Spiaggia La Pelosa

Physical

A beach of extremely fine white sand with shallow turquoise water, on the northwestern tip of Sardinia near Stintino. A 16th-century Aragonese tower sits on a small island offshore. The water is so shallow it appears white-green from above.

Social

Access has been restricted and numerically managed since 2017 due to severe erosion caused by overtourism. Visitors must book in advance and use special mats on the sand. The place is managed as an environmental problem, not just a leisure destination.

Context

La Pelosa is one of the most photographed beaches in the Mediterranean. Its popularity exploded with social media. The sand itself has been disappearing, carried away on the bodies and towels of millions of visitors. The current management system is Italy's most serious experiment in controlling beach tourism.

Environment

Severe erosion from overtourism; access numerically restricted and managed since 2017.

Taxonomy

• Mid-Tier Economic Grid + Symbiotic Shore
• Domestic Body
• Ecological Membrane
• Ritual Season
• Mass Tourism + Endemic Community
• Engineered Infrastructure
• Chromatic Field + Empty Architecture