UK holidaymakers stepping onto the beach in Benidorm need to make sure they do not fall foul of local rules
A British man living in Benidorm has warned other UK tourists to be aware of local rules when going to the beach. If not, they could face a fine.
Harry Poulton, 24, has issued advice over sun loungers and umbrellas available for use on the beach – something tourists may well be in need of when they stroll down to the seafront. And he said at this time of year, inspectors are patrolling to look for people breaking the rules.
The youngster shares travel tips and advice about Spanish tourist hotpost with his 32,000 TikTok followers under the handle @harrytokky. In a recent post that has earned 22,000 views and hundreds of likes, he urged holidaymakers to be careful in order to avoid a £129 fine on the beach, reports Luxury Travel Daily.
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The content creator from Brighton said: “This information is very important for anyone coming out to Benidorm. If you want to use the beach, do these things and you won’t end up with a fine.”
He then shows a sign post warning that the sun loungers and umbrellas available at the beach must be paid for at a cost of £5 each. Harry adds: “If you get caught not paying for the little sun loungers and the umbrellas, they could technically fine you up to [£129] for not paying.”
He warned that at this time of year, and throughout the summer, ticket inspectors are “on it” and will issue fines as it gets busier in Benidorm. “Make sure you don’t get caught red-handed on a sun lounger and get slapped with a […] fine, because that would not be nice,” Harry says.
“Don’t want to ruin your holiday over not paying.” It’s not the only thing you need to worry about when on the beaches there.
Fines risk for tourists in Benidorm
The Mirror reported last year that fines of up to £1,020 were a risk for beach-goers. The penalty can be issued for setting foot on the sandy seafront between midnight and 7am, the Mirror said.
At the time, it was reported that the rule also applied to anyone swimming or to anyone sleeping on its sands. People caught could face fines of between £650 and £1,020, it was reported, while there are also camping restrictions at those times.
The Spanish sunspot is a favourite of Brit tourists. A report by Benidorm City Council published earlier this year gave some sense of just how busy it can get.
How busy does Benidorm get?
A report published by the Film Office said “the monthly average of people visiting Benidorm is more than 252,000 people or that in August the figure shoots up to more than 2.1 million visitors, double the annual average. Likewise, we know that on the busiest day of the summer, which in 2023 was August 12, the city can reach a peak of just over 365,000 people, including residents and the floating population.”
The sunny spot in Alicante has a population of around 70,000. Since the 1950s it has been a well-known location for tourists, initially for Spaniards coming from Madrid but now for Brits, Italians, Portuguese, Belgians, Dutch and others. The UK is reportedly the biggest single source of travellers.