Quick answer
La bandera roja significa que no se puede nadar.
A red flag means you cannot swim. The flag system is legally binding, not advisory.
The words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la playa | the beach |
| la arena | the sand |
| la ola | the wave |
| la toalla | the towel |
| la sombrilla | the parasol |
| la hamaca | the sun lounger |
| el bañador | the swimsuit |
| el chiringuito | the beach bar |
| la marea | the tide |
| el socorrista | the lifeguard |
| la bandera | the flag |
| la orilla | the shore |
| el flotador | the float |
| la crema solar | the sun cream |
| el paseo marítimo | the seafront promenade |
The phrases you will actually say
Worth knowing
The flag on the lifeguard tower is the first thing locals look at. Green means the sea is calm, yellow means swim with care and stay close in, and red means the water is closed, with fines that are genuinely handed out on busy resort beaches. A second habit catches visitors out on land: in most coastal towns there is a local ordinance against walking through the streets in swimwear or bare-chested, and the paseo marítimo is usually the line where you are expected to put a shirt on. Attitudes on the sand itself are relaxed, topless sunbathing is unremarkable on ordinary beaches, but full nudity belongs on a marked playa nudista.
Practice
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Check yourself
What does a red flag on a Spanish beach mean?