Spain is the top destination for Irish holidaymakers thanks to its sunny weather, beautiful beaches and bustling cities.
Tourists will be jetting abroad to the European hotspot in their droves in the coming months as the busy Easter and summer holiday periods approach.
However, before heading to Spain and to avoid getting caught out, it is worth noting how breaking some local laws could end up costing you thousands.
READ MORE: Three 'hidden costs' Irish tourists should be aware of to avoid getting caught out in Spain
Some of the laws that tourists commonly break in the country are minor infractions, while others concern potentially life-threatening incidents.
One such regulation concerns people taking off their shirt or wearing a bikini in public on a hot day as this action could get Irish tourists in trouble on a Spanish holiday.
Wearing a bikini or swimwear is absolutely fine on the beach in Spain, but in Barcelona or Majorca, people will need to cover up on the streets as they could be fined up to €300 euros for doing so.
Wearing a bikini or swimming trunks on the streets in these Spanish areas is likely to incur a fine, as the Express reports.
Men are also banned from walking around topless on the streets in some parts of Spain so Irish tourists should remember to bring a t-shirt to a beach day.
In recent years, there have been several tragic accidents where visitors to Spain have died falling from hotel balconies.
‘Balconing’ is when people try to jump into a hotel swimming pool from their balcony and is extremely dangerous.
Anyone attempting ‘balconing’ in Spain’s Balearic islands could be fined up to €60,000 but fines aside, tourists should never attempt to climb on balconies as they could put themselves and others in extreme danger.
As for another regulation to watch out for, although smoking is fairly common in Spain, the country has some of Europe’s toughest anti-smoking laws.
Smoking is banned on some beaches in Spain, including in Barcelona, the Balearic islands and the Canary islands.
Certain beaches may have designated areas where smoking is allowed and these will be clearly marked.
Cigarette butts have become a major source of pollution in recent years and authorities are attempting to crack down on waste.
Spain’s local councils can fine smokers €2,000 for breaking a beach smoking ban.
Tourists travelling to some areas of the Balearic islands, including Magaluf, will also face new laws on drinking this year.
Party booze cruises, all-you-can-drink deals and pub crawls have been banned in an attempt to crack down on rowdy drunken behaviour.
The rule came in a while ago but 2022 is expected to be the first year tourists feel the impact due to the pandemic.
While individual bars and hotels will be responsible for enforcing the rules, tourists will also need to take care.
All-inclusive hotel packages will still be able to serve unlimited alcohol in most cases and the rule only impacts certain resort areas of the Balearics.
READ MORE: Irish tourists could face major disruption as fears grow over 'serious' shortages in Costa del Sol
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