SVN solovelanet

35 SVN Solovelanet Global tourists, in particular, seem to spend their money re- gardless of costs, resulting in continuous price rises in the area. But Croatia is not the only country affected by over- tourism. Italy Italy is another country where some places are lite- rally swamped, especially in July and August. The Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) and the Maddalena archipelago are places where nautical overtourism has reached high levels. The number of boats sailing the channel between La Maddalena and Sardinia can be overwhelming. In August, in the main roadstead of Capraia, you may find more than a hundred boats at anchor. Unlike Croatia, these spots attract tourists for one reason, and one reason only: their natural beauty. The whole area is certainly one of the most beautiful, in the Mediterranean. In addition to the Costa Smeral- da, excessive tourism can also be found in Ponza, an island about 60 miles south of Rome, where in August it is very hard to find a mooring place at anchor - an essential on an island which does not host a harbour open to pleasure boats. Here too, the reason is the exceptional beauty of the area. What destination to choose? So, what destination should you choose if you want to avoid finding yourself among hundreds of boats? Well, there are still several places you could try. Gree- ce, while not as rich in facilities as Croatia or Sardinia, is still an attractive destination with affordable prices. As with Croatia and perhaps even more so, it offers very safe waters protected by its many islands – espe- cially in the Ionic area. Turkey is also free from exces- sive tourism because of its recent political problems. In fact the recent downturn in Turkish maritime tourism was one of the main factors leading to overcrowding in other parts of the Mediterranean. In Italy, there are places like the Tremiti Islands, the Gargano and the Cilento which, although gorgeous, do not get much press or social media attention. The Aeolian Islands are crowded, but not yet as much as Ponza, the Costa Smeralda, or the French Riviera. This is because they lack facilities, and the steepness of the coasts makes it hard to moor in roadsteads. So, our question is: does overtourism also exist at sea? Are there any places so crowded with boats as to affect our holidays? In our opinion, the answer is 'yes'. There are places where overcrowding is beco- ming a real problem, and unfortunately, as happens ashore, these places are often the most beautiful. Croatia Croatia, is a stretch of coast which has certainly been affected by overtourism. In this country there are 4,000 charter boats which cover 120 kilometres of coastline with a maximum concentration in the Zadar/Korcula area. No other country in the Me- diterranean has such an impressive charter fleet. What attracts so many boaters is not so much the beauty of the place (although it is as beautiful as any other destination in the Mediterranean), but rather the constantly calm sea thanks to the many islan- ds there. This scenery means that there are a high number of mooring places, which means the sailing is safe. Whereas ten years ago Croatia stood for low prices and empty roadsteads, nowadays prices are much higher but the roadsteads are far from empty. This situation has been caused by a sharp increa- se in nautical tourism from Eastern Europe. Russian Alessandro Gallo, very fond of the sea, owns a Dufour 350 Gl and is much skilled in repairing damage on board. L'autore On top, a roadstead in Greece. Here above, a roadstead in the Aeolian Islands. Here aside, a roadstead among Croatian islands

• Cover