Safest places to live in Spain: 333 towns ranked
Recorded crime in every Spanish town of 25,000 or more, from the Interior Ministry's 2025 figures. 216 of the 333 towns are below the national rate; the safest has about a quarter of it.
Spain is one of the safer countries in Europe, but the differences between towns are large: the quietest town below records about a quarter of the national rate, the busiest resort 3.7 times it. The figure used here is conventional crime per 1,000 residents in 2025: offences against people and property, without online fraud (which is recorded where the victim reports it, not where it happens). Spain as a whole: about 41 per 1,000.
The 15 towns with the least recorded crime (offences per 1,000 residents, 2025)
The 25 safest towns
Castellar del Vallès (Catalonia) records 9.7 offences per 1,000 residents, followed by Los Realejos (14.8) and Sant Andreu de la Barca (16.4). What the 25 have in common: they are small (32,705 inhabitants in the median town) and they are not resorts (24 of the 25 have under 2% holiday lets).
| Place | Region | Population | Crime / 1,000 | Burglaries / 1,000 | Violent robbery / 1,000 | Theft / 1,000 | Change 2024-25 | Holiday lets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castellar del Vallès | Catalonia | 25,422 | 9.7 | 0.71 | 0.16 | 2.3 | -21.2% | 0.1% |
| Los Realejos | Canary Islands | 37,867 | 14.8 | 0.45 | 0.40 | 2.0 | +1.1% | 1.7% |
| Sant Andreu de la Barca | Catalonia | 27,094 | 16.4 | 0.52 | 0.52 | 3.0 | +0.5% | 0.0% |
| Piélagos | Cantabria | 26,901 | 16.7 | 1.93 | 0.00 | 2.3 | -13.8% | 1.5% |
| Tomares | Andalusia | 25,432 | 17.9 | 1.14 | 0.31 | 5.6 | -18.1% | 0.3% |
| Yecla | Murcia | 36,453 | 18.6 | 1.95 | 0.14 | 2.3 | -3.4% | 0.2% |
| Ames | Galicia | 33,276 | 19.0 | 0.63 | 0.15 | 3.3 | -10.2% | 0.4% |
| Arcos de la Frontera | Andalusia | 31,267 | 19.1 | 0.77 | 0.13 | 3.4 | -4.2% | 1.8% |
| Candelaria | Canary Islands | 29,023 | 19.5 | 0.48 | 0.17 | 3.7 | +0.9% | 2.5% |
| Sant Pere de Ribes | Catalonia | 32,705 | 19.6 | 0.79 | 0.43 | 4.8 | -16.2% | 1.1% |
| Teruel | Aragon | 36,655 | 19.9 | 1.09 | 0.35 | 3.7 | +10.3% | 0.6% |
| Ontinyent | Valencian Community | 37,012 | 20.0 | 2.43 | 0.16 | 3.2 | -11.9% | 0.3% |
| Petrer | Valencian Community | 34,022 | 20.1 | 1.50 | 0.32 | 5.4 | +8.3% | 0.1% |
| Mutxamel | Valencian Community | 28,621 | 20.3 | 1.29 | 0.24 | 3.8 | +12.8% | 0.8% |
| Redondela | Galicia | 28,874 | 20.5 | 1.11 | 0.07 | 4.0 | +3.7% | 1.2% |
| Gáldar | Canary Islands | 25,108 | 20.8 | 0.48 | 0.08 | 3.1 | -16.9% | 1.6% |
| Getxo | Basque Country | 75,752 | 21.1 | 1.58 | 0.74 | 7.2 | -8.8% | 0.4% |
| Pozuelo de Alarcón | Madrid | 89,770 | 21.1 | 0.62 | 0.21 | 7.8 | -1.7% | 0.2% |
| Valdepeñas | Castilla-La Mancha | 30,782 | 21.1 | 0.45 | 0.23 | 4.5 | +10.0% | 0.1% |
| Boadilla del Monte | Madrid | 66,349 | 22.6 | 1.54 | 0.20 | 6.6 | +6.8% | 0.1% |
| Leioa | Basque Country | 32,748 | 22.6 | 1.98 | 0.58 | 9.8 | +1.1% | 0.2% |
| Alcázar de San Juan | Castilla-La Mancha | 31,914 | 22.7 | 0.60 | 0.34 | 6.7 | +8.5% | 0.1% |
| Oleiros | Galicia | 38,793 | 22.8 | 0.75 | 0.26 | 5.2 | +3.3% | 0.3% |
| Paracuellos de Jarama | Madrid | 27,650 | 22.9 | 1.59 | 0.29 | 4.5 | -0.6% | 0.1% |
| Santurtzi | Basque Country | 46,442 | 23.0 | 1.12 | 0.80 | 5.6 | -4.8% | 0.1% |
The safest big cities
Big cities record more crime almost everywhere, mostly theft. Among the 31 cities of 200,000 or more, Oviedo has the lowest rate (24.6 per 1,000).
