On every beach here in Sardinia (and in many other places, of course) you will find them: the vendors. They sell just about anything you can imagine selling: hats, sunglasses, sarongs, summer dresses, beach towels, beach toys, jewellery, speakers, iPhone cases...
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Share
ShareOn some beaches, they come thick and fast and sometimes only a few minutes pass between one vendor and the next. I find it quite stressful, because I'm not interested in shopping on the beach and because some people are stubborn, but it also makes me wonder ...
"Cocco bello"
Most of the vendors seem to come from Africa and a few from India. And it makes you wonder: Do they live here in Sardinia or do they travel here to sell during the high season? Is someone organising the sales or is it every man for himself? Are the sales profitable? We see lots of vendors but not so often anybody buying ...
The occasional vendor looks Italian too, but they're mainly carrying large coolers and shouting "Cocco bello, cocco fresco" in a monotonous voice. We want to remember that we tried this once on the mainland in Italyand that it was coconut, which mostly felt a bit dry... But apparently it's popular in Italy!
The heat, the heat ...
We had planned to move on today and actually started packing up the motorhome. But the heat (35 degrees!) meant that we simply could not cope... We are still in Porto Pino in southern Sardinia and have first cooled off with a swim in the sea, and then hung out in the shade at the campsite's small restaurant. Today we also say big CONGRATULATIONS to Anette who won a protective case for iPhone 6 from LifeProof here on the blog!
Sardinia-Sicily ferry - night under the open sky
Last Saturday evening we took the ferry Sardinia - Sicily, from Cagliari on Sardinia to Palermo on...
Picking vongole mussels
Yesterday we saw a whole bunch of people picking vongole clams (or whatever these clams are called?) here...
40th anniversary celebrations in Sardinia
Firstly, a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who sent me congratulations yesterday! I really got a lot...
Sardinia's favourite spot - camping on the west coast
Now we have found a favourite place in Sardinia where we are happy! As soon as we rolled in yesterday, we felt...
At home: In a village in Sardinia
You may remember that we had a nice evening with our British and German table neighbours...
Exclusive Emerald Coast in Sardinia
We've heard a lot about the Emerald Coast or 'Costa Smeralda' - Sardinia's most famous stretch of beach. Here are...
Discovery trips in Sardinia
We continue to explore Sardinia! Today we have rolled a bit out on the north-western cape...
La Maddalena in Sardinia - a holiday paradise
La Maddalena in Sardinia is a true holiday paradise. The archipelago, located on the northern side of the...
Birthday celebrations in Sardinia
Birthday celebration in Sardinia. Firstly, a BIG THANK YOU for all the nice congratulations that fell into Peter's ...
Films from Corsica and Sardinia
Now Peter has made a film with pictures from Corsica and Sardinia! When we think back...
Costa del Rei - beach on the east coast of Sardinia
We have now reached the Costa del Rei on the south-east coast of Sardinia. We had to...
From Stintino to Alghero, Sardinia
Now we have arrived in the nice town of Alghero. But the day started with us...
Heat and computer problems in Sardinia
For three days we have been planning to roll on from Porto Pino in southern Sardinia, and...
Across Sardinia - Camping in Porto Torres
Today we've driven across Sardinia, from Cala Gonone in the east to a campsite in...
Boat trip to Neptune's caves - Alghero, Sardinia
The caves of Neptune, or Grotta di Nettuno as they are called in Italian, are located outside Alghero in Sardinia....
Colourful Cagliari - capital of Sardinia
Today we looked around Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia with about 150,000 inhabitants....
From holiday resort to city life in Sardinia
Today we braved the heat (36 degrees and scorching sun) and left the quiet holiday resort of Porto Pino on...
Camping with a difference - in Sardinia
After three days in "internet shadow" on the wonderful island of La Maddalena off Sardinia (we blogged from...
West coast of Sardinia
The day before yesterday we left Bosa and started driving south along the west coast of Sardinia. Today we have arrived...
Cala Gonone - Sardinian paradise
Yesterday, as we drove south in Sardinia, we felt a little bit cheated. Firstly...
Where tourists can't find - deserted beach in Sardinia
The advantage of a motorhome is that you are not restricted to charter destinations or places where there are...
We continue to fricamp in Sardinia
It's great to go camping in Sardinia! It's been five days since our birthday and...
Free camping in Sardinia, La Maddalena
The last night on the island of La Maddalena, it was free camping in Sardinia. The main reason was...
Porto Pino and a campsite in southern Sardinia
Now we've made it to Porto Pino, and a campsite in the south of Sardinia near St...
Salesmen on beaches - hot days in Sardinia
On every beach here in Sardinia (and in many other places of course) you can find them: the vendors....
