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Maps: Which beaches in Spain have banned smoking?

With the news that Barcelona has recently banned smoking on all its city beaches from July, we take a look at where else in Spain has banned smoking on the sand.

Published: 17 February 2021 12:51 CET
Updated: 14 April 2022 11:04 CEST
No smoking on the beach in Barcelona
Smoke-free beach in Barcelona. Photo: Esme Fox

Barcelona recently announced that it will ban smoking on all of its 10 city beaches from July this year. This means there will be a total of five kilometres of smoke-free sand in Spain’s second-largest city. Last year, Barcelona decided to ban smoking on four of its main beaches between May 29th and September 12th as a trial run, and this year has extended the ban all year round to all its beaches, due to the success. 

Many in Barcelona have praised the move, while many others have taken to social media to express their anger at the rule.

As well as being horrible to find between your toes when sunbathing or when your kids are building a sandcastle, cigarette butts are harmful to the environment and marine life. 

A discarded cigarette butt is made of over 97 percent cellulose acetate and contains 4,000+ chemical toxins.

But, discarded cigarette butts are just half the issue, the other problem is the smoke, which on Spain’s crowded beaches can affect the health and well-being of many others around. 

Barcelona is of course not the only Spanish city to have banned smoking on its public beaches. We take a look at which other beaches across the country have put a stop to it. 

Catalonia

Besides the 10 beaches in Barcelona, many of Catalonia’s beaches have banned smoking, all the way up to the Costa Brava. In fact, Catalonia became the first region to designate a ‘smoke-free’ beach when the town of L’Escala introduced the rule back in 2006. Since then, it has been extended to a total of 19 beaches in the region, these include Sant Feliu, Sant Pol, Canyerets in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Playa de Ocata in El Masnou, Playa de Sa Boadella, Canyelles, Treumal and Fenals in Lloret de Mar, and Playa de L’Escala.

Galicia 

The region of Galicia has the most smoke-free beaches in Spain, with a whopping 187 ocean and river beaches imposing the ban. These include 70 beaches in the province of A Coruña, 32 in Lugo, 12 in Ourense and 73 in Pontevedra. 

Some of the most popular and well-known beaches that are free from tobacco include Santa Cristina in Oleiros, A Rapadoira in Foz, and Silgar in Sanxenxo.

Canary Islands 
 
Gran Canaria is the main island in the Canaries that has introduced smoking bans on its beaches. Across the islands there are currently 41 smoke-free beaches. The municipality of Mogán introduced new rules, along with fines of up to €1800 for discarding cigarette butts on the sand and €450 for anyone caught smoking. These include Playa de Mogán, Anfi, Puerto Rico, Amadores, and Las Marañuelas in Arguineguin.

 
Murcia 
Murcia currently has a total of 12 smoke-free beaches. These include El Rihuete, Playa de Bahía, Playa Reya, Nares and El Castellar in Mazarrón; Playa Villananitos in San Pedro del Pinatar; Playa del Pescador and the main beach in Santiago de la Ribera, Playa Mistral in La Manga, Playa de La Concha in Los Alcázares; la Cala de las Higuericas Águilas; and Playa La Chapineta in La Azohía. 
 

 
 
 
Andalusia 
 
There are now 48 beaches across Andalusia which have introduced the ban. These include Vera in Almería, Motril and Algarrobo, as well Playa de la Rada Estepona, Vélez-Málaga, Lagos, Mezquitilla, Caleta, Torre del Mar, Almayate, Valle Nizas and Benajarafe in the province of  Málaga.
 
El Chorillo in Conil de la Frontera, El Palmar in Vejer also have smoking bans, as do the beaches in and around Tarifa including Playa Chica, Atlanterra, Valdevaqueros, Playa de los Lances and Bolonia. 
 
Playita de Arroyomolinos in Zahara de la Sierra, Santa Bárbara in La Línea, El Carmen de Barbate and de Zahara de Atunes in the provincia de Cádiz have also banned smoking. 
 

 
Asturias 

Asturias designated smoke-free beaches for the first time in 2019 and now has 14 smoke-free beaches. 

The list currently includes Playa de Misiego, El Puntal y Miami in Villaviciosa and Playa de Los Quebrantos in Soto del Barco.

 
Balearic Islands 
 
The Balearic Islands have around 12 smoke-free beaches between the islands. On Mallorca you can enjoy the fresh air on Cala Estancia, Cala Anguila, Cala Deià, Colonia de Sant Pere, Cala Millor, Sant and Joan in Alcudia. 
 
In Ibiza, smoke-free beaches include Playa de Santa Eulalia del Río and Playa de Talamanca, while in Menorca you can head to Binissafúller or Platja Gran. And finally on Formentera, there’s Playa Es Pujols. 

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HEALTH

Are private health costs tax deductible in Spain?

