Tenerife Implements Smoking Bans Across 13 Beaches with Fines Up to €750

Tenerife has officially designated thirteen coastal areas as smoke-free zones. This new policy aims to improve the beach experience for visitors while reducing the environmental damage caused by cigarette waste. According to the organization Nofumadores.org, these rules are enforced through municipal ordinances in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and El Rosario, with fines for violations reaching up to 750 euros.

The ban is comprehensive, covering not just traditional cigarettes but also vaping devices, hookahs, and electronic cigarettes. The restrictions apply to more than just the sand; they extend to beach facilities such as solariums, access ramps, bathing platforms, and the areas surrounding kiosks on busy beaches like Las Teresitas.

This policy serves two main purposes. From a public health standpoint, it protects vulnerable groups—such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues—from secondhand smoke. Environmentally, it addresses the problem of cigarette butts, which are a major source of marine pollution. Because filters contain plastic polymers and toxic chemicals, they can easily enter the food chain once washed into the ocean by the tide.

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the ban applies to ten locations: Las Teresitas, Las Gaviotas, Playa Chica, Benijo, Almáciga, Roque de las Bodegas, the Añaza Pier, Acapulco beach, the El Bloque bathing area, and the San Andrés breakwater. The municipality of El Rosario has added three more beaches to this list, where fines range from 100 to 750 euros.

Because the rules and boundaries can vary, authorities advise beachgoers to check the signage at each location. If you are unsure whether you are in a restricted zone, the safest approach is to step outside the beach or designated bathing area before smoking or vaping.