Mataró, on the Maresme coast in Catalonia, plans to ban smoking on its beaches by the 2027 bathing season. The city council says the first step will be a public awareness campaign this summer, before the rule is written into local regulations later this year.
The plan was presented by Mayor David Bote and City Promotion Councillor Heidi Pérez as part of a wider effort to make the seafront a healthier, safer and more sustainable space. Mataró is also taking part in the Barcelona Provincial Council campaign, “Live healthy beaches. Live smoke-free beaches”, which aims to extend smoke-free coastal areas across Garraf and Maresme.
Working with the Catalan Association Against Cancer, the council has set out a phased approach. This summer, the focus will be on information through digital channels, posters and public notice boards, with staff including night civic agents, tourist information officers, coexistence agents, and Youth and Education teams speaking directly with beach users.
After the summer, the council plans to begin the regulatory phase. It expects to approve changes to the Civility and Coexistence Ordinance by the end of the year, which would lead to a decree banning smoking on Mataró’s beaches and bringing the measure into force for the 2027 bathing season. For readers following local civic and public health updates, see our news coverage.
The beach season also brings accessibility changes. The adapted bathing service at Varador beach, run by the Red Cross, will operate at weekends in June and daily from 1 July to 13 September, from 11am to 6pm. The area will have extended walkways into the water, amphibious chairs and crutches, and users are advised to book ahead to avoid unnecessary trips in bad weather or when jellyfish are present.
Mataró is also introducing the ColorADD sign system for people with colour blindness, using graphic symbols on the five flags that show sea conditions across the city’s beaches. Safety services, managed by Pro-Activa and coordinated by Civil Protection, began on Saturday at Varador, Callao, Ponent and Sant Simó beaches, with 13 professionals on duty daily from 10am to 7pm.
Other coastal services are now in place, including the dog beach at Ponent, 16 showers, six beach bars and one food truck. Centre Natació Mataró is also running a light boat rental point at Varador, while sand cleaning will be daily, a selective waste collection area has been added at the Callao picnic zone, and the municipal brigade is finishing maintenance work and dune care at Varador.