Italy’s long-standing tradition of male chauvinism has been delivered a bitter blow with the opening of the country’s first women-only beach.

Visitors to Beach no 134 on the 50-mile stretch of coastline linking Rimini to Riccione on the Adriatic coast are welcomed with a large sign of a macho man covered with a pink cross saying "No Men".

The sandy beach, which is also closed to children, has been dubbed the "Pink Beach".

Its opening was attended by the newly-anointed Lara Croft model Karima Adebibe, promoting the Tomb Raider Anniversary for Eidos Interactive, the video games publisher.

The man ban is accompanied by a restriction on loud disco music and traditional beach food such as deep-fried squid and chips.

Healthy salads and fresh fish make up the beach club menus, while lessons in deportment, manicures, pedicures, keep-fit classes and cookery lessons from a well-known chef are the order of the day.

While fitness instructors and the beach DJs are all women, the rules have been broken for one lucky male specimen - in the lifeguard chair.

Fausto Ravaglia, the owner of the beach and the businessman behind the idea to ban men, said: "The lifeguard must be a man. You clearly need a man to save women in the sea. It’s a question of muscles."

Calling it a "beach harem", Italian newspaper La Stampa said the woman-only beach reflected a growing demand for female rights in Italy.