The story of the shepherd who saved one of the most beautiful beaches in Sardinia as a reminder of Zvërnec
2026-05-31 09:04:16
TiranaPost
By Matilda Sulmeta/
Ovidio Marras was a shepherd in Sardinia who fought for years against big business interests seeking to develop one of the most beautiful areas of the Sardinian coast. He rejected lucrative offers to sell the land he had inherited from his father and did not back down even when faced with pressure, intimidation and attempts to isolate him from his property.
For Marras, that land wasn't just private property. It was part of a unique ecosystem that needed to be protected for generations to come.
After a long legal battle, he won. The area that was once the target of massive tourist developments remained untouched and today is one of the wildest and most beautiful beaches in Sardinia. Exactly the kind of nature we admire when we talk about the authentic beauty of the island.
This story came to mind today, as I was reading and watching what is happening in Zvërnec.
That land may be privately owned, but for decades not a single hut was built there. Now there is talk of building an entire resort.
I'm not against resorts. Albania needs investments and we need a different kind of tourism. But I'm against the way this is happening.
Two years ago I wanted to visit the Zvërnec Monastery. I turned back because it was total chaos - cars everywhere, lack of organization. The area needed better intervention and management. But not an intervention of this level.
Resorts in natural parks exist all over the world:
• Cuixmala in Mexico
• Many of the Aman hotels (like the one Kushner has promised to bring to Sazan)
• Belmond in Brazil and Botswana etc. etc.
But in these cases, development has been accompanied by habitat protection. In the case of Zvërnec, at least from what we are seeing so far, the impression is that habitat is being sacrificed.
No one has clearly presented a plan that shows how biodiversity will be protected, how the landscape will be preserved, and what guarantees exist that this area will continue to be what it is today.
Why did the construction have to take place right there? Why not further away? Why in one of the most sensitive areas near the mouth of the Vjosa River?
The images from the protests, where people are dragged away and violence occurs in front of the police, are disturbing.
And perhaps the most important question remains:
Will an honest man ever emerge to protect the public interest in Albania?
