Legal frame
Governing: the regulation of each marine protected area (Portofino; Cinque Terre; Tavolara–Punta Coda Cavallo, DM 3 Dec 2014; Punta Campanella, GU 195/2010); La Maddalena National Park rules and CP La Maddalena ord. 33/2026; Codice art. 53(4). Builds on: L3.1, L3.2.
How AMPs work
An area marina protetta (AMP) is divided into zones:
- Zone A — integral reserve: normally no navigation, no anchoring, no swimming;
- Zone B — general reserve: navigation restricted by speed, propulsion or permit;
- Zone C — partial reserve: most leisure use allowed, with conditions.
Each AMP has its own regulation and managing body. Breaches are excluded from the ordinary coastal fine of art. 53(4) and dealt with under protected-area law, which can be considerably heavier. The zone maps are on each AMP's website; many rental operators print them on the chart they hand you.
Four places visitors ask about
| Area | Jet skis | Navigation | Anchoring | Permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portofino (Liguria) | Banned in the whole AMP, as is water-skiing | Zone A closed; B/C restricted; 5 kn | None in zones A and B; zone C allowed except Paraggi bay, bathing zones, buoy fields and (for imbarcazioni) Punta Cannette–Tonnarella | Paid buoys at named sites |
| Cinque Terre (Liguria) | — | Zone B needs a permit | Zone C with a permit | Daily permit €8 (natanti up to 10 m) or €13 (10–24 m) |
| Tavolara–Punta Coda Cavallo (NE Sardinia) | Banned, as are towed sports | Zone A closed; B/C motor 5 kn within 300 m, 10 kn from 300 to 600 m, displacement mode | Never on posidonia or coralligenous beds | Hire in B/C only by authorised operators; 1,923 persons a day across hire boats |
| Punta Campanella (Sorrento, facing Capri) | Banned | Zoned; grottoes by oar only | Restricted by zone | Paid authorisations |
The Cinque Terre catch
The Cinque Terre daily permit is reserved for leisure use, and the park's page states that it excludes rental and occasional charter. A hired boat is therefore not simply covered by buying a ticket on your phone. Ask your operator, before you leave, whether they hold an authorisation that lets their boats into zones B and C, and what it allows.
WARNING — "Everyone goes there" Popular coves inside zone B or A still fill with rental boats every August. Being in company is not a defence, and the enforcement boats know it.
La Maddalena
The archipelago is a national park, not an AMP, with two layers of rules:
- Park ticket. Needed to sail, moor or anchor within 300 m of the coast. The price depends on length; sailing boats get 40 % off; buying online saves 5 % (not for daily rental); buying it when a patrol stops you costs a 40 % surcharge. The park lists the rental firms it has authorised; check yours is one of them.
- Capitaneria ord. 33/2026 (1 Jun–30 Sep 2026 and 2027): 7 kn within 500 m, 10 kn from 500 to 1,000 m in displacement mode; anchor-free transit and rescue corridors; no anchoring on posidonia or mapped sensitive seabed; move on from congested anchorages.
A working routine
- At the desk, ask: Which AMPs or parks are in my area, and is this boat authorised in them?
- Mark zones A and B on the paper chart or phone before leaving.
- Treat AMP boundary buoys and no-anchoring signs as fences.
- In zone C, anchor on sand only, or take a buoy.
TIP — Jet ski plans If your holiday is based near Portofino, Tavolara or the Sorrento peninsula, rent a jet ski elsewhere or not at all. The ban covers the whole protected area.