Croatia tourists face fines up to £3,400 for breaking new rules including bikini ban

Travellers heading to Croatia this summer have a strict list of rules to follow in order to avoid getting fined up to £3,400.

The new rules enforced by Croatia to "bring order to the city" include bikini bans and restricted alcohol consumption. While Dubrovnik had already banned visitors from roaming around the old city in a bikini or topless a few years ago, now Split, the largest city on the Croatian coast, is doing the same, according to Mirror.

No bikini or topless in Split's old town

The latest rule states that it is forbidden to walk around the historic centre "in a bathing suit, underwear or (with) no clothes in a public space," and it is applicable to both tourists and locals. If one is caught breaking the said rules, they will be fined up to £128 (approximately €150)

Fines are also in place for anyone wearing "clothing that promotes drug use."

Along with Spain and Greece, Croatia is also one of the favourite party destinations of travellers from the UK. With summer currently underway, if one is planning to head to Croatia, there is one important rule to be kept in mind. A tourist or even a local can be slapped with a fine of up to £3,400 (€4,000) on the spot for actions considered to be "disturbances to public order", such as being visibly drunk in public.

UK's Foreign Office has updated its Croatia travel advice to imitate the recent changes and warn its people of the various restrictions in place, which also include climbing monuments or falling asleep in public areas.

Croatia's latest rules for summer

The updated guidance includes a new section on the fines, reading: "In some Croatian town centres, authorities may issue on the spot fines for behaviour which are locally considered inappropriate, such as:

• Walking through towns shirtless or in swimwear
• Wearing clothing that promotes drug use
• Sleeping in public areas
• Climbing on top of monuments
• Urinating in public spaces
• Drinking alcohol near protected public spaces (e.g. schools)
• Vomiting in public areas

"You can also be fined up to €4,000 for actions considered to be disturbances to public order. These include fighting, verbal abuse and drunken behaviour. Most towns have signage to advise about actions that are prohibited by local law. Take notice of your surroundings, including signage, and seek local advice.

"Drug related offences are punishable with fines and jail sentences," the release read further.

One of the new rules also states that one cannot walk their dog without a leash. Breaking this rule could hand you a fine of around £56.79 (€66.36), according to Liverpool Echo.

Split is one of the most popular destinations in Croatia and receives thousands of tourists every summer. Since it is located on the Dalmatian Coast, Split is home to a number of stunning beaches including Kasuni Beach, Žnjan City Beach and Bene Beach. Kasuni is considered a good alternative to the busier and popular Bacvice Beach.

Croatia is not the only vacation hotspot to have enforced restrictions for tourists coming from the UK and other countries. Ahead of this summer, Spain introduced several new rules for tourists, from alcohol limits to smoking bans, to prohibiting people from partying on the sea.

The so-called floating discos are among the most well-known activities among tourists in Mallorca, especially with travellers from the UK, who party for hours together out at the sea. It was earlier reported that Mallorca's council is going to crack down on the boat parties with heavy fines and police action if the drunken cruises continue to irk the locals this summer.

Travellers in Spain also have to remember to ride their bikes without their headphones or earphones on or else they could face a fine of more than £174 (€200).