Little-known law in Spanish tourist hotspot could land Irish holidaymakers in trouble

Irish tourists in some Spanish hotspots could land themselves in trouble with the law by breaking one little-known rule.

While most people are aware that, similar to Ireland, the consumption of alcohol in a public place outside restaurants or licensed premises is banned and could see you fined €600, very few people are aware of other local laws.

For example, Barcelona and Majorca, both very popular destinations for Irish holidaymakers, impose strict rules on clothing away from the beach or swimming pool.

While bikinis and swimming shorts are perfectly fine to wear at the pool or beach, some parts of Spain have clamped down on them being worn outside those settings, on public streets or in shopping centres and supermarkets.

Tourists going topless or women wearing bikinis in public in Barcelona and Majorca face fines of up to €300 if they’re spotted walking around away from the beach.

For security reasons, some public authorities in Spain do not allow religious dress like the burka to be worn indoors. If you visit town council buildings wearing a burka or niqab, you may be asked to remove it while inside.