The Big Board · October 2026 · 4 min
Beaches You Have to Book: 10 Famous Beaches With a Ticket, a Cap or a Closed Season
Reservations, daily caps, timed slots and months when the gate is shut, from Sardinia to Thailand. Every rule dated to its source.
Ten of the famous beaches we have rated now need a booking, a ticket, a slot or the right month before you can stand on them, and one you cannot stand on at all. Three are in Italy, two in Spain, one in Mexico, three in Thailand and one in Greece. Here is each rule, what it costs and how recent the source is. Rules change; check before you go.
| Beach | Country | The rule | Cost | Source dated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Pelosa | Italy | Reservation May 15 to Oct 15, 1,500 a day, QR code, a mat under your towel | €3.50 | 2026 |
| Cala Goloritzé | Italy | 250 on the beach at once; book in the Heart of Sardinia app, opening 72 hours ahead | €7 (official site; one guide says €6) | 2026 |
| Scala dei Turchi | Italy | Timed slots on the cliff, 50 every 20 minutes, 1,800 a day | €6, free under 12 | Oct 2026 |
| Playa de Rodas, Cíes Islands | Spain | Free permit before the ferry; 450 a day, 1,800 in peak summer | Free permit | June 2026 |
| Praia das Catedrais | Spain | Free permit at Easter and July 1 to September 30 | Free permit | June 2026 |
| Playa Balandra | Mexico | Two daily slots of 450, a paid digital bracelet | 125 pesos | Oct 2026 |
| Maya Bay | Thailand | Closed August 1 to September 30; no swimming at any time | In the 400 baht park fee | Aug 2026 |
| Donald Duck Bay, Similan Islands | Thailand | National park closed mid-May to mid-October | THB 500 park fee | Oct 2026 |
| Akumal Bay | Mexico | Turtle field guided only, six per guide, no tours on Mondays | About $25 to $40 | Oct 2026 |
| Navagio Beach | Greece | Closed to landings and swimming through at least October 31, 2026 | Boats still enter the bay | Oct 2026 |
Each beach's own page carries its sources. Where sources disagree, as on how Scala dei Turchi tickets are sold, the page prints both.
1,500
people a day allowed on La Pelosa, by reservation, from May 15 to October 15
The largest cap on this board. Cala Goloritzé's is 250 at once.
The ones that need a booking
- 01
La Pelosa, Sardinia.
Book on the official site: 1,500 places a day at €3.50, 500 bookable at any time and the rest two days ahead. Show the QR code at the gate, bring a mat for under your towel, and know that fines run from €25 to €500.
La Pelosa → - 02
Playa Balandra, La Paz.
Every adult needs a CONANP digital bracelet, 125 pesos, and one of two slots: 8am to noon or 1pm to 5pm, 450 people each. In high season they sell out.
Balandra → - 03
Cala Goloritzé, Sardinia.
In 2026 you book in the Heart of Sardinia app, bookings open 72 hours ahead by one guide, and 250 people fit on the beach at once. The official ticket is €7. No boat drop-offs: you walk in.
Cala Goloritzé → - 04
The Cíes Islands, Galicia.
Get the free Xunta de Galicia permit before you buy the ferry ticket. The cap is 450 a day for most of the year and 1,800 in peak summer.
Playa de Rodas → - 05
Praia das Catedrais, Galicia.
Reserve the free permit for Easter or July 1 to September 30, then come at low tide.
Praia das Catedrais →
The ones with a closed season
Maya Bay, in Thailand, closes completely from August 1 to September 30 so the reef can recover, and swimming in the bay is banned all year. The Similan Islands National Park, home of Donald Duck Bay, shuts from mid-May to mid-October. Navagio, in Greece, has been closed to landings since 2022 and the ban now runs through at least October 31, 2026; boats still go into the bay.
The most famous beaches have stopped being places you turn up to. They are appointments.
And the one with a timetable
Scala dei Turchi, in Sicily, lets 50 people onto its white cliff every 20 minutes, 1,800 a day, for €6, and none of them may lie down. At Akumal Bay the beach is free, but the turtles keep office hours: guided groups of six, and no tours on Mondays.
Asked
- Do you need to book La Pelosa beach?
- Yes, from May 15 to October 15, 2026: 1,500 places a day at €3.50 a person on the official booking site, entered by QR code.
- Which beaches have a daily visitor limit?
- Among the beaches we have rated: La Pelosa (1,500 a day), Cala Goloritzé (250 at once), Scala dei Turchi's cliff (1,800), the Cíes Islands (450, or 1,800 in peak summer) and Playa Balandra (two slots of 450).
- When is Maya Bay closed?
- Every year from August 1 to September 30. Swimming in the bay is banned all year.
- Is Navagio Beach open?
- No. It has been closed to landings and swimming since 2022, and the ban runs through at least October 31, 2026. Boats still enter the bay and the fenced viewpoint is open.
The beaches in this post
- La PelosaOVERRATED
- Cala GoloritzéWORTH A DETOUR
- Scala dei TurchiONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE
- Playa de RodasONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE
- Praia das CatedraisONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE
- Playa BalandraONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE
- Maya BayOVERRATED
- Donald Duck BayOVERRATED
- Navagio Beach, ZakynthosABSOLUTELY THE FUCK NOT
- Akumal BayWORTH A DETOUR