Spain's Quirky Beach Law Could Hit Tourists With An Eye-Watering Fine

This summer, are you heading to a dreamy Spanish beach town with secluded stretches of golden sand? If so, here are some weird beach laws you should know about. Failure to follow them could mean fines of several thousand euros — enough to put a serious dent in your vacation budget. So listen up! 

The first weird law is that playing paddleball on the beach is forbidden in some cities, including Benidorm and Murcia on the southern coast, where offenders risk fines from $800 to $3,400. Yikes! What, you ask, could be so wrong about standing on a beach with a buddy and hitting a ball back and forth with small paddles? Apparently, this and other activities using balls have the potential to disturb other beachgoers, especially at popular beaches in high season, when space becomes extremely limited. Our guess is that once upon a time before this law was enacted, beachgoers getting hit with stray balls or stepped on by overly enthusiastic players was not uncommon.

Some Spanish cities (e.g., Malaga) have a more relaxed version of the rule that allows paddleball on larger beaches as long as players ensure a distance of at least 20 feet between themselves and others. When in doubt about what kinds of paddleball restrictions are in place in a particular region, be sure to inquire at a local tourism information center before heading to the beach. And if you're a fan of paddle sports, check out our article on some of the top vacation destinations for pickleball lovers. 

Like the previous beach law, the next ones are also less weird when you consider how crowded Spanish beaches get during high season. So on that note, it's illegal to save spots on the beach in Spanish cities like Cullera, Calpe, and Algarrobo, with fines of up to $3,400 for the offense. If you want that coveted spot of sand near the ocean, wake up early and claim it yourself instead of asking your friend to reserve it for you with their umbrella, towel, or other beach object. 

The final Spanish beach law we want to tell you about may draw rounds of applause, especially from those who hate choking on second-hand smoke while out in nature. That would be everyone, right? 700 of the 3,500 beaches in Spain have enacted smoking bans. These are not only public health measures but also prevent the scattering of ugly cigarette butts on the sand and in the water, where they leach toxic compounds like arsenic, nicotine, and heavy metals. So before smoking, check the posted signs at the beach for insight on the matter or, better yet, stow your cigs and breathe the salty air instead. In case you were wondering, Spain is not the only country with some surprising regulations. Check out our article on other strange international laws that you could break if you're not careful.