Many expenses can be offset against taxes in Spain, but what about private health insurance and other medical costs? Can you deduct them in 'la declaración de la renta' (annual tax return)? It often depends on your circumstances and location.

Published: 2 May 2024 09:13 CEST
Are private health costs tax deductible in Spain?

Taxes are expensive in Spain, so anything that you can do to be able to make deductions or offset payments can help.

Not many people are aware that some private health costs such as health insurance can be tax deductible in Spain.

There are however certain requirements you must meet to be able to do this. It is generally only available to:

  • Self-employed workers registered as autónomo
  • Employed workers who have private medical insurance paid for by their companies
  • Companies that offer group health insurance to their employees.

This means that if you’re an employee who wants to get their own private medical insurance, unfortunately, you generally won’t be able to claim the payments back against tax.

READ ALSO – La Renta: What items can you deduct on your Spanish tax return?

Self-employed

If you run your own business or work for several different clients and are registered as autónomo in Spain, then you are able to deduct private health insurance.

Of course, you’ll already be covered by the public health system as you’ll be paying social security, but you may want to consider private health insurance too. The benefits include being able to get appointments faster and see specialists when you want.

Even though health insurance may be not completely necessary for carrying out your work, Law 35/2006 on Personal Income Tax states that it is deductible for self-employed people, provided they pay taxes through the direct estimation regime, which takes into account real annual income.  

It’s also possible to deduct private health insurance policies of your spouse and any children under 25 years old, as long as they live with you.  

  • You can deduct a maximum of €500 for each person in the family who meets these requirements, or a maximum of €1,500 if any of those people suffer from a disability.
  • Your total deduction for private health insurance as a family cannot exceed €4,500.  

It’s important to be careful when you’re taking out a private health insurance policy that you’re taking out the correct one for your circumstances, otherwise, you may not be able to claim it back. For example, if you want to be able to deduct your Sanitas expenses you have to take out the Sanitas Professional Plan only, you can’t pick and choose which you want. This means that if you want to be able to put this down as an expense you must communicate your intentions and situation with your chosen insurer first, so that they can advise you.  

READ ALSO: Record 850,000 people waiting to have an operation in Spain 

Employees who get private health insurance from their company  

If your company pays your private health insurance for you, it is considered to be a type of remuneration, but you are exempt from declaring it as work income, so are able to generate some tax savings on it.  

The limit is also €500 for each person included in the health insurance coverage. If the health insurance premiums exceed €500 per year, the rest will be taxed as a type of income.  

If you pay a portion of the health insurance yourself and your company pays the rest, you are also allowed to deduct these expenses.  

Tax-deductible medical expenses in the Canary Islands, Cantabria and Valencia

If you live in either the Canary Islands, Cantabria or Valencia, there are a set of special circumstances that allow you to offset health expenses against your taxes, no matter whether you’re self-employed or if your company pays private health insurance for you or not.  

Canary Islands  

It’s possible to deduct 12 percent of expenses and fees paid during the year for medical or health reasons including the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, dental health, pregnancy and childbirth, accidents and disability.  

Operations for aesthetic purposes are excluded unless they are intended to repair damage caused by accidents or are treatments aimed at helping those dealing with sexual identity.

It’s also possible to deduct 12 percent of the expenses paid for medical devices that compensate for physical deficiencies, such as glasses or hearing aids. 

The total amount deductible is €600 per year for individuals and €840 if joint a declaration is filed. If the taxpayer has a disability equal to or greater than 65 percent, an additional €100 deduction is added.

READ ALSO: Is it better to do a joint or separate tax declaration if you’re a couple in Spain?

Cantabria

If you live in Cantabria you are able to deduct 10 percent of private health services for illness, dental health, pregnancy, childbirth, accidents and disability. You can either claim it for yourself or your immediate family who live with you.  

The limit is €500 for individuals and €700 for joint declaration. These limits will be increased by €100 for those with a disability equal to or greater than 65 percent, and by a further €100 for each taxpayer with this disability, in the case of a joint declaration. 

Valencia

This year, the government of Valencia has also included a deduction for certain health expenses.

€100 can be deducted for the treatment and care of people affected by highly complex chronic diseases and “rare” diseases, as well as €100 for care for those diagnosed with acquired brain damage or Alzheimer’s disease. This will be extended to €150 for single-parent families.  

You can also deduct 30 percent of the expenses for:

  • Services and treatments linked to non-aesthetic oral health, with a maximum limit of €150.
  • Services related to mental health, with a maximum limit of €150.
  • Prescription glasses, contact lenses and cleaning solutions, with a maximum limit of €100.

Remember that if you live in any of these three regions and you want to be able to offset your medical expenses against taxes, you will need to pay with card and have proper invoices and receipts to prove what you have paid for.  

If you are unsure about what expenses you can claim, it’s best to contact your gestor or another tax professional to check about your specific situation beforehand. 

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