Britons travelling to a Spanish holiday hotspot this summer could be at risk of huge fines due to new rule changes. Costa del Sol, a southern area of the Andalusia region, attracts thousands of tourists every year - with hundreds of these holidaymakers being part of stag and hen parties.
But the local Government has recently announced that "nudism, underwear, blow-up dolls or penis headbands" are now set to be banned from streets in the region. The Express reports that popular party destinations will get tougher on stag and hen do's, with a full crackdown on people getting naked on the street, only wearing underwear or carrying sexual objects.
Anyone caught breaking these rules will now be penalised with fines up to 750 euros - or £668. Some areas, like Malaga, already have strict rules about nudity, sexual objects, use of megaphones and disruptive behaviour in general and some pubs and clubs in the city have stag and hen party bans.
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The new rules have been approved for this year and an official statement reads: "Except for municipal authorisation for specific places, it is prohibited to travel or remain on the road or public spaces without clothes or only in underwear". The city council explained the reasoning behind the new rule, saying: "The agents of the authority will inform, first of all, the people involved regarding the existence of the prohibition contemplated in this ordinance."
It added that "only if the impermissible attitude persists, will proceed to formulate the pertinent complaint. Once the aforementioned conduct has been warned and regardless of the sanctions that could be imposed, the agents of the authority may request the cessation of the conduct that violates the prohibition contained in article 36."
The same rules, which could land partygoers with a £668 fine, will apply to people "with clothes or accessories that represent the genital of the human being or with dolls as or elements of a sexual nature." So anyone looking to pack an inflatable sex doll or any raunchy accessories for their Spanish holiday should think twice.
Malaga City Council released a full statement citing the reason for the new, stricter rules are in place with a goal to stop "uncivil behaviour" that could lead to the disruption of residents. It said: "The proliferation in recent years of certain behaviours associated with nudism, the use of underwear or erotic content in public spaces advises giving the municipality a new regulation.
"The ultimate goal is to preserve public space as a place for meeting, coexistence and civility, in which all people can freely carry out their activities of free movement, leisure and recreation, with full respect for others and for the plurality of expression."
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Full list of affected cities:
- Malaga
- TorremolinosBenalmádena
- Fuengirola
- Mijas
- Marbella
- San Pedro de Alcántara
- Estepona
- Manilva
- Casares
- Rincón de la Victoria
- Vélez-Málaga
- Nerja
- Frigiliana
- Torrox
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