British tourists have been warned of a £1,700 fine they risk being issued ahead of summer holidays in Spain.
If caught smoking or vaping on the beach in holiday hotspots tourists could be whacked with a maximum penalty of €2,000, around £1,700.
The rules differ across the country so travellers are advised to check rules at their destination ahead of travel.
Some beaches are advisory smoke-free zones, while others are covered by council by-laws and fines, meaning travellers can encounter different rules between nearby beaches.
In Barcelona, the council has banned smoking on all of the city's beaches, with exceptions in beach bars and on promenades.
The guidances states that smoking is banned everywhere, from sand to sea.
Barcelona: all city beaches are smoke-free, with smoking banned from sand to sea, except beach bars and promenades.
Balearic Islands: many beaches in Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca are designated smoke-free zones, according to travel guidance.
Canary Islands: clean-air beach zones have been reported in tourist areas including Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
Benidorm: accessible beach areas at Levante and Poniente have been turned into smoke-free spaces under a council health initiative.
Galicia: one of Spain’s leading regions for smoke-free beaches, with bans also cited in wider Spanish beach guidance.
Andalusia and Murcia: both are cited among regions enforcing beach smoking restrictions, with rules varying by municipality.
In 2021, the number of smoke-free beaches had risen to 525, jumping from just 91 in 2018, according to the World Health Organization.
According to Spanish beach guidance this figure now sits at over 600.
With nearby beaches often falling under different council orders it is important to check the guidance in the areas you are travelling to to ensure you don't get caught out.
As vaping has grown in popularity in recent years it is also sensible to ensure whether this is included in the restrictions.
Shane Margereson, vaping travel expert at Ecigone, said: “The big mistake is assuming that what is normal in the UK will be accepted abroad. In Spain, beach rules can change from one municipality to the next, so smokers and vapers should check signs at the entrance, ask their hotel or look at the local council guidance before using anything on the sand.
“Even if vaping is legal in a country, that does not mean it is allowed in every outdoor public space. If a beach is marked smoke-free, treat that as a warning to stop, check and move to a designated area if there is one. It is much easier to ask first than argue over a fine later.”
