top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

French couple faces six years jail for sand ‘souvenir’

A French couple is facing up to six years in prison after trying to take home some sand from their holiday in Sardinia, Italy.

The couple in their 40s had been on the famous Chia beach on the island.

They were preparing to travel home on a ferry at the Sardinian port of Porto Torres, towards Toulon (Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), when they were stopped during a routine check at Italian customs, for illegally carrying 14 plastic drinking bottles - weighing 40kg - full of beach sand.

The couple now faces up to six years in prison for aggravated theft of public property.

They maintain that they wanted the sand as a simple “souvenir” and did not realise that their actions were illegal. The bottles had been left easily visible in the car, reports said.

The coveted sand in Sardinia - which often appears soft white or pinkish in hue - is considered public property. It is forbidden to remove it from the beach. It is also illegal to pick up and keep beach pebbles and shells, with fines for doing so going up to €3,000.

In 1994, Sardinia banned access to the famous pink beach on Budelli Island, amid fears that its sand was disappearing due to tourists taking it home. There are concerns that several tonnes of sand disappear from the island every year, with the potential to destroy the beaches long term.

There is also said to be an illegal trade in Sardinian sand on online auction sites.

The couple is not the first high-profile sand case in recent years; last year, an Italian man living in the UK was fined €1,000 after he was found to have a bottle of sand from Sardinia’s Gallura beach.

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Healthcare in France*
Featured Help Guide
- Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors.
Get news, views and information from France