In 2004, I camped for the night at Roses Beach; I was attacked by sandflies for six hours while my then-boyfriend snored under the inky Catalonian sky.
Iona Sharkey, a 48-year-old mother of three from Somerset, enjoyed a more successful beach camping trip around Greece in her late teens. “It was the best holiday I’ve ever had,” she recalls.
For three weeks, the penniless Sharkey traveled around the Greek islands with a group of friends; The three ferries went ashore at dusk to search for secluded beach spots. “We saw amazing cosmic shows, got drunk on ouzo, swam at night, ran from the police and the occasional flasher,” he recalls.
What a difference a few decades make. A crackdown on beach camping is mounting in 2024, with travelers being warned they could face hefty fines if they camp on the beach in popular holiday destinations in mainland Europe and the UK.
Rules introduced in Benidorm in March 2024 ban anyone from sleeping on the beach between midnight and 7am, with fines of between €750-1,200 (£645-£1,027) for any breaches.
Wild camping is now illegal in protected areas along the Portuguese coastline, including beaches, nature reserves and parks; Wild campers here risk being fined up to £500.
Popular coastal towns across Croatia (including Dubrovnik and Split) go a step further; In 2023, there is a ban on sleeping in public spaces, even during the day, and fines of up to 300 Euros (£256) are imposed. Has anyone been caught napping? raki (local firewater) on a bench by the sea.
Meanwhile, in Malta and Italy, visitors must obtain difficult-to-get permits from authorities to sleep on the sand under a star-filled sky.
Nic Shacklock, of bedding design company Online-Bedrooms.co.uk, which has conducted research on camping arrangements across Europe, said low-key travelers and romantics should be wary of increased restrictions.
“It’s important to know the laws when it comes to spending time at the beach,” he says. “Tourists can be heavily fined for illegally napping, spending the night or wild camping.”
Portia Jones, 39, host of the Travel Goals podcast, lived in Australia from 2013 to 2014; Here beach camping was a rite of passage for young Australians and backpackers on the tourist trails of the coast. “We regularly slept on the beach with a blanket and a box of cheap wine,” she recalls.
Jones says he has always been a “thoughtful” sleeper on the beach, tidying up after himself and avoiding playing loud music. “After all, you want to sleep to the sound of the ocean, not Beyoncé,” he laughs.
Yet even laid-back Australia is cracking down on beach camping; Queensland recently banned campers and backpackers from camping between 10pm and 4am, issuing fines of $309 (£162).
These pressures are driven in part by Australia’s growing housing crisis, as young “pickup guys” and older retired motorhomes compete for cheap legal retail spots.
Wilderness camping was banned in England and Wales under the Vagrancy Act of 1824; this civil regulation is more likely to be implemented after the beach litter and toilet scandals of the Covid years.
In 2021, Bournemouth introduced nighttime beach patrols and issued £1,000 fines to those caught camping on the crescent-shaped sands. In Cornwall, this resort’s popularity, combined with its history of irresponsible camping, means that regulations against overnight stays are often strictly enforced, although penalties are less severe (typically around £70).
Liberal bright spots for beach campers, meanwhile, include Scotland, where the 2003 Land Reform Act firmly established public access to most land.
This includes more than 6,000 miles of coastline where tourists can wild camp, provided they comply with the principles of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Public right of access in Sweden (Allemansrätten) means visitors are allowed to camp in most natural areas in the country, including privately owned forests and lands (and adjacent to beaches but not on the sand), and the similar Norwegian “right to roam” allows anyone to spend the night in a tent anywhere. In nature in Norway, as long as it is more than 150 meters from the nearest residence.
And even in punitive countries, there are windows of leniency, like Italy’s August 15 Ferragosto, a public holiday when Italians go to the beach to barbecue, set off fireworks and camp out under the stars.
While Sharkey treasures the memories, it’s unlikely he’ll ever reconsider sleeping on the beach in middle age; especially since Greek authorities are issuing a €3,000 (£2,553) fine to anyone caught unpacking their sleeping bags on these beautiful Hellenic coasts.
“The allure of the bed is very strong at my age,” he laughs.