New legislation passed this week means that tourists in Barcelona who wander off the beach onto the streets in bikinis, swimming costumes or in the nude can be fined if caught.
On Friday the city council voted to ban “nudity or virtual nudity in public places”. Under the new legislation, swimming costumes may only be worn in swimming pools, beaches, adjacent roads and beach walks. Nudists who leave designated nudist beaches face fines of between 300 and 500 euros. Swimmers who wander off the beach in bikinis, swimming trunks or swimsuits nay face fines from 120 to 300 euros.
The cities council was worried that the image of Barcelona’s was being tarnished by those who walked straight off the beach and into commercial, residential and historic, or onto public transport without changing first.
Signs were put up in coastal areas and next to the beaches of Barcelona earlier this year asking people to cover up when they left but it seemed to make very little difference.
However, tourists, who more often than not are the main perpetrators, are unlikely to be fined, as the police will be told to let first-time offenders off with a warning and instructions to cover up, rather than hand out a penalty on the spot.
