"Don't fall open" Malaga calls on British tourists to put on some clothes

Rules of etiquette in Malaga

"Dress fully: Wear outerwear both on the street and in public places out of respect and for hygiene."

"Don't fall out: don't shout, don't sing and don't turn up your music. Respect the peace and quiet of your neighbors, including the elderly, the sick, students, children and workers."

"The sidewalk is for pedestrians: if you use scooters or bicycles, do so in accordance with local regulations in the spaces provided for this purpose."

"Keep the city clean: use garbage cans, containers and other services. Be careful with monuments, historical sites, gardens and public furniture."

Rules of etiquette in Malaga

"Dress fully: Wear outerwear both on the street and in public places out of respect and for hygiene."

"Don't fall out: don't shout, don't sing and don't turn up your music. Respect the peace and quiet of your neighbors, including the elderly, the sick, students, children and workers."

"The sidewalk is for pedestrians: if you use scooters or bicycles, do so in accordance with local regulations in the spaces provided for this purpose."

"Keep the city clean: use garbage cans, containers and other services. Be careful with monuments, historical sites, gardens and public furniture."

It's one thing for Malaga to tell its tourists to behave themselves. Another is that the raised index finger is apparently aimed directly at guests from the UK.

Malaga in the Andalusia region is one of the most popular Spanish vacation destinations: Only Catalonia with Barcelona and the Balearic and Canary Islands are visited by more tourists.

However, this boom on the Costa del Sol also brings problems with it: apparently, English-speaking guests in particular sometimes cause trouble. There is no other explanation for the fact that Malaga has issued posters with rules of etiquette explaining what to do and what not to do in Spanish and English.

The English part is larger and features the Union Jack. Readers are asked not to walk around topless - "out of respect and for reasons of hygiene". "Don't fall down" is another request: People should refrain from shouting, singing or playing loud music and observe quiet hours.

"The city is collapsing"

Another poster from the local tourism authority asks tourists not to litter. And a fourth poster explains that scooters and bicycles have no place on the sidewalk. Those who do not abide by the rules sometimes have to pay dearly: Walking around bare-chested costs offenders a whopping 750 euros in fines, or 705 francs.

Kike Espana should be pleased with these posters. "The situation is so saturated that Malaga has reached the tipping point where people feel the city is collapsing," the activist tells the BBC. "It's the same feeling as when you enter a theme park: there's a stream of people consuming the city without really living in it."

Together with 15,000 other locals, Espana demonstrated against overtourism in Malaga in June: they want a "Malaga to live in, not to survive in". They complain about rents of between 1,200 and 1,300 euros in the city center, while the average wage in Andalusia is 1,600 euros. Malaga's center is therefore becoming unaffordable for them.

This year, 90 million visitors are expected in Spain: Only France is likely to see more tourists.