Safety in Spain: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 3 August 2026.
Safety
- Foreign plates get robbed — Thefts from vehicles with foreign plates are reported around rest areas and service stations. Robberies are frequent on motorway stretches, in particular the Mediterranean AP7, and thefts from parked cars are flagged in the public car parks near Seville cathedral and in unguarded car parks in Cordoba.
- Petty crime — As in every large European city, pickpocketing happens in Spanish ones, especially in tourist areas and on public transport. Stay alert in the busiest places, carry copies of your documents rather than the originals, and report any theft to the police.
- Hot spots — The ministry lists Madrid (the Sunday Rastro market, the historic centre and Puerta del Sol, the San Miguel market, Plaza Santa Ana, the Retiro park, Barajas airport), Barcelona (port, the Ramblas, El Raval, the Barri Gòtic, the Sagrada Família, Barceloneta beach, department stores, El Prat airport), the Costa Brava, Costa del Sol and the main Mediterranean resorts, the busiest Canary spots such as Playa de las Américas and Playa del Inglés, plus central Seville, Palma old town after dark, Ibiza and the Judería and old centre of Cordoba.
- Wildfires and heat — Summer temperatures get very high and fire risk with them: starting a fire is a criminal offence, so make sure cigarette butts are properly out and obey the bans on lighting barbecues in forest areas to the letter. A fire can become dangerous within minutes — report it to 112 at once and follow local authorities. Long droughts and sudden floods are both possible, so check the national weather agency's alerts.
- Calima in the Canaries — The Canaries are often hit by the calima, hot easterly or south-easterly winds loaded with suspended dust and sand. Visibility drops sharply and it causes breathing problems, particularly for people with chronic conditions.
- Demonstrations — Avoid demonstrations and crowds, which can be called at very short notice, especially in Catalonia and in the Basque cities of San Sebastián and Bilbao. Large events can also bring temporary traffic or mobility restrictions.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 3 August 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Spain before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 3 August 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.