- Urinating in sea €640 fine under new laws
- Using soap in sea and reserving spot on beach with towel prohibited
- All-inclusive holidays drinks limited to three at lunch, and three at dinner
Spain has increased police presence in mass tourism areas this summer – with over 3,500 additional officers to police popular tourist spots – including the Costa Blanca.
The extra officers commenced their duties on July 1 and will be in situ until August 31.
The move comes in an attempt to stop tourists from breaking laws on drinking or other banned behaviour, and citing safety.
Tourists in Spain will find new rules this summer and could face heavy fines for breaking laws, including climbing on balconies.
Britons must also wear a shirt in some Spanish towns, due to it being forbidden to be topless away from the beach.
Along with the Costa Blanca, the Canary islands, Balearic islands and Costa del Sol are following suit.
Majorca’s Playa de Palma has launched a crackdown on football shirt wearing tourists after businesses met to thrash out new code introducing the ban in a bid that drunken visitors will swerve the resort.
Urinating in the Sea
Many Brits have headed to Spain for summer holidays annually, with tens of thousands visiting the beaches – this year they will have to be careful not to ‘relieve’ themselves from urinating in the sea, or they could be fined, under new laws.
How the ruling would be proved, and charged, is unknown.
The city council of Vigo, in Galicia, in the north of Spain, said: “Public urination is now an infringement of hygiene and sanitary regulations with people urinating in the sea or on the beach facing a £640 fine.”
The town officials assured that public toilets are being installed on beaches during the high season.
Shirt worn away from the beach
Spain also announced local authorities would impose fines for anyone inappropriately dressed on the street, with holidaymakers having to make sure they get dressed before leaving the beach.
Under the new rule, Britons who don’t cover up could be fined, including women seen wearing only a bikini or swimsuit and men without a top.
Rubbish
Anyone leaving rubbish on beaches and those who take a gas cylinder or barbeque to the beach could be fined.
Soap and towels
Using soap in the sea is now banned in Spain – along with the old adage of reserving a spot on the beach with a towel prohibited.
Drinks to be monitored
Majorca and Ibiza, in the Balearic Islands, announced Britons will be limited to six drinks a day – on all-inclusive holidays – with drinks limited to three at lunch, and three at dinner.
The Balearic Government has banned the sale of alcohol in shops during 9.30pm-8am.
Happy hour
Pub crawls, two-for-one drinks offers and happy hours at certain spots in Majorca and Ibiza are also illegal, with Majorca announcing Britons won’t be allowed in restaurants or bars if wearing football shirts or glow-in-the-dark hats.
11 restaurants in Majorca, part of the Palma Beach brand, have imposed a new dress code which all tourists having to adhere.
The clothing ban includes tank tops without straps, swimming trunks, swimsuits, accessories purchased from street vendors, including glow-in-the-dark hats, and football strips.
“We need support from the authorities because neither the businesses nor the residents can stop it,” said a resident, citing unruly behaviour.
The new rulings have been imposed not to prohibit tourists – but to re-educate them.
