Is Spain Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Spain is generally a safe country for solo female travelers. Both urban areas and rural regions have low levels of crime. It is always prudent to take basic precautions, such as avoiding poorly lit and deserted areas late at night, keeping a close eye on personal belongings in crowded places, and not sharing your personal details or itineraries with strangers. Public transportation and taxis are usually safe and reliable. However, like anywhere else, incidents can occur, so staying alert and using common sense is important.

Safety rating

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How safe is Spain?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Safe

Spain, in general, is known to have a good safety record and this includes safety after dark too. However, like any other place, safety can vary depending on the area and time. Bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona are largely safe but do be cautious in quieter or less lit streets. Also be aware of pickpocketing, especially in crowded areas or tourist hotspots. Overall, basic precautions such as sticking to well-lit areas, not displaying valuables openly, and maintaining a sense of awareness are still advised.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Safe

Public transportation in Spain is generally safe and reliable. It consists of buses, trains, trams, and metros which effectively connect cities and towns. The services are frequented by local and foreign travelers alike. However, it's important to be conscious of your surroundings, especially in crowded spaces, as pickpocketing incidents have been reported in some areas. Overall, the system is widely used and safety concerns are minimal.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Low

While cases of street harassment do occur and vary by region, Spain generally has a safe atmosphere. Instances of wolf-whistling, cat-calling, and lewd remarks are not commonplace. Being a solo female traveler, you may occasionally experience unsolicited attention, but typically, locals are respectful and unobtrusive. Nonetheless, maintaining caution in crowded areas or during late hours is advisable. Remember, your experience may vary depending on various factors such as the neighborhood you're in, the time of day, and your general demeanor.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Low

Spain, as a whole, experiences relatively low levels of petty crimes such as pickpocketing, particularly outside of major cities. However, you may encounter higher risk in tourist-heavy areas including major cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where pickpockets might be more common. Always remain alert and keep an eye on personal belongings even in crowded public transports and places. Stay aware of your surroundings, but overall, Spain is considered quite safe for travelers.

Is Spain worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 363 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.6/5

Safety

4.5/5

Food

4.4/5

Budget-friendly

3.6/5
Lilia

Lilia

Bulgaria

Malaga, Solo travel

Safety: Málaga is generally very safe for tourists, with low crime rates. Things to do: Must-visit: The Alcazaba, Picasso Museum, and the Cathedral. Food: Try: Espetos (grilled sardines), Jamón Ibérico, and fried fish. Restaurants: El Pimpi (famous for tapas), and Restaurante José Carlos García (Michelin-starred). Budget: A moderate budget works well here. Daily expenses can range from €40-€80 depending on the activities and meals. Accommodation: I stayed in the city center, near Plaza de la Constitución. Getting around: The city has great public transport (buses, metro). Walking is also easy as most attractions are close together. Sample itinerary: Day 1: Alcazaba, Roman Theatre, Picasso Museum. Day 2: Beach day (La Malagueta), stroll in the old town, dinner at El Pimpi.

Posted: February 18, 2025
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Madrid, Group travel

I gelt really safe there. It was sooo interesting to go around. The people are so nice and welcoming. You should travel to Toledo which is nearly 1 hour away from madrid. The food is so good. It is also a must to visit a flamenco show.

Posted: February 17, 2025
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Barcelona, Solo travel

There's a lot of possibilities for public transportation (train, car, metro, bus, tram). also nice, on the weekends there are no cars allowed in the streets. Felt unsafe walking around at night and in some clubs (even with friends)

Posted: February 17, 2025
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Olympia

Olympia

Sweden

Barcelona, Group travel

First time traveling to barcelona with a friend🫶🏽 Overall I felt safe, heard a lot about there being a lot of pickpockets which made me less safe. but nothing happened to us. We were there for 3 days and we managed to see everything we wanted to see - arc de triumph, sagrada familia, ciutadella park, las ramblas, barcelona beach and harbor. and it was really (!!!) worth seeing. The food was great, and the waiters and staff were so nice which made it an even better experience. but, it was more expensive than other cities, like madrid or alicante, although it could be because of the restaurants own prices and locations. we didn't really have a budget but in my opinion 3 days in barcelona wasn't that expensive. I spent around 3500 (300 euros) INCLUDING THE HOTEL which was 1300 (110 euros) for 2 nights, so the total price WITHOUT the hotel was 2200 SEK (190 euros) which went mainly to food and drinks, but also metro, taxi. We stayed at Sant Agusti Hotel which was a 2 minute walk (200 meters) to las ramblas. Our room was amazing and the breakfast as well. there was a small square just outside with a few bars and restaurants but if you want more, you just go past the square and is at las ramblas. We mainly walked, but to get to the airport and train station we took the metro or taxi (we could have walked to the train station but since we had bags we thought it would be easier to take a taxi) Overall my first Barcelona experience was great, we loved the food, the people and the places we visited. we will definitely travel to barcelona again.

