Brit holiday warning as Spain cracks down on stag and hen dos with £670 fines
BRITS hoping to enjoy rowdy hen and stag dos in a Spanish holiday hotspot could be at risk of huge fines.
Tourists from the UK are starting to descend on the sunny Costa del Sol region as the summer season kickstarts.
But Spanish authorities in the area are cracking down on the often wild antics of tourists.
And it’s bad news for those drawing up plans for hen and stag parties as rules could see their behaviour tamed.
The local government in the Costa del Sol has warned holidaymakers that walking about naked or just in underwear is forbidden.
Carrying an object, doll or inflatable which looks like a private body part or of any sexual nature, is also banned.
Those who break the rules could be slapped with a 750 euro fine (£668), though cops will likely initially dish out warnings.
Malaga already began implementing strict laws last year, including fines for using megaphones or general unruly behaviour, as well as drinking in the street.
Some pubs and clubs even have a total ban on stag or hen parties and refuse to let revellers in.
Spain has a number of travel rules Brits need to be prepared for.
Clubbers could be hit with a £25,000 penalty if they attend illegal parties on top holiday islands Ibiza and Majorca, which have been clamping down on unlicensed events.
The authorities on the Balearic islands have been trying to end what they call “irregular commercially-promoted parties”.
Cops on Ibiza and Majorca have powers to stop parties taking place or issue fines once one is over though they can’t intervene when they’re in full swing.
Fines for organising, marketing and advertising, as well as participating, in the events if they take place in protected natural areas or homes can reach up to around £25,000, local media report.
Those organised house parties could face maximum fines of £260,000.
Meanwhile, holidaymakers could also face a huge fine if caught smoking on a beach in some areas.
A new law was passed in Spain last year that gives local municipalities the power to fine anyone caught smoking on the beach.
Several Spanish tourist hotspots, including Barcelona and the Canary Islands, already had the ban in place, but the nationwide law is the first of its kind in Europe.
It is up to each local municipality in Spain to decide whether to impose the law – so you’ll need to check to see whether smoking is banned on the beach you’re visiting.
If a municipality does take up the law, anyone caught smoking on the beach can be charged up to £1,700.