Beachgoers charged to use controversial ‘smart shower’ on Spanish beach

Holidaymakers may soon have to pay to rinse off in Spain under a new pilot scheme for paid beach showers.

The controversial “smart shower” is being trialled on a Matalascañas beach in Andalusia.

The project requires beachgoers to scan a digital QR code and pay before they can activate the shower’s water flow.

Although the shower also accepts coins, users have complained that the machine does not issue change, with “no change given” written on the shower.

The project was developed by Almonte Council in partnership with On Hotel Oceanfront, a local hotel, and two local engineers in an effort to reduce water consumption, said The Telegraph.

It is understood to be the only shower in operation along the 2.5-mile-long stretch of sand.

Following a free trial period, the showers could cost up to €1 (86p) per one-minute session.

The initiative has been met with mixed responses from locals.

One Instagram user wrote: “What a disgrace... let's see if they learn from Mazagon beach, which has free showers...”

Another wrote: “I think it's great. Every year in the summer, there's a lot of unnecessary water waste by kids and adults alike. Paying for water makes you think twice about wasting it.”

In October, another Spanish holiday hotspot announced plans to ban smoking on its shores to avoid “contaminating the sand” with cigarette butts.

San Sebastian’s Donostia City Council intends to amend the municipal ordinance to stop smoking and “promote smoke-free spaces” on the municipality's beaches.

The council said: “The ordinance aims to establish a smoking ban on the municipality's beaches, allow dogs to access the beaches year-round under specific conditions of use, ensure respectful coexistence by regulating aspects related to hygiene, control, and safety, and promote responsible ownership and citizen co-responsibility in the care of public spaces.”

Read more: Spanish tourists forced to avoid their own beaches