A cultural travel guide to the world

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Understanding local customs is where a journey begins. Find the topics that matter to you and feel at ease wherever you go.

Spain

4 rules found

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · 西班牙

Spain: show photo ID when police ask

Do

  • Carry photo ID

Don’t

  • Ignoring a direct instruction from the police

Police can take you to a station until your identity is confirmed; ignoring a direct instruction from the police can count as 'disobedience'. Real police check documents only and will not ask to see your wallet.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Spain travel advice

Essential restrictionsSafetyPlace-specific guidance · 西班牙

Spain: no dangerous stunts on hotel balconies

Do

  • Keep a safe distance on balconies

Don’t

  • Climbing over, crossing or jumping between balconies

The hotel will throw you out and you may be fined; travel insurance may not cover accidents on balconies.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Spain travel advice

Site-specific notes 17

Taken from the "don'ts" on each site page here. Open a site for its full etiquette and background.

Sagrada Família

  • Flash and tripods are banned inside
  • don't enter in vests or shorts
  • don't eat, drink or lie down inside the basilica.

La Tomatina in Buñol

  • Bringing backpacks or glass bottles into the battle area
  • throwing anything other than tomatoes, or unsquashed tomatoes
  • tearing other people's clothing

Seville April Fair

  • Entering private casetas uninvited
  • walking or stopping to take photos on the horse paths
  • drunken, rowdy behaviour

Falles of Valencia

  • Climbing over fences to touch the fallas figures
  • setting off fireworks or firecrackers in no-fire zones
  • pushing through crowds

Running of the Bulls, Pamplona

  • Running if you are under 18
  • running under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • running against the direction of the herd
  • provoking or calling the bulls
  • filming with a phone or camera on the route
  • climbing over the barriers onto the route

Mallorca

  • Do not litter on beaches or in nature parks
  • do not enter private estates or farmland

Segovia

  • Do not climb the aqueduct's arches
  • do not make noise inside churches

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

  • Do not touch the exhibits
  • do not talk loudly in the galleries
  • do not lean against the sculptures for photos

Camino de Santiago

  • Do not trample crops or enter private courtyards
  • do not move or deface waymarks
  • no noise during Mass

Toledo

  • No noise or photography during Mass and ceremonies

Casa Batlló and Casa Milà

  • Do not touch furniture, furnishings or architectural decoration
  • do not arrive late (whether latecomers are admitted is decided on site)

Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

  • No noise or photography of religious ceremonies during Mass
  • no tripods or stands
  • no large luggage inside
  • no overly revealing clothing
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Museo del Prado

  • Do not touch paintings or display cases
  • no photography or flash in some galleries
  • do not linger in front of paintings and block the passage

Royal Alcázar of Seville

  • Do not enter closed areas (the upper floors are a royal residence)
  • do not touch the plasterwork, tiles or wooden decoration
  • do not feed or chase the peacocks in the gardens

Alhambra

  • Don't count on buying tickets on site — in high season (Holy Week, spring and autumn) tickets often sell out weeks to months ahead
  • don't touch the stucco carving or tiled walls, as grease erosion is a main cause of damage to the fabric
  • don't wash your feet or throw things in the courtyard water channels, and don't set up an easel to sketch or use a tripod inside the site without permission

Paella valenciana

  • Locals usually eat paella at midday, and ordering it for dinner is seen as a 'tourist' habit
  • don't throw in random ingredients and still call it paella valenciana

Park Güell

  • Don't climb or step on the mosaic decoration
  • don't leave rubbish in the park
  • don't block the lizard staircase for photos