| Place | Region | Population | Crime / 1,000 | Burglaries / 1,000 | Violent robbery / 1,000 | Theft / 1,000 | Change 2024-25 | Holiday lets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oviedo | Asturias | 223,968 | 24.6 | 0.71 | 0.67 | 8.2 | +0.3% | 0.7% |
| Vigo | Galicia | 294,489 | 27.4 | 0.76 | 0.50 | 9.7 | -8.7% | 0.8% |
| Valladolid | Castilla y León | 302,614 | 27.8 | 1.02 | 0.44 | 9.0 | +4.1% | 0.2% |
| Móstoles | Madrid | 214,817 | 27.9 | 0.89 | 0.64 | 8.0 | -9.6% | 0.1% |
| Gijón | Asturias | 269,894 | 29.5 | 0.89 | 0.69 | 11.2 | +8.5% | 0.9% |
| Terrassa | Catalonia | 233,270 | 30.4 | 1.20 | 1.34 | 8.8 | -9.2% | 0.1% |
| Elx/Elche | Valencian Community | 245,557 | 32.7 | 1.40 | 0.65 | 10.5 | -1.3% | 0.5% |
| Zaragoza | Aragon | 693,091 | 33.4 | 0.85 | 1.60 | 12.0 | +1.8% | 0.2% |
| Cartagena | Murcia | 220,704 | 35.9 | 1.73 | 0.69 | 10.5 | -2.2% | 1.0% |
| Alcalá de Henares | Madrid | 203,208 | 37.9 | 0.93 | 0.67 | 11.1 | +1.9% | 0.3% |
Safe towns by the sea
Coastal towns tend to score worse, because visitors are victims and offenders too but only residents are counted. Still, 55 of the 113 coastal towns (centre within 5 km of the sea) are below the national rate. The lowest: Candelaria (19.5).
| Place | Region | Population | Crime / 1,000 | Burglaries / 1,000 | Violent robbery / 1,000 | Theft / 1,000 | Change 2024-25 | Holiday lets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candelaria | Canary Islands | 29,023 | 19.5 | 0.48 | 0.17 | 3.7 | +0.9% | 2.5% |
| Sant Pere de Ribes | Catalonia | 32,705 | 19.6 | 0.79 | 0.43 | 4.8 | -16.2% | 1.1% |
| Mutxamel | Valencian Community | 28,621 | 20.3 | 1.29 | 0.24 | 3.8 | +12.8% | 0.8% |
| Redondela | Galicia | 28,874 | 20.5 | 1.11 | 0.07 | 4.0 | +3.7% | 1.2% |
| Gáldar | Canary Islands | 25,108 | 20.8 | 0.48 | 0.08 | 3.1 | -16.9% | 1.6% |
| Getxo | Basque Country | 75,752 | 21.1 | 1.58 | 0.74 | 7.2 | -8.8% | 0.4% |
| Leioa | Basque Country | 32,748 | 22.6 | 1.98 | 0.58 | 9.8 | +1.1% | 0.2% |
| Oleiros | Galicia | 38,793 | 22.8 | 0.75 | 0.26 | 5.2 | +3.3% | 0.3% |
| Santurtzi | Basque Country | 46,442 | 23.0 | 1.12 | 0.80 | 5.6 | -4.8% | 0.1% |
| Ingenio | Canary Islands | 32,905 | 23.5 | 0.49 | 0.27 | 3.9 | -4.7% | 0.9% |
| Avilés | Asturias | 75,517 | 24.1 | 1.06 | 0.62 | 7.0 | -4.2% | 0.3% |
| Rincón de la Victoria | Andalusia | 52,454 | 24.4 | 0.99 | 0.23 | 4.5 | -4.1% | 2.4% |
| Narón | Galicia | 39,953 | 24.8 | 0.65 | 0.30 | 8.0 | +12.0% | 0.1% |
| Arucas | Canary Islands | 39,232 | 25.0 | 0.71 | 0.25 | 4.3 | +6.3% | 0.7% |
| Arteixo | Galicia | 34,403 | 25.8 | 0.78 | 0.32 | 4.9 | -7.8% | 0.2% |
Burglaries, the figure home-owners ask about
Total crime is dominated by theft in busy places. For someone buying a house, home burglaries per 1,000 residents may matter more. The lowest:
| Place | Region | Burglaries / 1,000 homes' residents | Crime / 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Línea de la Concepción | Andalusia | 0.14 | 30.1 |
| Arrecife | Canary Islands | 0.17 | 36.3 |
| Ceuta | Ceuta | 0.25 | 35.3 |
