Tourists could be fined €750 for breaking new rules in this Spanish city

The Costa del Sol is one of Spain’s go-to destinations, welcoming floods of visitors every year, and Malaga, known for its marvellous beaches and nightlife, hosted a staggering 14 million tourists in 2023. 

And while tourism provides bags of income for the city, it’s yet another destination where measures are being taken to curb misbehaviour by visitors and make life a little more pleasant for locals. 

The reality is that the post-pandemic boom in tourism has led to the gentrification and increase in the cost of rent in central Malaga – as it has done with plenty of European destinations – and campaigners say that visitors treat the city like a ‘theme park’, according to euronews. 

We’ve recently reported on rules in place across Spain, such as fines for peeing in the sea in Marbella, but in Malaga, the local council has launched a campaign and updated existing rules. 

Much like the regulations to dress appropriately which were announced for the Balearics, one of the new rules is for visitors to always wear an ‘upper garment’ on streets and in public spaces – save that T-shirt tan top-up for the beach, lads, or you could be fined €750. 

The campaign also states that ‘pavements are for pedestrians’, which refers to visitors who cycle and scooter on walkways, and there’s fresh emphasis on keeping the city clean and not being ‘conspicuous’, too. 

Here’s the campaign poster:

Thankfully, Malaga isn’t encouraging visitors to stay away – it’s just urging people to bear residents in mind when they go beaching and partying. Here are the best things to do in the city, the best places to visit in Spain, and some of the country’s most underrated destinations. 

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