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 325 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.6/5

Safety

4.5/5

Food

4.5/5

Budget-friendly

3.6/5

Seville, Couple travel

Seville is a great beautiful city full of old architecture, streets, green blooming parks, with singing birds 🦚🦜swans 🦢 , little turtles 🐢. Really I don’t remember much of the names of the famous places. Anyway you’ll like it all I dare. So I just enjoyed the surface, the Spanish 🇪🇸 vibe, Looking around and soaking all in with my favorite food 🥘 paella’s, drinking sangria the only thing that make you cooling in a hot 🔥 siesta time in summer. Sevilla is very hot, but as I told there’s a lot of parks to hide in a shade, of bars are always opened in a hottest hours. Something to see in Seville my recommendation is of course — flamenco 💃🏼. Hot charming passionate Spanish national dance. And just look 👀 around the city

Posted: December 10, 2024
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Alicante, Solo travel

Alicante was my first solo trip, and as a woman, I was initially nervous because you always hear stories about what could happen. However, I don’t think I could have chosen a better place in terms of safety, convenience, and the kindness of its people. I truly felt safe at all times. The locals are incredibly friendly—one time, I accidentally got on the wrong bus and didn’t have battery on my phone. I approached a girl for help, and she kindly assisted me in getting on the right bus. The food is absolutely AMAZING. If you’re looking for authentic paella, you simply must visit the Comunitat Valenciana area it’s the real deal! Alicante exceeded my expectations and gave me the confidence to embrace solo travel. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone considering their own adventure.

Posted: November 29, 2024
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Alora, Solo travel

Alora is a cute town in Spain! The people are friendly and the neighborhood is super cute! I love the farms there that are filled with lemons, oranges & avocados! I did a workaway there which was super cool!

Posted: November 25, 2024
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Barcelona, Solo travel

I felt safe, surprisingly, I heard a lot about the pickpocketing. I stayed for 2 nights in Hostel Grau which was located near the famous street. I liked the homey feel of this hotel. February was a surprisingly good time to visit, I had blue skies and nice temperatures.

Posted: November 15, 2024Experienced: January, 2023
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Ch3rry

Ch3rry

Germany

Granada, Solo travel

I feel so safe as a solo traveler even at night. I do recommend to anyone to visit here. This is my favorite trip so far. You can find a food on your budget. The town is so cute. But please bring a good shoe.

Posted: November 9, 2024
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Prisha

Prisha

United Kingdom

Barcelona, Group travel

It was such a fun experience. We mostly did touristy areas and walked around a lot. To travel, I would definitely recommend using the metro, it was super easy to navigate and pretty cheap, definitely buy the 10 round trip ticket if you're planning to stay for more than 3 or 4 days ( saves money ) Must visit places are: - Sagrada familia: literally the most famous place in Barcelona and really impressive to look at, especially if you're a bit of an architecture and history nerd like me. I wouldn't recommend visiting at night, the lighting coupled with the gothic architecture makes it look more like a haunted place. I went in both the morning and night and my morning pics turned out MUCH better - Las Ramblas: a really busy and crowded street but it's like a major shopping street. There were so many cute little stalls and shops and it was a pretty fun experience walking down it and window shopping. - Boqueria market: it's in las ramblas and was one of my favourite parts of my trip. The whole vibe and different colours and foods was really nice. I didn't buy anything because everything was ridiculously overpriced ( like the exact same things were being sold like 10 steps outside the market section for less than half the price. But if you do want to buy from inside it, go further down, don't just buy it from the entrance because most stalls sold the same things but at cheaper prices at the back than at the front. - Barcelona Cathedral: really pretty and grand. Just don't get scammed by the people who are wearing white/ clown like face paint outside. They come up to you, don't leave you alone until you take a picture and then demand for money. It may not be all of them but definitely be aware. One lady chased my friend around for like 5 minutes. - there are so many more places like Gaudi's house, casa batillo, the art museum, a palace, the gothic quarters ( I didn't go into much detail about this but a definite, just be aware that it's quite crowded so don't expect pics like the ones on Google), park guell etc. ( Don't remember all of their exact names)

Posted: November 6, 2024
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Jette

