Lido law: How to navigate the Italian lido like a local

As Australians, you might think you know your beaches. But a trip to the Italian coast will prove you wrong, because true to form, Italy has found a way to bureaucratise the beach.

The iconic Italian lido describes anything from Puglia’s cheap-and-cheerful battalions of beach loungers occupying the only desirable stretches of sand, to bling prosecco-ice-bucket beach clubs in Capri that charge €200 per Panama-hatted head.

With 12,000 lidos doing a booming trade on Italy’s 8000…