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 442 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

4.5/5

Food

4.4/5

Budget-friendly

3.5/5

Valencia, Solo travel

I felt quite safe, I was mainly visiting the city centre, Jezus district and I walked around the beach quite a lot. I would reccommend booking accommodation in the city centre, as there are a lot of people there at all times and it's more tourists friendly.

Posted: June 26, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
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Barcelona, Solo travel

I felt safe, even at night walking home alone from the beach. You should go see the la sagrada familia. I loved the tacos For my whole trip I have spent 600€ (with Hostel, flight and food as well as clothing)

Posted: June 24, 2025
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Alicante, Solo travel

I arrived very late in the night, it was not a good idea because the public transport doesn't work all night Only buses and they come every 30min So, preferably come early I felt safe walking late afternoon/early in the night, I was the entire trip alone The beaches are not very clean 😞 But I find a couple of them a bit outside Alicante and they were better

Posted: June 12, 2025Experienced: July, 2022
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Marbella, Group travel

My experience in Marbella was one of the best so far. The beach, the streets, the views and everything about Marbella was great. I booked an aparment on airbnb and it was so cheap and only 15 minutes far from the Old Town. I loved how safe and peaceful the city streets were. Puerto Banus is one of my favorite in Marbella but Old Town remains on top of it.

Posted: June 12, 2025
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Barcelona, Solo travel

I went to Barcelona for two days by myself, I was very nervous and scared since I had never been there and I was alone, but once I got there i found It very easy to get around and the públic transport very straightforward, and the people were very nice and helpful. I never got Lost, the hostel was in a good place, and the beaches were easy to find

Posted: June 11, 2025Experienced: July, 2023
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Felicitas

Felicitas

Spain

Seville, Solo travel

The city is beautiful and has a really vivid night life. There are many different things to explore and especially when you are into museums you need at least 2/3 days to see everything and don’t feeling rushed.

Posted: June 11, 2025
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Is Spain safe for women?

Safety index

4.3 /5

Based on 492 local experiences

Crime index

2.1 /5

Based on 492 local experiences

Beatriz

Beatriz

Huelva

Huelva is very safe and there are no dangerous areas. It is totally and absolutely safe. You don’t have to worry about theft or anything like that, just enjoy the people and the beaches. You won’t regret coming.

Posted: June 24, 2025
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Isabel

Isabel

Spain

I would say in rural areas or small towns and cities is safe. Sometimes you just need to check if the neighborhood you want to go is good or not like in Sevilla. In touristic places in big cities like Barcelona or Madrid you really need to have very in alert about your wallet or phones, also while taking public transportation. About sexual harassment, unfortunetly it can happen anywhere, so if you go to touristic places with more people it can be more likely to happen.

Posted: June 21, 2025
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Safety in Spain