As of: March 25, 2024, 3:00 p.m
By: Franziska Kaindl
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The “Popcorn” beach on Fuerteventura is popular because of its uniquely shaped stones.
But often these don't stay where they belong.
Many tourists now know that shells, sand and stones from beaches are not necessarily the best holiday souvenirs.
In some countries it is now forbidden to take them with you and there are sometimes high fines for visitors who ignore these rules.
In this way, nature is to be protected and preserved - so that holidaymakers and locals can continue to enjoy the beautiful landscapes for decades to come.
An example of this is Lalaria Beach on the Greek island of Skiathos - if you take the typically rounded pebbles and get caught, you have to pay up to 1,000 euros.
But such bans also apply on some Spanish islands, including the Canary Islands.
Beaches on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura suffer from tourists
In Lanzarote alone, there is a loss of 1,000 kilograms (about a ton) of natural materials from protected areas every year, as the English-language local newspaper
Canarian Weekly
reported in December last year.
This information is currently being picked up again by many British media.
According to the Environment Minister of the Canary Islands, Samuel Martín, these are mainly stones, rocks or sand, as the report states.
The stones of the “Popcorn” beach on Fuerteventura are a popular holiday souvenir among tourists.
© Unai Huizi/Imago
The so-called “Popcorn” beach on Fuerteventura, near Corralejo in the north of the island, is also affected.
It owes its name to the white, fossilized calcareous algae that are found everywhere and look strikingly similar to puffed corn.
Thanks to the special rhodolites, the beach is a popular photo motif for Instagram among tourists.
Unfortunately, this means that around ten kilograms of it disappear into visitors' bags every month, as the Spanish newspaper
El País
reports.
The municipal council of La Oliva, in whose area the beach is located, speaks of 4.5 tons of stones, shells and sand collected at Fuerteventura airport in 2022 alone.
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The hair-raising thing about it: signs on the beach even point out the ban.
Tourists should actually be aware that the pebbles are part of the ecosystem and must be preserved.
In addition, the Coastal Law prohibits and criminalizes the extraction of rhodolites and other natural elements such as stones and sand from beaches,
El País
informs.
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There are high fines for taking stones, sand and rocks from protected areas
The problem: Many holidaymakers get off scot-free at the airport checkpoint because the authorities cannot prove that stones, sand or rocks come from protected areas.
Only the stones from the “Popcorn” beach are easy to detect because they are so uniquely shaped.
For small amounts that were stolen, there is said to be a fine of 150 to 600 euros, as
Canarian Weekly
informs.
However, for larger quantities, fines can reach up to 3,000 euros, according to the report.