British holidaymakers in Italy are being warned that leaving towels, chairs, or parasols on public beaches overnight to reserve spots can result in fines of up to €500 (£425) and confiscation of belongings. Italian authorities have intensified operations against the practice, known locally as furbetti dell'ombrellone (umbrella cheats), which is expressly prohibited.
Recent operations and seizures
In a recent dawn operation at Laghetto beach in Torre del Greco, near Naples, Coast Guard officers and local police removed approximately 40 unattended items, including parasols, chairs, and tables. Some equipment had reportedly remained on the beach for more than two days. Recovering seized belongings may involve a lengthy administrative process.
In Castellabate, Campania, about 200 parasols, chairs, loungers, and other items were seized during overnight checks in July. The operation returned more than 3,000 square metres of beach to public use, with officials confirming inspections would continue throughout the summer. Hundreds more unattended parasols, loungers, and beach towels were removed from Micenci beach at Donnalucata in Sicily, and a further operation in Campomarino reportedly removed around 170 items, freeing more than 10,000 square metres of public beach.
Why authorities are cracking down
Free beaches are particularly valuable in Italy because many popular stretches of coastline are managed by private lidos, where visitors pay to hire loungers and parasols. When somebody leaves equipment on a free beach overnight, they are effectively turning part of a shared public space into their own private pitch without paying or obtaining permission.
Graziano Gagliardi, travel expert at Private Italy Tour, said: "Brits may recognise this as the beach equivalent of leaving a towel on a hotel sunlounger. The difference is that a free Italian beach is public land, so leaving equipment overnight can be treated as an unauthorised occupation rather than simply inconsiderate behaviour."
He added: "These fines are not being imposed simply because authorities dislike unattended towels. The rules exist to preserve access to publicly owned coastline and stop people informally claiming the best parts of the beach for days at a time."
Practical advice for holidaymakers
The crackdown is aimed primarily at equipment deliberately left overnight or for extended periods. It does not mean a tourist will automatically be fined for stepping away briefly to swim or buy a drink. Gagliardi warned: "The intention matters, but travellers should not rely on assumptions. If you are still using the beach and briefly enter the sea, that is very different from packing up everything except a chair and returning to your hotel until the next morning."
He advised: "The simplest rule is that if you are leaving the beach for the day, every item you brought should leave with you." Brits who want a guaranteed position are advised to reserve a lounger through an authorised lido or use the beach's official booking system, where one exists. Gagliardi said: "Ask your hotel or host whether nearby beaches have local ordinances, closing times or formal reservations. Information boards at the entrance may also specify when equipment must be removed."
He concluded: "Public beaches belong to everyone. The safest approach is straightforward: when you go back to your accommodation, take your towel, chair, table and parasol with you."
