Portofino Cracks Down on Bare Feet & Bathing Suits

Lisa Simundson

July 17, 2025

Italy’s fabled Portofino coastline is taking measures against over-tourism this summer with a stringent new set of rules and regulations.

Purportedly designed to limit the town’s visitor numbers and protect its aesthetic appeal, the new no-no’s include:

Alcohol can only be consumed in restaurants, bars and designated areas. You cannot roam the streets accompanied by a glass of wine, for example.
Going bare at both ends—barefoot or topless—in public.
Hosting picnics outside designated zones.
Wearing swimwear in public away from the beach.

The new regulations are in place until Sept. 30; and those who break them risk fines ranging from a modest US$30 to a hefty US$580.

Famed for its multi-colored cliffside houses, millionaire yachts and cobbled streets, Portofino is usually mobbed by crowds during the summer months as wealthy travelers, celebs and influence join tourists from across the globe in search of a picturesque Mediterranean getaway.

But with its popularity on the rise, officials say the seasonal rules are necessary to keep order amid a frenzied summer while also not overtaxing the town’s infrastructure of roads, parks, hotels and heritage sites.

Portofino: No Photography Pit Stops

It isn’t the first time Portofino has cracked down on touristy behavior. In 2023, the town made headlines when it banned tourists from stopping at certain picturesque vantage points—in what came to be known as the “selfies ban.” The effort resulted in the installation of “no waiting zones” where tourists are not allowed to pause, particularly in locations deemed too crowded or prone to bottlenecks.

Portofino’s crackdowns are part of a broader plan to promote sustainable tourism, according to local officials who say certain areas are feeling the effects of overtourism, particularly fragile beaches and historic sites.

For example, to ease demands on local infrastructure, a coastal road along the Amalfi Coast may only be used on alternating days according to license plates ending in even or odd numbers.