Pineda de Mar definitively approves the beach use ordinance

The Municipal Plenary of the Pineda de Mar City Council initially approved the “Ordinance on the use of beaches in the municipality of Pineda de Mar” on January 26, 2026, through Agreement no. PLE/1/2/2026. This Wednesday, November 12, 2026, the full text is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona (reference CVE 202610166114, pp. 1-27) and is definitively approved without the need for a new agreement, according to the edict signed by the mayor-president, Sílvia Biosca i Estopà.

A process without objections

During the 30-working-day period of public exhibition on the Municipal Edicts Board, in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona, and in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya, no objections or suggestions were submitted, as certified by the General Secretariat of the corporation. The publication is carried out under article 49 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the bases of local regime; article 178.1.c) of Legislative Decree 2/2013, of April 28, and article 65.1 of Decree 179/1995, of June 13.

The text bears file number 7688/2025 and has been processed as a type of agreement with regulatory impact. The final provision establishes that the ordinance will enter into force the day after the publication of the definitive approval agreement and the full text in the provincial gazette.

Smoke-free beaches and limits on use

The regulation is based on article 115 of Law 22/1988, of July 28, on coasts, and Law 8/2020, of July 30, on the protection and management of the Catalan coastline. The main axes are:

Prohibition of smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes or vaporizers on all beaches in the municipality, which become “smoke-free beaches,” with the exception of the terraces of the beach bars (guinguetes).
A protection easement of 100 meters inland and a transit easement of 6 meters, which must remain clear for the passage of pedestrians and surveillance and rescue vehicles.
Separate wheeled accesses at a maximum of 500 meters and pedestrian accesses every 200 meters in urban and developable areas.
Beach occupation by installations cannot exceed, in total, half of the surface area at high tide, with beach bars separated by a minimum of 100 meters and sun loungers and umbrellas 2 meters from the walkways.
Navigation of floating devices through the enabled channels at a maximum of 3 knots and between 100 and 250 meters from the shore, with swimming prohibited in the beaching zones.
Recreational rod fishing limited from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. during the bathing season, and metal detector searching only at night (from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) during the season.

The text also regulates bathing flags —red, yellow, and green, 1.5 meters wide by 1 meter long on 3-meter poles—, lifesaving and first aid, accessibility with amphibious wheelchairs, protected dune areas, the keeping of pets, and street vending, among other matters.

Sanctioning regime of up to 3,000 euros

The ordinance classifies infractions as minor, serious, and very serious, and sets the following fines:

Minor: from 100.00 to 750.00 euros.
Serious: from 750.01 to 1,500.00 euros.
Very serious: from 1,500.01 to 3,000.00 euros.

Very serious infractions include, for example, the occupation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain without an enabling title, the unauthorized execution of works, or endangering the lives of third parties when the red flag is flying. Voluntary payment before the start of the procedure reduces the fine by 50%, and the admission of responsibility once the file has been opened reduces it by 30% in an expedited procedure and 20% in an ordinary one. The City Council may substitute the sanction with training sessions or community service.

Impact for coastal users

Until the Coastal Protection and Planning Plan and the municipal use plans are approved, a transitional provision equates references to the Use Plan with the distribution authorizations for seasonal services. For residents, visitors, and owners of beach bars, sunbeds, or nautical activities, the regulation now establishes the conditions of use, schedules, and responsibilities regarding a public domain space that the council describes as a fragile natural resource under strong pressure.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona, November 12, 2026, Local Administration, pp. 1-27 (official reference: CVE 202610166114).