Jette

Germany

Spain, Solo travel

I've had nothing but good experiences so far. I started working on a farm with lots of animals and now travel from Airbnb to Airbnb, which are unfortunately very expensive. I can highly recommend Tarragona. Madrid is a great place to meet people and I'm now in Seville

Posted: November 3, 2024
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Jacqueline

Jacqueline

Germany

Majorca, Solo travel

It was the first time I traveled alone and it was one of the best vacations I've ever had!! I felt very safe. I slept in a hotel near the beach in Cala Rajada. The food was very tasty. I was there for five days and spent around €700 including flights and food. If you have never traveled alone, I can definitely recommend Mallorca as a travel destination.🥰

Posted: October 30, 2024Experienced: September, 2024
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Majorca, Solo travel

in Majorca, I stayed in an all-inclusive hotel, the food was delicious considering that the hotel is 3 stars, very good service, good rooms and entertainment every evening, but I think that it is a hotel for older people the hotel has a name «Nordeste Playa» I felt safe the whole trip and even visited several places of interest, beautiful island

Posted: October 29, 2024Experienced: September, 2024
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Ali

Ali

Germany

Spain, Group travel

Spain was great but for vegan a little bit difficult sometimes. I was there with a friend of mine and visited Valencia and Barcelona. They are both really nice but I prefer Valencia because it's not so big but you can do a lot of things.

Posted: October 16, 2024Experienced: August, 2022
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Is Spain safe for women?

Safety index

4.3 /5

Based on 162 local experiences

Crime index

1.8 /5

Based on 162 local experiences

nile

nile

Órgiva

Orgiva is a small town that many people think of as safe. I personally have not had any problems but I have only been here 2 months but walking at night I do feel extremely safe. Take necessary precautions as with any city or country and be aware of your surroundings and you will be fine.

Posted: December 10, 2024
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Lugo

It is a very chill city. It is small and not often you will find yourself in crowds. I've lived there until college and nothing ever happened to me being a bit cautious, specially at night like everywhere else. I would consider it a safe city but you always have to be a bit careful.

Posted: December 1, 2024
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Meet locals in Spain

Laia

Laia

About Me

Heyy everyone :) I’m Laia and I’m a 19 y/o spanish and italian girl from Barcelona who is looking forward to meet new people and learn about other cultures. I’m a huge fan of learning languages, going to the gym and working out, music, traveling. I’m currently in university studying aerospace engineering at UPC, near the city of Barcelona so I’d be glad to show you around and host you in our home as long as you host me and show me around ur city as well! 💗

Speaking

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Elena

Elena

About Me

Hi, my name is Elena. I'm ukrainian, and have been living close to Madrid for 2 years now. I love travelling, dancing, reading, football and language exchange.

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Spain

Elena

Elena

Alcala de Henares

Can host for:

3 days

About me

Hi, my name is Elena. I'm ukrainian, and have been living close to Madrid for 2 years now. I love travelling, dancing, reading, football and language exchange.

Speaking

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Laia

Laia

Santa Margarida i els Monjos

Can host for:

7 days

About me

Heyy everyone :) I’m Laia and I’m a 19 y/o spanish and italian girl from Barcelona who is looking forward to meet new people and learn about other cultures. I’m a huge fan of learning languages, going to the gym and working out, music, traveling. I’m currently in university studying aerospace engineering at UPC, near the city of Barcelona so I’d be glad to show you around and host you in our home as long as you host me and show me around ur city as well! 💗

Speaking

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Upcoming visitors to Spain

Simran

Simran

About Me

I am a solo traveller, I love exploring new cities and meeting new people and learning about different cultures/cuisines. Adapting to new surroundings and experiencing them with different perspectives is my idea of happiness. Also an Ambivert! I will take my time to warm up but when I do I will love to talk and listen to stories.

Speaking

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Simran

Simran

About Me

I am a solo traveller, I love exploring new cities and meeting new people and learning about different cultures/cuisines. Adapting to new surroundings and experiencing them with different perspectives is my idea of happiness. Also an Ambivert! I will take my time to warm up but when I do I will love to talk and listen to stories.

Speaking

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Safety in Spain