The Spanish Basque holiday resort of San Sebastian Donostia, long a fashionable Belle Epoque destination for savvy vacationers, both domestic and international, is set to ban smoking on its seashores, ditching its desultory men’s supper club reputation, and focusing on “coexistence, environmental quality and collective well-being,” according to Íñigo García, councillor responsible for diversity, inclusion and the environment.
The proposed new regulation “aims to establish a smoking ban on the municipality’s beaches,” the local council said, pointing to research by Spain’s AZTI foundation that found cigarette butts make up between 30% and 50% of refuse collected from the region’s beaches. If approved, the authorities will use their waste and contaminated soil powers to bring in the tobacco ban.
But it’s not all about prohibition. In a change that increases animal lovers’ rights, the new rules will see dogs permitted “to access the beaches year-round under specific conditions of use.” That means in the summer season, when dogs were previously forbidden, they will instead now be allowed to access beaches between 9:00 pm and midnight, after which time municipal cleaning teams comb the beaches.
👥El Ayuntamiento ha puesto en marcha HOY, 20 de octubre, el proceso participativo para modificar la Ordenanza de Playas
— Ayto San Sebastián (@Ayto_SS) October 20, 2025
🗓️ Hasta el 7 de noviembre
👉 Abordará tres grandes áreas:
1️⃣ La prohibición de fumar en las playas
2️⃣ Permitir el acceso de perros también durante las noches… pic.twitter.com/ujcgWVqq3d
It’s a move designed to keep residents, tourists, and furry friends happy and is all aimed at encouraging “respectful coexistence by regulating aspects related to hygiene, control, and safety,” as well as promoting “responsible ownership and citizen co-responsibility in the care of public spaces.”
Emphasising the need for everyone to get on board, Garcia explained: “We want our beaches to continue to be a symbol of environmental quality and well-being for all the people of San Sebastian, and this will only be possible with collective involvement.”
Donostia avanza hacia unas playas más saludables, tranquilas y respetuosas.
— Iñigo Garvi (@InigoGarvi) October 17, 2025
Comenzamos la modificación de la Ordenanza de Uso y Aprovechamiento de Playas para adaptarla a las nuevas sensibilidades sociales y mejorar la convivencia entre todas las personas usuarias.
Las… pic.twitter.com/URwP3ZQyOA
A public consultation is underway until 7 November 2025, and if the bylaws are greenlit, the new rules will be applicable by June 2026 – ahead of next year’s summer visitor arrivals.
Wider moves to ban smoking in some public places and diminish anti-social behaviour, particularly by tourists, have been afoot in Spain for some time as the increasingly popular southern European country attempts to cope with surging international arrivals. Malaga has published a set of etiquette rules to help visitors avoid the wrath of local residents.
Aprobado el Anteproyecto de Ley del tabaco:
— Ministerio de Sanidad (@sanidadgob) September 9, 2025
– Ampliación de espacios sin humo.
– Regulación de productos relacionados.
– Prohibición de cigarrillos electrónicos de un solo uso.
– Limitación de publicidad, promoción y patrocinio.
– Seguimiento de políticas públicas de prevención. pic.twitter.com/pPaXpO1jhA
Meanwhile, in Italy, one local authority in South Tyrol has mooted a tourist tax targeting visitors who bring dogs with them on holiday, arguing the charge would help the town manage the impact of pets on the Alpine scenery and townscape that are key parts of its appeal.