Posted: February 15, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
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Alacant / Alicante, Family travel

I go to the Hogueras de San Juan every year with my family and we haven't had any major issues since we started going like 8 years ago. We usually stay in El Campello and go to the center via tram up to Mercado, but if you choose this option be careful when going back to your hotel, at certain hours there's just too much people and it's better to go back before or, if there are trams until late, come back way later

Posted: February 14, 2025Experienced: May, 2024
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Seville, Solo travel

Sevilla was an amazing experience! The vibes were great & people very friendly! I really loved the flair that the orange trees give to this sunny city! Sharing Tapas with other Solo Travellers is a must do there! Just make sure to book your alcazar tickets in advance to not stand in a queue at 8am 🥲

Posted: February 14, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
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Iris

Iris

Belgium

Madrid, Family travel

We went as three friends we visit the castle. We also visited the illusion museum and some bars late at night. There will always be people who will try to lure you into bars just make sure that it’s safe, but for the most part, we went swimming because it was too hot.

Posted: February 13, 2025
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Eleonora

Eleonora

Italy

Madrid, Solo travel

A very nice and wonderful city. I visited alone and met up with people from this app! We had a very good time around the center, it feels really safe and people are kind and sweet! I recommend doing the Youth Metro Card if you're younger than 26, it's gonna be €4 and you can recharge it for only €8 per month. It's very convenient even if you're staying here for a few weeks. The center and the shopping are generally more expensive compared to the rest of Spain but I recommend Mercadona for groceries shopping and the "Mercadillo de la Plaza del Campillo" for thrift shopping. For the apartment I used the platform "SpotaHome" and I had a very nice experience with my roommates and the owner as well!

Posted: February 13, 2025Experienced: January, 2025
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Valencia, Group travel

It is really save, everywhere where Police and so on. Also the City is very beautiful and affordable. There are many good restaurants and we stayed in an Hostel for 3 days. Not expensive like 20€ per Night(Cantagua Hostel) and it was really familiar.

Posted: February 13, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
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Valencia, Family travel

i felt super safe in valencia for some reason mostly the people were super nice and the food was great! not much to see in the city to be honest i went to the jardin botanic garden and it was pretty cool other than that i saw the city center and stuff it was cool also i recommend the most hanging out near the sea it has the best views!

Posted: February 12, 2025
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Is Spain safe for women?

Safety index

4.3 /5

Based on 327 local experiences

Crime index

2 /5

Based on 327 local experiences

Bego

Bego

Valencia

My city is quite safe. You only need to worry about robberies in the summer because there are more tourists, but in general, it is a good place to live. I know my city; I've never had a problem. There are always police on the streets.

Posted: February 21, 2025
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Barcelona

Barcelona City is actually not very safe. It's really important to be careful with your belongings and also not to walk alone in the center during the night. Overall, i wouldn't say it is super unsafe, but precaution is really needed. At the end, there is a lot of sexual arrasment reports.

Posted: February 20, 2025
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Meet locals in Spain

Natalia

Natalia

About Me

Hi, my name is Natalia and I'm originally from Poland. I've been living in 7 countries, working and volunteering :) At the moment Imnlooking for a place to rent in Malaga and would like to explore the city - especially art, music and food :) I liked nature, cycling and drawing

Speaking

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Celine

Celine

About Me

I m Céline. I moved to Palma de Mallorca in April 2022. I work remotely for Amazon. I live in Santa Catalina which is the trendy neighborhood of Palma city with healthy cafés and night bars. But i don t do hosting anymore i m sorry

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Spain

Elise

Elise

Madrid

Can host for:

2 days

About me

Hey I am Elise, a french girl in erasmus in Madrid, of course I love travelling, and I want to enjoy this year in Spain to travel as much as I can without using planes 🌺🧚‍♀️🌞🪲🌷🌿

Speaking

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Rose

Rose

Salamanca

Can host for:

3 days

About me

hi guys! my name is rose, I love traveling and im a photographer as well! i'm currently living in spain with the nalcap program and can't wait to explore more of europe!

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Upcoming visitors to Spain

Suzi

Suzi

About Me

Hi, my name is Suzi and I'm from Poland, currently in Tenerife. I'd like to meet up and go hiking, for a lunch or just go party sometimes ;)

Speaking

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Natalia

Natalia

About Me

Hi! My name is Natalia, I am 33 years old and am a dancer and dance teacher living in London. I lived in Seville for 6 month in 2024 to study flamenco and I fell in love with this city! So I like to visit often to take classes and enjoy meeting people and exploring. I am chilled and easy going, I like conversations, nature, hiking, and of course, dancing :)

Speaking

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Safety in Spain