Spanish authorities have announced that tourists could be fined for peeing in the sea, however there is a major loophole that allows you to avoid the new rule
Costa del Sol council has denied it has plans to start fining tourists for peeing while they are in the sea, but holidaymakers could still be charged for unlawful beach urinating.
Marbella City Council in Spain has denied all suggestions that it will implement a fine of up to €750 (£635) for people who pee in the water off of one of the Costa del Sol’s popular destinations.
According to the Guardian, at the end of May the council approved a series of initiatives which have been designed to improved the quality of the city’s famous beaches. The proposals included sanctions for antisocial behaviour such as playing loud music or ball games and fining those who carry out “physiological evacuations (bowel movements and urination) in the sea or on the beach”.
However, while the wording of the bylaw is confusing, a spokesperson for the city council clarified that it meant people peeing into the sea from the shoreline or perhaps from a breakwater would face a fine.
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Frequent urinating offenders — if caught more than once in a year — could be fined up to €1,500 (£1,270).
That means if you are caught short while on the beach, you should walk into the water before addressing the issue.
Many individuals have questions the bylaw and also found it humorous. The Guardian reported that when the Spanish TV programme Tiempo al tiempo sent a reporter to the beach to gauge public reaction, the possible new enforcement was met with disbelief.
“Who’s going to find out?” asked one man, who confessed to peeing in the sea more than once. “The jellyfish?”
Another person added: “Are there going to be police officers on the lookout? I just don’t get it.”
Despite the bemusement, a spokesperson for the city council later clarified that the new rule would not apply to open water.
“The bylaw does not impose a sanction for peeing in the sea,” they said in an email to the Guardian. “It will not be applicable. The bylaw regulates possible antisocial infractions on the beach, just as any such acts are regulated in any public space such as on the city’s streets.”
Other locations have also implemented strange rules in the past including Malaga in 2004, which introduced a €300 (£253) fine for “physiological evacuation on the beach or in the sea”. Similarly, a €750 (£635) sanction came into effect two years ago in the Galician city of Vigo.
“If you’re heading there for your summer holidays, be careful where you urinate,” warned Portuguese media at the time. “Peeing in the sea or on the beach will result in a fine.”
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