IRISH holidaymakers are being warned about a little-known rule in a top sunshine spot that could land you a hefty €750 fine.
In a bid to prevent antisocial behaviour, some Portuguese towns have introduced fines for peeing in the sea in an effort to improve the quality of their white sandy beaches.
Toilets are available for free or for a small charge in most public beaches in Portugal[/caption]
The measure will fine Irish tourists as much as €750 if they are caught peeing in the sea.
Portuguese authorities have introduced the rule in a bid to protect their “ocean’s biodiversity and coral reefs.”
Irish tourists are advised to use toilets which are available for free or for a small charge in most public beaches in Portugal.
And public urination is also banned on land too.
Peeing in the sea is also banned in some areas in Spain as part of broader efforts to combat over-tourism.
Popular resort towns, including Marbella, have also implemented strict rules to protect their sea life.
The new measure which was approved last month will fine tourists as much as €750 if they are caught peeing in the sea, according to local media.
The measure makes up part of the new ordinance for the use of the area’s beaches.
It’s not the only beach in Spain that has banned people from peeing in the ocean.
In 2022, Vigo introduced the new rules which ban urinating “in the sea or on the beach.”
Anyone caught – despite not being clear how it is enforced – could also be fined €750.
Another crackdown on Spanish beaches is the use of beach sunloungers.
Anyone caught trying to save a space with an umbrella or lounger could be fined up to €250.
Irish holidaymakers could also be fined up to €1,000 for using phones while driving or even idling at traffic lights.
Lake Como region in northern Italy have also rolled out stricter phone use aimed at limiting any distraction while walking.
And the new measure has been introduces as a safety measure as the use of mobile phone when walking and not using a pedestrian crossing when there is one can led to serious incidents.
And it can land you fines up to €500.
Elsewhere, tourists heading for Spain are being warned of sizzling temperatures and thunderstorms set to blast the country.
Temperatures soared as high as 46.6C across Europe last week as a blistering heatwave shut schools and workplaces and recorded multiple deaths last week.
A number of holiday hotspots in Spain are expecting severely high temperatures of 40C this week, while other areas will be hit with thunderstorms.
Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, has warnings in place for a number of popular holiday spots including Seville, Alicante, Mallorca, Madrid and Girona.
A “severe high-temperature warning” has been issued for Seville, the Córdoba Countryside, Guadalquivir, Morena and Condada.
