Floods, heatwaves and hostility? What Britons visiting Spain can expect this summer

Droughts, biblical floods, soaring temperatures and angry, anti-tourist demonstrators brandishing “tourists go home” placards. These are just some of the scenarios Spain’s most popular tourist destinations have experienced over the last few months.

So how to avoid your relaxing summer break turning into holiday hell?

Spain is not anti-tourism as such. Tourism accounts for some 13 per cent of Spain’s GDP and both local business owners and politicians are keen to stress that visitors are welcome.

Even many demonstrators say they value tourism – they just want tourists to visit responsibly and sustainably. That means frequenting small businesses, staying at locally owned hotels, and heading off the beaten track away from tourist hotspots.

Below, I’ve highlighted the issues that could affect holidays in some of Spain’s key destinations – and suggested ways tourists can reduce their impact.

1. Barcelona: Airbnb bans and higher tourist taxes

In early July, tourists on Barcelona’s La Rambla were squirted with water by protesters taking part in an anti-tourism demonstration, just one of many which have swept the Catalan capital since January. Why the anger? Locals blame unmanageable levels of tourism, particularly in the city centre, for soaring housing costs. Chronic water shortages, brought on by climate change-induced droughts have also been aggravated by large visitor numbers. (Barcelona’s City Hall estimates that tourists use almost twice as much water per day as locals).

The city council is well aware of these issues and to tackle the housing crisis, mayor Jaume Collboni has announced plans to ban short-term holiday rentals (such as Airbnbs) by 2028. The daily tourist tax for hotel guests will also rise this October, from the current €3.35 (£2.74) to €4 (£3.37) per night for the first seven days of your stay.

So how can you enjoy the city whilst addressing protester’s concerns? Avoid the already over-congested city centre and discover fascinating neighbourhoods like the Eixample, Gracia and Poble Nou. Alternatively, take a train to the coastal towns beyond the city.

2. Mallorca: protests and curbs on alcohol

In June, severe rain caused chaos at Palma Airport. The runway was flooded and water began cascading from the airport’s ceiling. Elsewhere in Spain, torrential rain transformed the streets of Murcia and Alicante into gushing rivers. Both these scenarios came in the wake of severe flooding in Seville in February.

June also saw some 10,000 disgruntled, placard-waving residents take to Mallorca’s streets and beaches in one of Spain’s largest anti-tourism demonstrations. A smaller demonstration was also held in neighbouring Menorca and a further protest is scheduled to take place in Mallorca’s capital – Palma, on the evening of July 21.

As in Barcelona, much of the local resentment stems from holiday rentals, as well as the behaviour of tourists in some of the rowdier resorts. The local government has already introduced new fines and restrictions to curb alcohol-fuelled tourism and a ban on cruise ships docking in Palma is also being considered.

Jaume Bauzà, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports for the Balearic Government, told The Telegraph: “All tourists are welcome and will continue to be so. The only thing we ask of visitors is respect and responsibility. [We need] a more sustainable and environmentally friendly [tourism] sector, attracting responsible visitors who take care of their surroundings.”

3. Ibiza: demonstrations and heatwaves

As with much of southern Europe, Spain’s State Meteorological Agency AEMET has predicted a hotter than usual summer this year on the country’s Mediterranean, as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands. So if you’ve booked or are thinking of heading to Ibiza’s famously laid-back, powdery soft beaches or lush interior, bear this in mind.

Ibiza has also seen its own anti-tourism demonstrations with around 1,000 protesters taking to the streets in late May. Once again, their beef is with the housing crisis and the behaviour of the island’s party tourists. “Tourism yes, but not like this,” read some of the placards.

The problem is aggravated by the large numbers of tourists who visit the island in comparison to its small number of residents – more than 3.5 million visited Ibiza and neighbouring Formentera in 2023, whilst the islands’ combined population only numbers 160,000.

What can you do? Be prepared for soaring temperatures and avoid larger corporate hotel chains in favour of local businesses. Where possible, head away from the tourist hotspots.

4. Málaga: anger at cruise ships

The Andalucian city of Málaga has also seen residents taking to the streets, with more than 5,000 demonstrating in July, bearing placards with slogans like “Malaga to live, not to survive” and “Salary of €1,300, rent of €1,100 – how can you live?”

Once seen simply as the gateway to the Costa del Sol, Málaga has recently become a city-break destination in its own right thanks to its Picasso Museum and fine beaches, but this has come at a price.

As in Barcelona, cruise ships flood the city centre with short-term tourists who offer little benefit to the city’s economy while making the streets even more congested. Meanwhile, according to the National Statistics Institute Málaga (both city and county) have the highest number of tourist rentals in Spain, leading frustrated locals to plaster holiday lets with stickers declaring “tourists go home” or “this used to be my home”.

The solution? As elsewhere, travelling responsibly and sustainably is key. Pablo Carrington, Founder & CEO of Marugal Hotel Management, which runs the Palacio Solecio hotel in Málaga, told The Telegraph: “These protests are not about a hatred for tourists because we are all aware of the value that this industry brings to the city. The protests are about the need to rethink the kind of tourists we want visiting our cities.”

5. The Canary Islands: hunger strikes and water shortages

In April some 200,000 people took to the streets of Tenerife’s capital Santa Cruz in what amounted to the largest demonstration in the island’s history. A month later, six activists went on a 20-day hunger strike demanding sustainable tourism instead of mass tourism and citing a dearth of affordable housing, pollution and water shortages. They also sought to halt new tourism plans which include the building of a five-star hotel on one of Tenerife’s last remaining unspoilt beaches.

It’s not just about housing and overcrowding in towns, however. Locals, as in other parts of Spain, are fed up with badly behaved tourists. Signs reading “closed to tourists” have been seen around beaches and elsewhere tourists have incurred further wrath by using camping stoves in Teide National Park and leaving their cars in designated park areas.

So should you still think of visiting? Yes, absolutely. Tenerife’s Tourism Authority told The Telegraph: “Tourists are completely welcome in Tenerife. Tenerife’s strategy involves putting sustainability at the forefront, not only environmental but also economic and social. We encourage visitors to discover the lesser-known parts of our island which enables all areas to economically benefit.”