Flip-flop fines introduced in Italy’s Cinque Terre

(CNN) — Italy’s Cinque Terre coastline has an almost mythic status among travelers — who hasn’t seen photographs of the pastel-colored houses built into rugged cliffs, surrounded by bright blue sea, and fallen instantly in love?In person, the region’s even more spectacular — these five picturesque fishing villages are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a reason.But if you arrive this summer with only your flimsy sandals and flip-flops in tow, you might have a bit of a shock.And if you choose to ignore the advice, you could face fines of between €50 ($56) and €2,500 ($2,826).It’s all because mountain rescue teams are becoming increasingly exasperated with rescuing ill-prepared visitors on the mountainous walkways.Flip-flop failCinque Terre is a series of colorful fishing villages on the Italian Riviera.Brian Beard/CNN iReportThey’ll be posters and flyers advertizing the fines — and warnings issued online when you purchase a Cinque Terre card, which allows you use of all the connecting park buses and trains and access to the trekking paths.Currently, the English-language version of the Park’s website advises hikers to only go on trails which suit their skills — and to bring sun cream, a hat, hiking boots, food and other supplies.The flip-flop ban is one of a series of moves to accommodate the thousands of visitors who disembark in Cinque Terre in summer. Hiking in flip-flops is a no-go in Italy’s Cinque Terre.Courtesy PexelsA lot of these visitors are day-trippers coming from cruise liners.It’s just another Italian destination trying to deal with the increasingly omnipresent problem of overtourism.