British tourists have been warned they could face fines of more than £30,000 if they listen to loud music on beaches in Portugal.
The use of portable speakers blaring out the latest tunes at a volume which upsets other sunseekers has been banned by Portugal’s National Maritime Authority (ANM).
The fines for beachgoers on their own start at just over £170 (200 euros) but the most serious breaches can be punished with fines of £3,440 (4,000 euros) for those who are repeat offenders or have ignored previous warnings.
For groups the fines can reach a staggering £30,953 (36,000 euros).
Local and other tourists who are being bothered by loud noise from portable speakers are being urged to contact the local Maritime Police force responsible for the beach where the infraction is occurring.
The ANM confirmed this week: “Portable speakers are prohibited on beaches at volumes which can bother other sunbathers.”
A spokesman added: “We have seen this problem increase in recent years and we are increasing our vigilance to combat it.”
It was not immediately clear how officials would determine what level of music would be loud enough to decide when fines could be applied and whether police would be given power to confiscate equipment where repeat offenders refuse to turn the volume down.
Confirmation of the prohibition has emerged as the peak tourist season is about to kick in in areas like the Algarve, which traditionally welcomes more than one million UK travellers every year.
More than 2.5 million British nationals pick Portugal to spend holiday time.
Last year Portugal made itself more attractive to British visitors by announcing it would remove Brexit restrictions and treat UK visitors under the same conditions as those from the European Union.
The new rules meant travellers from the United Kingdom were no longer treated as third-country nationals as required under Brexit.
