Spanish town to fine tourists for hogging beach spots

People cool off in the water on a hot and sunny day at the beach in Barcelona, Spain, July 15, 2022. (Emilio Morenatti / AP Photo, File)

While tourists in Barcelona risk being squirted with water pistols, those in the town of Calpe on Spain’s Mediterranean coast face another threat: a hefty fine for reserving space on the beach for themselves.

The town council reminded beachgoers in a news release Wednesday that under the Municipal Ordinance of Use and Management of the Coast, they are prohibited from installing items such as chairs, hammocks and beach umbrellas before 9 a.m. in order not to hinder the clean-up of the beaches.

Those who do not comply with this rule face being reported, their belongings being removed and fines of €250 euros (around US$270).

Chairs, hammocks and umbrellas that are left unattended for more than three hours during the day may be removed, the council said.

It added that it has received complaints for some years now about people reserving space on the beach, with visitors arriving mid-morning to find it already staked out with belongings but no sign of their owners.

The issue of space-hogging beachgoers is also a daily problem in nearby holiday hotspot Benidorm, according to local news site Información.

Over the past few months, there has been increasing pushback against holidaymakers in Spain and its islands.

Last month, the government of Barcelona – where thousands have been protesting against mass tourism – announced that it will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, as it seeks to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city liveable for residents.

In May, there were further crackdowns on party boats and public drinking on the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca.

And in April, locals in the Canary Islands protested against excessive tourism, blaming visitors for pricing them out of their homes and causing environmental damage.