20x do’s and don’ts on the beaches in Spain this summer.
Did you know that there are many rules, prohibitions and rules of conduct for staying on a Spanish beach? Many of these rules are not national but regional or local, which makes it sometimes difficult to know exactly what is and what is not allowed on your favorite beach.
Most of the national rules regarding beaches and the Spanish coastline can be found in the Ley de Costas or the Coastal Law which can be read HERE (in Spanish). but as we wrote before, most beach rules are regulated locally, provincially or regionally and are different everywhere.
In principle, there is always a large sign with rules at the beaches that one must adhere to. If you do not do this, you can receive fines of up to 3,000 euros in some municipalities. Below are 20 examples of codes of conduct that apply on some beaches in Spain.
Peeing in the sea
In the municipality of San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia it is no longer allowed to pee in the sea. This applies to both the Mediterranean Sea and the Mar Menor, the inland sea that has been polluted for several years. Of course not only because of peeing people, but according to the municipality one has to start somewhere with improving the quality of the water. In Lepe (Huelva) and Málaga it is also forbidden to do your small or large needs in the sea with fines that can go up to 750 euros. (NOTE: This ban was introduced in 2017 but we cannot confirm it is still in effect).
Shampoo and soap
On practically all beaches in Spain it is not allowed to shower or go into the sea and wash yourself with shampoo and soap. That applies to the showers, the footwasher and in the sea, a lake or river.
Barbecue and open fire
It is not allowed to light a fire, barbecue or do anything with fire on the Spanish beaches. An exception to this is the San Juan party, where you can light campfires on the beaches in Spain.
Swimming with a red flag
The red flag on the beach means that there is danger in the water and that means that it is too dangerous to swim and the beach guests must stay on the beach. That sounds strange because in principle everyone should know how far they can go but cities like Estepona, Lloret de Mar, Salou, Castelldefels and Valencia don’t want any problems and so swimming with a red flag is seen as a serious offense with fines up to no less than 3,000 euros.
Reserve a spot
Reserving a place by the sea on a beach is no longer allowed in many municipalities and can be ticketed. Gandía, Benidorm, San Pedro del Pinatar (that of peeing in the sea) and Torrox are just a few municipalities that do not allow the use of chairs and sunshades on the beach to reserve a hideaway. Fines of 300 euros can apply and beach cleaning staff are instructed to remove all chairs and umbrellas if no one is around.
Rusted umbrellas
It sounds unbelievable but it’s really true. In Valencia it is not allowed to go to the beach with rusted sunshades and umbrellas, these are taken by the cleaning staff and/or the police. The reason for this is that these rusted parasols can potentially cause injuries and are not good for the environment.
Six meters from the coast
On many beaches in the Comunidad Valenciana it is not allowed to lay the towel and put down a sunbed or chair within six meters of the sea water on the beach. The reason for this is that a certain area must be free for people who go swimming, who want to walk in the water and to allow any rescue operations to go smoothly.
Itinerant sales
It is not allowed to do itinerant sales on the beaches. This is a general prohibition that does not work in practice. Because who hasn’t been harassed by sellers on a beach in Spain? From African images, DVDs (yes, they still exist), scarves, massages, drinks, cocktails and food to shoes, caps and polo shirts, you can’t imagine it being offered at the beach department store in Spain (with especially on the popular and crowded beaches).
To smoke
There are more and more beaches in Spain where it is no longer allowed to smoke. Firstly, a smoker will harass someone else on the beach with the smoke, secondly, the butts are often simply thrown away or buried in the sand and thirdly, butts can possibly start a fire if they are thrown away. The tobacco law amended in 2022 states that smoking is in principle prohibited on beaches, but that municipalities can determine this themselves. Smoking has been banned on all beaches in Barcelona since 2022 and there are more and more non-smoking beaches in Spain.
Source:Spanje Vandaag