Spain to slap £174 fine if tourists make a simple mistake this summer

With summer just around the corner in Europe, travellers have another new rule to follow in Spain as the Western European nation is gearing up to avoid over-tourism this year.

This summer, all travellers heading to Spain must remember to ride their bikes without their headphones or earphones on or else they could face a hefty fine of more than £174 (€200), reported SchengenVisaInfo.com.

Cycle SOS rule in Spain

Thanks to some of the famous party destinations in the country such as Ibiza, Mallorca, Costa del Sol, Benidorm, and Magaluf, Spain has been a long-favourite holiday destination for tourists from the UK. One of the most popular ways to explore Spain is on a bicycle, especially moving around a small town or a resort island.

According to an expert at Cycle SOS, while it is not illegal to ride a bike in the UK while wearing earphones or headphones, it is still prohibited in popular holiday destinations across the continent. In France, the fine is a little smaller than in Spain and is around £117 (€135). In Portugal and Italy, the rule is much more relaxed as it is okay if the rider has one earphone out. There is a penalty of approximately £139 (€160) if one is caught wearing both earphones whilst cycling in Italy.

A legal team leader at Cycle SOS, Lena Farnell said that the ban came into force in France in 2015, whilst the rule stating that one cannot cycle while listening to music through headphones or earphones in Spain is a part of the current Spanish law that was last updated in 2014.

"Current Spanish law, which was updated in 2014, states that you cannot cycle whilst listening to music through headphones or earbuds. Cyclists who are caught wearing earphones can expect to pay a €200 (£174) fine in Spain," Farnell said in an interview.

Adding further, Farnell said that the strict law was introduced for safety reasons, as earphones prevent riders from hearing other sounds on the road.

"Wearing earphones whilst cycling could present a safety risk to yourself and other road users. Listening to music compromises a cyclist's ability to listen to road traffic, including the sirens of emergency vehicles. They may also be less aware of warning signals such as vehicles using their horn or pedestrians shouting," Farnell said.

More rules for tourists this summer

Meanwhile, among other rules in Spain for the upcoming summer, the local government in the Costa del Sol has warned tourists that walking around naked or only in underwear is forbidden. Carrying an object, doll or inflatable which looks like a private body part or of any sexual nature, is also banned, with fines up to £668 (€750).

If travellers are caught attending illegal parties on islands such as Ibiza and Mallorca, they could be slapped with a hefty fine of £25,000. It was earlier revealed that at least 28 beaches in Spain had banned smoking in an effort to improve health and become smoke-free zones. Getting caught smoking could lead to a big fine. Even wearing football shirts at some restaurants is not allowed.

Meanwhile, several resorts in Spain have introduced tourist taxes, with some coming into place this year. Tourists from Britain, especially, have to make sure to have at least £85 to spend each day as there could be checks at the borders.

It was earlier reported that the tourists visiting Mallorca, Ibiza, and Magaluf will be limited to just six drinks a day, which can only be accessed with their lunch and dinner – meaning they'll get to have a maximum of three drinks per meal. This may come as a huge bummer for the tourists who were looking forward to spending the summer drinking by the water across the Spanish party islands.