Who said that at the beach people are only chasing fun? A survey conducted by Spiagge.it says exactly the opposite, at least in Italy. Summer 2026 is the season of relaxing holidays, where one can enjoy the sound of the waves without having to listen to the neighbor’s umbrella playlist or accidentally end up in someone’s story. In short, the real trend appears to be calmness.
The 73% of Italians seek silence on the beach
The research captures a growing desire for personal well-being and mutual respect for shared spaces. Indeed, while the beach remains a place to be enjoyed mainly with family (46%) or with one’s partner (37%), once at their station the primary need becomes slowing down: 73% of respondents attribute great importance to silence and quiet, while the urge to socialize gathers less consensus.
What a comfortable beach vacation means to Italians
Even in choosing beach services, Italians seem to favor a day by the sea that is comfortable and stress-free. Among the wishes for a perfect beach holiday, the presence of bars and restaurants (66%) tops the list, followed by easy parking (32%). What makes a difference is also the possibility to organize ahead of time, identifying the facility best suited to one’s needs and booking a spot on the beach before arriving. Wi‑Fi, entertainment, and wellness services, on the other hand, attract more marginal interest.
The “quiet zone”
A clear signal that emerges from the survey data is that, for many, disconnection does not coincide with a lack of comfort, but with the possibility of leaving behind the constant stimuli of daily life. Not by chance, 73% of respondents express support for introducing a true “quiet zone”, preferably in the central hours of the day, a pause from noise, from calls and from frenetic activity, to grant oneself an authentic rest.
What gives the most annoyance on the beach: the ranking
According to the survey, there are certain attitudes that more than others irritate Italians on the beach. At the top are hands-free phone calls, cited by 71% of respondents as the most bothersome behavior on the beach. Followed by smoking – which fortunately is already prohibited in many Italian beaches – coming from nearby umbrellas (54%), the over-occupancy of the shared space (51%), and the classic sand being brushed too close to other bathers (46%).
The difficult coexistence on the beach
Behind these small, but often exasperating “umbrella crimes” lies a very concrete issue: the need for personal space. For 71% of respondents, in fact, the greatest discomfort is represented precisely by umbrellas placed too close, especially during peak periods such as mid-August.
Types (hated) at the beach
The Spiagge.it survey also identified the nearest umbrella neighbors who are most annoying, again offering a ranking. When it comes to identifying the least desirable umbrella neighbor, a genuine gallery of summer characters takes shape, a kind of “comédie humaine” in the Balzacian style.
The most feared is at first place the “space colonizer” of the shared area (39%), the one who lays down beach towels over yours, scatters toys everywhere, bags and chairs well beyond the boundaries of their own station. In second place stands the “Beach DJ” (32%), armed with Bluetooth speakers and dreadful playlists blasted at high volume. Third, in order of annoyance, is the “sportscaster” (20%), the one ready to loudly comment on every match, dive, or nearby conversation.
Farewell to privacy
What makes beach coexistence even more delicate is that privacy has become an increasingly important issue, not only due to physical proximity. More than half of the respondents (51%) say they are bothered by the idea of appearing involuntarily in photos or videos taken by others. For 29%, however, it depends on the context and the recognizability of the involved subjects; therefore, ending up on someone’s social media isn’t a big problem as long as you aren’t clearly visible.
Stories (32%), video calls (32%), and drones (32%) are perceived as the most invasive situations: a finding that reflects the growing desire to protect one’s carefree moments from constant exposure. Because, at least in summer, Italians want to feel truly on vacation.