You might also like:
Sandhammaren in Österlen - a beautiful sandy beach
Kalanggaman in the Philippines - an island paradise
Apid Island in the Philippines - a small island where few tourists find it
Things to do in Sousse, Tunisia - 15 tips
What to do in El Nido, Palawan - 12 tips for travelling in the Philippines
English (UK) 
Svenska 
Deutsch 
Suomi 
Polski
BP says:
Yes, the beach vendors are a pain in the arse. It's the same in Spain. There they even put up lots of rubbish on cardboard mats on the seafront. The police sometimes chase them away, but five minutes later they are back.
The problem reminds me of our Romanian beggars here in the city. It really is a grey area...
18 July 2015 - 17:44
Åsa says:
I don't think I've seen much of them in Portugal, but maybe they are on the Algarve beaches?
18 July 2015 - 19:11
Matts Torebring says:
Typical Italy, "Mustafa Bandidos" I told them. "Big family, seven children, no food, please shop", was my reply. There have been a few bath towels over the years after all.
18 July 2015 - 19:15
admin says:
BP, here they also walk around with gadgets hung on cardboard bases. Yes, certainly a grey area... I would like to know more about how it works?
Åsa, it is possible that they are in the Algarve. We were there in the winter so we didn't see any, but it could be different in the high season?
Matts, I could shop if I needed something... but we already have bath towels and hats and sunglasses...
18 July 2015 - 19:35
Mr Steve says:
It's probably good to sometimes think about what's behind all the annoying things you see.
35°C with you, here it is 16°C right now.
18 July 2015 - 19:54
Ditte says:
Of course, these vendors are annoying. In Torre they exist, but on a small scale. They are not really annoying and they do not move much on the beaches. They sometimes sit along the seafront unless the police chase them away. It seems that the municipalities/towns themselves can decide whether they want the vendors there or not. In southern Spain they seem to be more numerous. I had no idea that they also existed in Sardinia. But not in Corsica, or...?
18 July 2015 - 21:40
admin says:
Steve, I can't believe how cold it is in Sweden this summer! Hope for a warmer August!
Ditte, there are plenty of vendors here, and we haven't seen anyone chasing them away. In Corsica we didn't see a single one (although we were there a bit earlier in the season, but still).
18 July 2015 - 23:20
Alexandra says:
Yes, I want to remember that we encountered such beach vendors in Spain... In some other places too, including Tunisia. However, I have no major problems with it, of course it can be a bit hard sometimes, but it is probably harder for them to be forced to go there day in and day out, they will not earn any huge sums of money from it. I am still lucky enough to have the opportunity to go there on holiday. 🙂
18 July 2015 - 23:35
admin says:
Alexandra, that's right! I can only agree! We certainly have a much simpler life than they do. And that's why we started thinking about what their situation really looks like ...
19 July 2015 - 8:29
Marina says:
I can only agree! It's quite ok if they can at least take no for an answer. The absolute worst place I have experienced so far when it comes to beach vendors is probably Kuta Beach in Bali, they never give up!
19 July 2015 - 8:46
Ama de casa says:
It's also full of sellers - and it's definitely organised! From time to time, the police get tough to get rid of them. But they keep coming back.
I DON'T like them, because they are very much in the way when they spread their sheets on the seafront. In addition, they are quite pushy sometimes - and LOTS of them!
At the same time, I think they are actually just trying to find a way to make a living.
It's the same dilemma as with begging...
19 July 2015 - 9:34
Ama de casa says:
en: So Peter is sketching? Exciting... My lips are sealed... 😀.
19 July 2015 - 10:22
Lena & Jan says:
Not fun to pack up the stuff in that heat, here at home the body thermostat says off already at 24 °. Hugs
19 July 2015 - 11:25
snort says:
Stubborn and nagging beach vendors make me very annoyed. There may well be a kiosk or a shop, but this constant nagging is a disturbing...
19 July 2015 - 11:33
admin says:
Marina, yes, it's hard when they nag. I understand that they want to sell and feel sorry that they may have a tough situation, but it is completely impossible to buy a lot of stuff once every 15 minutes....
Ama de casa, I can also understand that they have a tough situation, and certainly much harder than us who can lie around and be lazy. At the same time, it's hard when they don't leave you alone. There are an unusual number of people here, and I haven't seen anyone driving them away. And yep, there is a lot of sketching going on here... 😉.
Lena & Jan, you can hardly do anything at all in this heat, so going and selling must be hard. Maybe they are more used to the heat than we are, but still? Some choose to walk around dressed in jeans, which for me feels very sweaty ...
Znogge, yes or if they just stand at the entrance to the beach or something, then you can look at the jewellery if you want. But it's hard when someone comes along every quarter of an hour and starts nagging...
19 July 2015 - 17:17
Steel city anna says:
You are probably a little extra vulnerable where you lie half-naked on the beach too! I could buy something just to be left alone. Surely more people think that way.
19 July 2015 - 19:40