Brits are being warned they could face a hefty fine if they spark up a cigarette on beaches in Barcelona after new laws were introduced.
As of Friday, July 1, is is illegal to smoke on any of the historic city's beaches and it could see you landed with a 30 euro (£25 fine) if you are caught. The move follows a pilot programme last year, which massively reduced the rubbish caused by cigarettes including butts being left on the beach.
The city's website explains: "This ban is based on environmental protection and the right of citizens to enjoy a clean public space, free of smoke & cigarette butts.” Although Barcelona is the first city in the country to ban smoking on beaches outright, individual spots across Spain have long forbidden the practice.
Three beaches in Majorca - Santa Ponsa, La Romana (Paguera) and Carregador (Palmanova) - have a smoking ban already. Anyone caught smoking on those beaches can be charged up to £1,700.
The rules have come into power after a law was passed in Spain last year which gave local municipalities the power to issue fines to puffers. As tourists flock back to the country en-masse following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, Spain has made moves to ensure behaviour among their guests is up to scratch.
In Barcelona, people can only wear bikinis on the beach, and holidaymakers caught wearing one in the town centre could face a fine of up to £260. Bikinis are also limited to the beaches in Majorca, with fines of up to £500 for those caught flouting the rules. Topless men in both areas could also find themselves reaching for their wallets.
Business leaders in Playa de Palma say they are already fed-up with so-called "drunken tourism", even though the season has only just started. Some of them believe the "battle has already been lost" when it comes to keeping things classy at the holiday destination, with the sweltering heat turning even the most elegant Brit away from a buttoned-up shirt.
Now, a group of restaurants in the resort have clubbed together to impose a new dress code which all tourists will have to follow or they will be refused access. The clothing banned includes tank tops without straps, swimming trunks, swimsuits, any accessories purchased from street vendors, such as gold chains or glow-in-the-dark hats, and football strips.
The ban applies to eleven restaurants at the moment, all associated with the Palma Beach brand, but others are likely to follow.
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