He criticized tourists’ indecent behavior.
A French town is reminding people that swimsuits are forbidden in the city. The warning comes from the mayor of Les Sables d’Olonne, Yannick Moreau, who announced in a Facebook post that anyone caught “half-naked” on the streets will be fined €150 ($175).
“It’s a matter of respect for the Sablais people who don’t want us to walk around half-naked at home. It’s also a basic public hygiene rule in our markets, our shops, our streets,” the mayor wrote in his post. He also added that if someone wants to show off their abs, they can use the seven miles of beaches.
Les Sables d’Olonne is a seaside town in the Vendée region in western France, known for its beaches on the Atlantic coast. In an interview, Moreau specifically pointed at tourists when he said, “Year after year, we see that indecency and lack of common sense are gaining ground. We are obliged to recall basic rules of hygiene and courtesy.”
Tourists elsewhere in France are also surprising locals with their choice of attire, and other towns are clamping down on disrespectful behavior. The towns of Arcachon and La Grande-Motte have also introduced a €150 fine for those who are not dressed appropriately. The reminder for everyone is that swimwear is acceptable on the beaches, but when exploring these towns, tourists must cover up.
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Other towns and cities in Europe are also taking a hard stance on people roaming in swimwear. In Portugal, the coastal city of Albufeira proposed a law earlier this year to fine tourists who walk around in their swimwear. People who wander in the city in swimsuits or bare-chested could be fined as much as €1,500 ($1,715), while those found completely naked face a fine of €1,800 ($2,058). The family-friendly destination has witnessed a spike in bad behavior by tourists, and the city also wants to combat public drinking, urination and defecation, and public sex acts. Last year, eight British tourists were filmed dancing naked in a bar in Albufeira.
Barcelona was one of the first to crack down on the problem of indecent dressing. In 2011, it ordered tourists to cover up or face a penalty of up to €500 ($571). Beachwear is allowed on the beach and nearby streets, but police can fine anyone walking in a bikini or trunks. The island of Mallorca also restricts people from being topless off the beaches, and drinking alcohol on the streets is also not allowed.
The Italian town of Sorrento has had this policy since 2022—people are prohibited from walking bare-chested or in swimsuits. Those who break the law can be fined up to €500 ($571). In Croatia, too, Hvar, Split, and Dubrovnik have strict dress codes, so bikinis and swimwear are not permissible outside of designated areas.
If you’re traveling to Europe this summer, make sure to check local guidelines on appropriate attire, so you don’t disrespect local laws and end up a few hundred dollars short.
Related: I Wore Prohibited Swimwear to a Budapest Thermal Bath—Here’s What Happened
