Relations with Britain's favourite holiday destination seem to be souring as the impact of tourism is felt more and more.
Last year 17.3 million travellers from the UK headed to Spain - just a touch below the 18 million recorded five years ago, but still the biggest chunk of the 85million tourists who visited in 2023, bringing €108 billion into the country as they did.
Over the past 12 months more and more noise has been emerging from certain parts of Spain where tourism is a particularly significant part of the economy. In certain areas issues over housing have become higher profile as more holiday lets pop up, while some communities are becoming sick of the unruly, drunken behaviour that blights their towns in the summer season.
The bubbling discontent has led some local authorities to pass laws in a bid to control the nuisance visitors, while grass-roots movements attempting to push governmental officials into acting have sprung up in other places. Although Spain remains a very friendly, welcoming country that is ideal for a sunny holiday, it is worth knowing what the issues are in specific places before you travel there so you can be as considerate and responsible a tourist as possible.
Canary Islands
The Canaries - which include Tenerife and Lanzarote - are among the most visited areas in the whole of Europe, with 14million people heading there last year. Tourism is a huge part of the economy, but also one that is putting a big strain on a historically poor region. Locals are increasingly being priced out of their homes while roads are becoming clogged by growing numbers of motorists.
This weekend protesters will hit the streets in the Canary Islands and cities across Europe - including London - to call for changes to protect the traditional way of life. A week ago a hunger strike was launched in a bid to force the islands' government to act.
Although graffiti calling on holidaymakers to 'go home' has cropped up in places, most campaigners have been at pains to stress that they are not anti-tourist, but anti tourism in its current form. Ricardo Fonteneau, of campaign organisation LIBERACIÓN CANARIA, told the Mirror: "It is not true that we hate the tourists, that we have problems with them. We have problems with the tourist industry. The politicians have never worked for other activities other than tourism."
Barcelona
One of Europe's great cities is also one which suffers from its reputation. Just 1.6 million people are lucky enough to call Barcelona home, while close to 32 million visit it each year. That can leave the place feeling quite overwhelmingly busy during the high season.
Barcelona locals are not ones to sit back and engage in some armchair activism. For 15 years they have been loudly hitting the streets, erecting signs calling tourists 'bastards' and 'terrorists', demanding "go home" and referring to their as city “Carcelona” - ‘carcel’ meaning ‘prison’.
In a bid to tackle the issue of overtourism, the local government stopped issuing any new licences for tourist accommodation, and new regulations have been introduced to reduce the number of short term private lets. A lengthy process to move all cruise ships out of the central city port is also underway, after Barcelona was found to have the most polluted port in Europe.
Tourists who breach certain rules such as a ban on smoking on the beach also face being landed with a hefty fine.
Benidorm
Over in Alicante on the Costa Blanca is another beloved destination which is also now pushing back against the worst excesses of tourism. As in Barcelona, authorities in Benidorm are attempting to control the masses by issuing hefty fines for those breaching anti-social related laws.
The holiday hotspot has a ban on swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am. Those who ignore the restrictions can risk a fine of between €750 and €1,200 (£641 to £1,026). The same financial penalty will be headed your way if you're caught sleeping or camping on the beaches during these hours.
Majorca
Another big destination with tourists is Majorca - home of bargain booze mecca that is Magaluf. After so many summers of crowds of tanked up, bucket hat wearing Brits descending on the neon bathed strip of the Maga', locals have had enough. And officials have listened.
Now holidaymakers heading to Magaluf, El Arenal, Playa de Palma in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza are being limited to six alcoholic drinks per day. These will be distributed evenly between lunch and dinner - meaning tourists will only be offered three free drinks per meal. Any extra alcoholic beverages will need to be paid for. The new law will apply to resorts on islands including Ibiza and Majorca, as well as some hotels in the Balearic Islands.
Some restaurants and bars have also introduced bans on certain clothes such as football tops and tank-tops, while restaurant owners in Majorca who say they are fed up with "no shows" which are leaving them out of pocket have started charging those who fail to turn up.
Malaga
Angry residents in the Costa del Sol told holidaymakers to go home last month in the latest instance of anti-tourism in Spain. Stickers were plastered over the front of tourist apartment blocks with messages in Spanish saying: 'f**k off from here' and 'stinking of tourists.'
Other messages have appeared, referring to the same problems highlighted by Tenerife residents about the lack of affordable accommodation caused by mass tourism. Messages read: 'this used to be my house' and ‘a family used to live here’.
Malaga bar owner Dani Drunko claims he was recently told to leave his home of ten years because it is becoming a short-term holiday let. “Everyone has joined the cause and got really involved, so much so that they’re printing off stickers and putting them all over streets in the centre," he said of the sticker campaign.
Nationwide tourism rules
There are a number of national rules regarding entry and the right to stay in Spain that are designed to control the flow of tourists into the country, and which can impact holidaymakers from the UK.
If you're travelling to Spain from the UK, you might need to prove that you have enough money for your trip. This rule applies to those flying from outside the EU and Schengen area. Tourists need to have at least 900 euros - roughly £750 in their bank account. But, the Spanish Tourist Office has said that this amount can change and not every visitor will be checked.
Brits who don't have an EU passport will need to show proof of where they're staying if they don't want their Spanish holiday cut short. Non-Schengen zone tourists, including those from the UK, must present a booking confirmation or proof of address at border checks if they're visiting their own property in Spain.
If you're being hosted by a Spanish resident, they'll need to get an official document known as a "carta de invitation". You'll be sent an "invitation letter" which you can use to prove that you have somewhere to stay. If you can't produce any of these documents, you could be refused entry into Spain.
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