers' association Altroconsumo. At Il Tirreno, the daily cost is €20, rising slightly on weekends. Moira Maccharini, at the beach with her toddler son and mother Elisabetta, had prepared a packed lunch of breaded cutlets, salad, fruit and yoghurt. “It becomes too much if you then have to spend on the restaurant,” she said. “It’s also more of a pleasure to bring food made at home.” Elisabetta noted that the beach used to be packed, but “people are really struggling with the cost of living.”
Concession holders face challenges
Rachele Giambi, who holds the concession at Il Tirreno with her brother Alessio and husband Marco Campione, said she sympathises with customers but managing the resort is costly. “We don’t forbid packed lunches,” she said. “But the problem is those who are ill-mannered – for example, some bring takeout pizza and then leave it to us to get rid of the cardboard boxes.” She added that people have “the wrong impression” that concession holders are raking it in. “It’s a big investment. We’re only authorised to be open for three months a year, but it’s not as if we stop paying taxes for the rest of the year.”
Alternative solutions emerge
Il Gabbiano, a nearby beach club, offers packed lunches for customers, with options like seafood risotto for €9 including a bottle of water. Meanwhile, the grassroots movement Mare Libero continues to fight for reclaiming beaches from private concessions and for proper maintenance of public beaches. Bordo pointed to the free beach next to Il Tirreno, saying, “It’s not well-maintained and there are no services. So until things change in that respect, I am staying here.”
