Millions of Britons are flocking to Spain for their summer holidays, but some of the country's most popular coastal areas are experiencing such intense overcrowding that visitors are cautioning others against visiting.
Social media videos depict beaches packed with rows of umbrellas and seas filled with swimmers, illustrating the high volume of tourists in major holiday hotspots. One video shared online highlighted an overcrowded beach in Alicante, with minimal space between towels and beachgoers in the water. This warning comes as Alicante remains one of the most searched Spanish destinations for August travel, according to flight search data.
Other popular Spanish destinations seeing significant tourist numbers include Barcelona, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, and Ibiza. Cala Llombards in Majorca was also shown to be extremely busy, with one visitor advising to visit only in the early morning during July, noting that the beach becomes unenjoyable by midday and the water quality suffers.
Benidorm has experienced a notable increase in British visitors, with 513,398 recorded in the first half of the year, a 4.7 percent rise. The city's appeal lies in its affordable resorts and extensive beaches. Footage from Playa de Levante, a two-mile stretch in Benidorm, showed it full of people and umbrellas in July. Similarly, Salou beach in Catalonia is also reporting large crowds.
Regarding the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria is anticipating a 6.7 percent increase in UK passengers this summer, while Fuerteventura expects a 5.1 percent rise. La Palma, a less frequented island, is projected to see a significant 98.4 percent increase in British arrivals by plane this summer compared to 2025, with new flight routes contributing to the rise.
These influxes of tourists are not always met with a positive reception. In Mallorca, anti-tourism protesters recently took to the streets to demonstrate against holidaymakers, with some clashes occurring with police. Similar protests have occurred in recent years, including in Tenerife, where local residents expressed frustration over the high number of tourists.
Spain is not the only European destination facing similar challenges. Italy is also experiencing dense crowds, with viral videos showing packed streets in Rome, long queues for ferries on Lake Como, and crowded train platforms in Cinque Terre. As the summer school holidays continue, more Britons are expected to travel to Italy, potentially encountering similar crowded conditions.