Holiday lets: where the neighbours are tourists
In some Spanish towns, a big share of the homes are holiday rentals. Here is where, and why it matters if you want to live there.
Across Spain, tourist apartments listed on Airbnb, Booking and Vrbo make up 1.28% of all homes (INE, May 2026). In most of the 333 places it is much less: in 239 places it is under 1%. But in 19 places it is 5% or more, and in a few resort towns one home in ten or more is a holiday let.
Holiday lets as a share of all homes (%)
| Place | Region | Share of homes | Tourist homes | Tourist beds per 100 residents | Foreign residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Oliva | Canary Islands | 23.6% | 3,979 | 56 | 44% |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 14.1% | 3,782 | 33 | 47% |
| San Bartolomé de Tirajana | Canary Islands | 11.8% | 3,851 | 30 | 27% |
| Calp | Valencian Community | 11.2% | 2,943 | 57 | 49% |
| Xàbia/Jávea | Valencian Community | 9.0% | 2,406 | 48 | 44% |
| Salou | Catalonia | 7.4% | 2,337 | 42 | 33% |
| Arona | Canary Islands | 7.4% | 3,967 | 18 | 38% |
| Benalmádena | Andalusia | 7.3% | 3,532 | 20 | 26% |
| Mijas | Andalusia | 7.2% | 4,465 | 23 | 32% |
| Ciutadella de Menorca | Balearic Islands | 7.2% | 1,280 | 21 | 10% |
| Marbella | Andalusia | 7.0% | 6,987 | 23 | 27% |
| Níjar | Andalusia | 6.9% | 1,065 | 15 | 47% |
| Lloret de Mar | Catalonia | 6.7% | 1,713 | 24 | 36% |
| Estepona | Andalusia | 6.7% | 3,362 | 21 | 26% |
| Dénia | Valencian Community | 6.5% | 2,926 | 31 | 24% |
Why it matters if you want to live there
A high share of holiday lets means crowded summers and quiet, half-empty winters, and it can push up rents for people who live there all year. On the coast (within 5 km of the sea) the median share is 1.4%; 50 km or more inland it is 0.14%. If you want a place that feels like a real town in February, look for a low share, even on the coast.
On the compare page the slider “Holiday lets as share of all homes” filters them out, and “Few holiday lets” can be part of your match score.
How we did this
INE experimental statistic Medición del número de viviendas turísticas, May 2026 (listings matched and de-duplicated by INE), as a share of all dwellings. Foreign residents: INE, 2022. Built 2026-10-18.