> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.luisnatera.photo/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 033 - The Dolomites, Off Season, and the Cost of Overtourism - URL: https://www.luisnatera.photo/033-the-dolomites-off-season-and-the-cost-of-overtourism/ - Published: 2026-05-11T19:56:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-15T07:20:56.000Z - Description: A trip through the Dolomites in off season — driving mountain passes, walking ancient forests, and reflecting on what overtourism costs the places we love. When mountains become backdrops for likes, who pays the price? - Author: Luis Natera Hello! Today issue is full with images, so you might want to check it on the webpage ;) Here we go, hope you enjoy it! What should one write after being in the mountains? Take me back, perhaps. At least that is what has been in my mind for the last couple of days. Take me back to the Dolomites, to the mountains, to the fresh air, to the silence, [away from the city](https://www.luisnatera.photo/012-autumn-walks-outside-amsterdam/). ![Mountain landscape in the Dolomites during off season](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260426-DSCF5389.jpg) ![Rocky peaks of the Dolomites with snow patches](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260426-DSCF5435.jpg) ![Mountain pass road winding through the Dolomites](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260427-DSCF5505.jpg) As [I wrote last week](https://www.luisnatera.photo/032-there-are-some-days/), my wife and I just came back from a bit longer than a week discovering the Dolomites in Northern Italy. Well, here it is — the proper write-up I promised. It was a trip to drive across mountain passes, walk the mountain range, and immerse ourselves in ancient forests, glacial lakes, mountain towns, and rocky peaks. In short, feeling small surrounded by nature. As [I’ve written before](https://www.luisnatera.photo/027-mountains-and-creativity/), mountains have a way of putting things in perspective. ## Photography without the algorithm Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. A newsletter about photography, urban spaces, and creativity — delivered directly to your inbox. No feeds, no likes, just honest writing and photographs. ![Alpine forest with larches in the Dolomites](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260427-DSCF5437-1.jpg) The timing was perfect. Off season, no crowds, and we were very lucky with the weather — mostly sunny days, some rain, and even some snow while crossing the mountain passes. Yes, there was some rain, and some unpredictable weather, but it is a way to feel all the elements. Weather builds character. And let’s be honest: if you want to enjoy the mountains and nature, you have to be ready to [accept them as they are](https://www.luisnatera.photo/010-travel-notes-from-scotland-st-andrews-skye-and-celebration/), not as the instagrammable version of them. ![Glacial lake reflecting Dolomite peaks](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260427-DSCF5682.jpg) ![Mountain town in the Dolomites valley](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260427-DSCF5698.jpg) ![Dramatic rock formations in the Italian Alps](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260428-DSCF5793.jpg) ![Hiking trail through Dolomite mountain terrain](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260428-DSCF5810.jpg) ![Snow-dusted peaks against cloudy sky in the Dolomites](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260428-DSCF5895.jpg) Being off season also meant fewer people, which is a good thing when it comes to nature. And it got me thinking about the impact of tourism, and in particular overtourism, on nature and the communities that live in the area. With [the rise of social media](https://www.luisnatera.photo/001-running-away-from-the-algorithm/) and the desire to project the perfect life, the perfect photo, the perfect trip, more and more people are chasing the instagrammable version of nature: the one to be posted, shared, and liked. And that has an impact. Even during off season, we could see those behaviours. People dressing up in the mountains, getting into areas marked as stay-away, and some traces of trash left behind. All for what? A photo? Some likes? Showing that they were there? I don’t know. ![Ancient forest at the base of Dolomite mountains](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260428-DSCF5897.jpg) The numbers speak for themselves. South Tyrol recorded [37.1 million overnight stays in 2024](https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/01/16/dolomite-landowners-ask-tourists-to-pay-fee-on-scenic-route-after-8000-visitors-arrive-in-?ref=luisnatera.photo), with 69 tourists per resident annually — the highest ratio in Italy. A single trail on Seceda mountain attracted [8,000 visitors in one day](https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/travel/italy-dolomites-farmers-turnstiles-instagram-tourism?ref=luisnatera.photo) last summer. Fed-up farmers even installed toll turnstiles on trails to protest the damage. ![Mountain pass crossing in Northern Italy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260430-DSCF6056.jpg) ![Quiet trail in the Dolomites without crowds](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260430-DSCF6133.jpg) ![Valley view from a Dolomite mountain pass](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260430-DSCF6239.jpg) ![Alpine meadow with mountain backdrop](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260430-DSCF6277.jpg) On the other hand, it was reassuring to see that communities and municipalities are taking action. There are initiatives aimed at sustainable tourism — [booking systems to limit the number of cars and visitors](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-tourist-restrictions-alto-adige/index.html?ref=luisnatera.photo) that can access certain areas, charging for accessing some of the most popular spots, and even [capping visitor numbers at ski resorts](https://www.euronews.com/travel/2025/10/09/italian-ski-resort-caps-visitor-numbers-for-the-first-time-as-dolomites-continue-overtouri?ref=luisnatera.photo). It protects nature and communities alike, ensuring a balance between enjoying these places and preserving them. ![Dolomite peaks emerging from morning clouds](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260501-DSCF6601.jpg) As we travel, we have a choice. We can be conscious travelers, making an effort to minimize our impact, respect communities, and enjoy nature as it is. Or we can be tourists chasing the perfect photo, the perfect trip. I know that I want to be the former. I travel to discover, learn, and experience. The photos are a way to [capture the experience](https://www.luisnatera.photo/008-taking-the-time-slowing-down-to-move-fast/), but the experience is the goal. ![Stone path through mountain landscape](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260501-DSCF6450.jpg) ![Panoramic view of Dolomite rock walls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260501-DSCF6574.jpg) ![Mountain lake surrounded by conifer forest](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260502-DSCF6661.jpg) ![Winding road through Italian mountain scenery](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260502-DSCF6668.jpg) ![Off-season stillness in the Dolomites](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260502-DSCF6727.jpg) The Dolomites, that magnificent area, is beautiful. I hope it remains like that, and that the crowds and the constant search for the perfect post do not convert it into the next Venice or Barcelona. That the Dolomites’ fame invites more people to be outside in nature, [walking, hiking, moving slowly at human pace](https://www.luisnatera.photo/029-walking-and-seeing/). A powerful way to observe, experience, and value nature. I hope that the Dolomites remain a place to be in awe of, to feel small, to be in touch with nature, and not a place to be seen, posted, and liked. --- That’s it for today! If you enjoyed this issue, **share it with a friend!** they might like this newsletter. Luis ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/19/ae/19ae7b7e-3267-4ec9-a3d4-d56fe8dd66fb/content/images/2026/05/20260427-DSCF5682-1.jpg) ## Photography without the algorithm Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. A newsletter about photography, urban spaces, and creativity — delivered directly to your inbox. No feeds, no likes, just honest writing and photographs.