Spain has long since been one of the most popular holiday destinations for Brits.
In fact, British tourists made up the biggest proportion of the record-breaking 94 million tourists Spain welcomed in 2024.
While we’re fans of its paella and historic landmarks, it seems Spaniards aren’t so impressed with us, complaining of overcrowding and a lack of affordable housing in tourist hotspots.
Several protests have been held by Spanish locals in areas like Barcelona and Tenerife and, as a result, there have been crackdowns by local authorities on tourism.
There are quite a few new rules that have been enforced, so if you’re planning on heading to Spain or the Canary Islands for some sun this year, you’ll need to be in the know to avoid any unexpected charges or fines.
Full list of Spain’s new tourist rules
Spain’s tourist tax
There are two new tourist taxes set to impact travellers in different parts of Spain.
Tax 1:
Where: The Balearic Islands – Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera.
When: The new tourist taxing measures are awaiting approval.
Pricing: Overnight tourist charges could rise from £3.36 to £5.04 per person per night. Rates will vary depending on the quality of your accommodation, with guests at four and five-star hotels paying the most in the months of June, July and August.
This means holiday makers in luxury accommodation will pay £35.31 per person per week – a rise of £11.77. Cruise ship passengers will be worse off, with overnight charges increasing by 200% from £1.68 to up to £5.04 per person per night.
Exemptions: These charges will be scrapped for tourists who visit in January or February. Children under 16 are also exempt.
Tax 2:
Where: Barcelona.
When: By the end of 2025.
Pricing: Tourist tax is set to double, reaching up to £12.40 per person per night – again this is dependent on the quality of accommodation.
Currently, the maximum fee is £6.20 for guests in five-star hotels and £4.70 for guests in four-star hotels. Those staying in flats are charged £5.20.
Tourists visiting wider Catalonia will be charged between 99p and £4.95 per day.
Exemptions: Children under 16 are exempt.
Banned beach items and behaviour
Where: Gran Canaria.
Authorities released a new list of banned items on the beaches of Gran Canaria in March, and using any of this contraband on Spanish sand could see you hit with a £2,500 fine.
You can’t:
- Smoke or vape
- Play music in subathing areas – this includes beaches, promenades and coastal areas
- Cook on the beach
- Use an umbrella for shade
- Put up any type of tent or shelter
- Reserve spots on sun decks and bathing platforms
- Collect any shells or rocks from the beach or the water, or turn over stones without returning them to their original position
- Have public sex – although that one is self-explanatory
- Obstruct any access routes or walkways
- Misuse public showers or foot-washing stations e.g. by wasting water or using the water to fill containers, or washing with soap
- Fish with a rod within 150 metres of bathing zones or near divers
Fines: Breaking these rules means you’ll have to pay authorities £25 to £629 for a minor infraction, £630 to £1,258 for a serious infraction, and fines of up to £2,517 for a very serious violation.
It’s not clear what is considered a minor, serious or very serious offence, so don’t risk it.
Walking tour caps
Where: Mallorca.
There’s a crackdown on walking tours, specifically in Palma. New requirements will see tours limited to 20 people per group, which will likely make them more expensive.
But it’s not yet clear how these group numbers will be monitored. These caps don’t apply to the Balearic Islands, so walking tours are still able to accommodate up to 70 people.
A residents only area
Where: Mallorca.
The largest of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca, has a destination hailed as a ‘typical old Mediterranean town’, Sóller.
If you’re planning on visiting there by car, you’ll need to think twice. Some locals were concerned about the number of tourists, so the council introduced a ‘residents only’ zone blacklisting hire cars from the town centre.
Across 70 hectares of the town, which spans 12 streets, only residents with registered cars will be allowed to drive, with no hire cars – or cars not registered to the area – allowed.
According to Sóller’s councillor for mobility, Pep Porcel, the new policy will ensure that visitors arriving in a car will ‘leave them parked in the car parks’ to be set up ‘next to the Desvío road.’
Debunking the ‘three year’ tourist ban
Where: Malaga.
When: January 14, 2025.
A new three-year law introduced in Malaga has been dubbed a ‘tourist ban’ by some. The term is misleading – the law doesn’t ban tourists from anywhere. Instead, it prevents the registration of any new holiday rentals across 43 districts in the area.
The measure, introduced by Malaga City Council and Costa del Sol, is expected to last beyond the initial three years, and aims to stop the rise of holiday-rental properties in the most crowded parts of the city and give locals a better chance of finding long-term lets.
Don’t panic, you can still book hotels, Airbnbs and other accommodation as normal.
Where else has introduced the ban: Alicante, Madrid and possibly Seville.
Alcohol ban
Where: Llucmajor, Palma, Calvia (Magaluf) in Majorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza.
When: 2024.
What: A late night drinks ban prohibiting the sale of alcoholic drinks from 9.30pm to 8am the next day was introduced last year.
The ban means you can’t just stock up on drinks before the curfew and continue drinking through the night, as you won’t be allowed to drink on public roads during these times.
And if you’re thinking ‘fine, I’ll just go to a boat party’, you might have to think again – under a law passed in 2020, party boats are not allowed to operate within one nautical mile of the designated area.
The crackdowns are an effort to save the popular resort areas from rowdy behaviour induced by excessive drinking.
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