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Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Katie Williams & Ketsuda Phoutinane

Six little-known Spanish laws - including fine for taking your shirt off

Your sunny Spanish holiday could come to an abrupt halt just for donning a bikini outside of the beach.

Scores of sun-starved Brits will be flocking to Spanish beaches as the tourism industry flings opens its doors to tourists this summer.

Although the country's Covid entry requirements still apply for the time being, there are other rules holidaymakers might want to get acquainted with lest they get fined.

It comes as the new six-drink rule is in force by the Balearic Government that covers package holidays in Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca.

GlasgowLive has given a rundown of six restrictions tourists might find surprising, from where to keep covered up, plus why you could be fined £2,500 for barbecuing.

Bikinis are only for the beach

Careful where you go taps off in Spain (Getty Images)

For those heading out to the beach to catch some sunshine, be aware that you'll likely need to cover up your bikini.

Men walking around with their shirts off, or women wearing only bikinis or swimwear could be hit with £250 fines and these fines have reportedly already been dished out in Barcelona and Mallorca.

As UK Foreign Travel Advice states: "In some parts of Spain it's against the law to be in the street wearing only a bikini or swimming shorts/trunks.

"Being bare-chested has also been banned in some areas of Spain. Some local councils will impose fines if you’re caught wearing swimwear on the seafront promenade or the adjacent streets."

It adds: "For security reasons, some public authorities in Spain don't allow the burka or niqab to be worn in their buildings. If you visit town council buildings wearing a burka or niqab, you may be asked to remove it while inside."

Alcohol limit

Spanish officials have introduced measures to curb drinking (AFP via Getty Images)

In certain areas of the resorts of San Antonio, Magaluf and Playa de Palma there are prohibitions on happy hours, open bars (such as all you can drink in one-hour offers), the sale of alcohol from vending machines, self-service alcohol dispensers and the organising of pub-crawls and party boat trips.

The law also prohibits "off-licence" sales between 9:30pm and 8am in those areas and in Magaluf (Calvià) and Playa de Palma on the island of Mallorca, and San Antonio (San Antoni de Portmany) on the island of Ibiza.

Those on all inclusive holiday packages in those areas have a six drink limit - three with lunch and three with dinner.

No soap or shampoo

As Wales Online reports, at all Spanish beach showers, you can be fined up to £620 if you are caught using soap and shampoo to wash.

This is because the chemicals in these products are harmful to marine life and have been made illegal.

Illegal naps and beach sleeping

While it could be tempting to want to sleep under the stars on the beach, it is illegal and in regions like Valencia can see Brits slapped with a massive £1,240 fine.

Camping on the beach is also against the law and could result in the same fee having to be paid.

Public nudity and barbecues

Stripping off on a non-nudist beach in Spain comes with a hefty fine (Getty Images)

If any Brits go nude on a non-nudist beach, they can expect a stern dressing down to go with a £620 fine.

But the biggest fine holidaymakers can be hit with is in regards to beach barbecues.

While a bit of a grey area, any Brits hoping to hold one should seek permission beforehand because in some areas such as Salobrena, you can be handed a massive £2,500 fine.

No smoking

The Spanish government ran a pilot scheme last year banning smoking across popular beaches in the country.

After its success, the policy is being expanded and any Brits caught smoking at such a beach will be hit with a £25 fine.

The smoke-free beaches and zones include locations in Galicia, Murcia, Catalonia, Andalusia, Asturias, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

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