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 385 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.6/5

Safety

4.5/5

Food

4.4/5

Budget-friendly

3.5/5
Jovana

Jovana

Montenegro

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Couple travel

Everything was wonderful. It felt very safe and the food was good, even the tourist restaurants by the beach were decent. The drinks were also yummy and the people are friendly. Not too crowded in February but the weather was great and the water was warm. Not expensive at all honestly

Posted: April 3, 2025
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Oliwia

Oliwia

Poland

Barcelona, Solo travel

Barcelona was one of the best places to visit for me I have to come back there Everything was amazing Taco Bell was top 1 fast food there On the beach u can feel like heaven Everyone was nice and kind

Posted: April 2, 2025
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Barcelona, Couple travel

Overall experience it was nice, quite expensive (not as expensive as UK though haha). Tapas were extraordinarily good and sangria as well. I must’ve spent around 60€ per day, because attractions were quite expensive. Recommend buying tickets for Sagrada Familia in advance, as we went there and all the times were fully booked. And expensive, too. But you can get your belly full by eating tapas and snacking from Mercado hehe

Posted: April 2, 2025
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Gandia, Family travel

I was young at that time, 10 yo or something, everything was beautiful there, clean and safe + respectful people, everything was literally beautiful and here are many beautiful places you can visit there I also remember the beautiful clean playa 🏖️

Posted: April 1, 2025Experienced: October, 2017
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Kamilla

Kamilla

Spain

El Chorro, Solo travel

Spent a beautiful 2.5 months in El Chorro and the surrounding area. I was volunteering at the Olive Branch a climbing hostel filled with beautiful souls. What an amazing place to spend climbing, swimming and exploring ✨

Posted: March 18, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
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Spain, Solo travel

I love traveling to Spain. I'm already been in Spain 3 times. Always during summertime. I always felt safe. I did many activities like swimming in the ocean, visiting caves, riding on a horse and many more.

Posted: March 16, 2025
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Can Picafort, Solo travel

I felt safe even when walking around and going to my hotel alone by myself at night. I definitely recommend a long walk along the beach and having tapas at a restaurant. I stayed at BQ Hotel and everyone was so nice. There were supermarkets nearby so you don‘t have to spend all your budget at restaurants. In Can Picafort I mostly walked and when I was visiting my friends who had their hotel in Alcudia, I took the bus. For a trip to Palma I rented a car together with my friends.

Posted: March 15, 2025Experienced: September, 2023
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Anaïs

Anaïs

France

Basque Country, Couple travel

I did a vantrip in Basque Country with my boyfriend and 2 friends in october next year and it was one of my favorite short trip ! We felt safe and it was very calm, only surrounded by locals! The weather was very lovely and we even went for a plunge in the ocean 🌊

Posted: March 15, 2025
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Madrid, Solo travel

I really enjoyed Madrid, I travelled solo and stayed there for two weeks in february as an au-pair by a host family. I had some free time, so I got around alone very often. I would recommend to travel a bit later maybe in spring or May, so its not to hot, but everyrthink is growing and the winter works are finished, so you can enjoy the lovely parks and green areas more than I. I also recommend to visist a Flamenco show, the el rastro marked (but take care of your personal stuff), a walk to the most importand sights like the palace, the via grande and if you have more time a day Trip to toledo or San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

Posted: March 14, 2025Experienced: January, 2025
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Barcelona, Solo travel

I didnt feel that safe.but It was overall nice i have been loving my whole Life in Madrid and seeing the beach seeing the Life and the Big streets It was actually really really nice i Will repeat pretty soon

Posted: March 14, 2025Experienced: February, 2019
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Is Spain safe for women?

Safety index

4.3 /5

Based on 372 local experiences

Crime index

2 /5

Based on 372 local experiences

Barcelona

Barcelona is not a safe city to be honest, there's a lot of harrashment but is usually not from locals, as is a city with a bunch of different cultures, you find a lot of different people who think they can do what they want...

Posted: April 1, 2025
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Madrid

Madrid is a safe City, there is a lot of people at the streets in the City centre so you can feel safe. If you shout or run you will find someone so close to you. At night you have to be careful if you are alone but there is no problem if you are controling your suroundings

Posted: April 1, 2025
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Safety in Spain