| San Fernando | Andalusia | 0.32 | 29.9 |
| Santa Lucía de Tirajana | Canary Islands | 0.34 | 35.1 |
| Algeciras | Andalusia | 0.36 | 34.5 |
| Maó | Balearic Islands | 0.39 | 26.4 |
| Melilla | Melilla | 0.43 | 43.1 |
| Puerto del Rosario | Canary Islands | 0.43 | 45.4 |
| San Cristóbal de La Laguna | Canary Islands | 0.44 | 31.0 |
| Los Realejos | Canary Islands | 0.45 | 14.8 |
| Valdepeñas | Castilla-La Mancha | 0.45 | 21.1 |
Where recorded crime is highest, and why that needs a caveat
The towns with the highest rates are mostly resorts: 7 of the 12 below have more than 3% of their homes listed as holiday lets. Towns with a holiday-let share above 3% record a median of 54.1 offences per 1,000 residents against 33.6 in towns with 1% or less. A pickpocketed tourist counts against the residents of El Prat de Llobregat, which is why the rate per resident overstates how unsafe a resort feels for the people who live there. The ranking is still useful, but read the holiday-let column next to the crime column.
| Place | Region | Population | Crime / 1,000 | Burglaries / 1,000 | Violent robbery / 1,000 | Theft / 1,000 | Change 2024-25 | Holiday lets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Prat de Llobregat | Catalonia | 66,338 | 149.9 | 0.65 | 2.80 | 91.9 | -29.7% | 0.3% |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 50,021 | 129.5 | 1.98 | 4.04 | 67.9 | +9.2% | 14.1% |
| Sant Josep de sa Talaia | Balearic Islands | 29,761 | 101.1 | 4.87 | 3.36 | 34.7 | +7.2% | 5.9% |
| Sant Adrià de Besòs | Catalonia | 39,323 | 96.5 | 1.88 | 8.32 | 28.9 | +10.9% | 1.6% |
| Torrevieja | Valencian Community | 98,533 | 92.0 | 5.76 | 3.19 | 30.0 | +8.7% | 3.2% |
| Salou | Catalonia | 31,491 | 88.0 | 3.02 | 2.54 | 26.8 | -19.8% | 7.4% |
| Barcelona | Catalonia | 1,731,649 | 88.0 | 2.04 | 7.30 | 44.3 | -3.1% | 1.0% |
| Calvià | Balearic Islands | 53,793 | 86.6 | 1.43 | 1.88 | 39.7 | +13.7% | 0.9% |
| Sant Antoni de Portmany | Balearic Islands | 29,132 | 86.3 | 2.20 | 2.27 | 21.5 | +14.6% | 2.6% |
| San Bartolomé de Tirajana | Canary Islands | 54,291 | 83.7 | 1.22 | 1.69 | 36.9 | +12.5% | 11.8% |
| Arona | Canary Islands | 87,793 | 79.8 | 1.26 | 3.41 | 36.0 | +8.7% | 7.4% |
| Marbella | Andalusia | 159,786 | 75.7 | 2.58 | 1.72 | 23.4 | +0.9% | 7.0% |
By region
Recorded crime by region (median town, per 1,000)
Is it getting better or worse?
Between 2024 and 2025, recorded conventional crime fell in 160 of the 333 towns with a comparison; the change is in the tables above.
Your own safe shortlist
Safety is one of 23 topics in the compare tool. Open the tool with "low crime" at the highest weight and "few holiday lets" at double weight, then add what else matters to you (climate, hospital, flights home). Each place page shows the crime figures with the other data for that town.
How we did this
Ministry of the Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, full year 2025, municipalities over 20,000 (including Mossos d'Esquadra and Ertzaintza data), rates per 1,000 residents (INE population 1 Jan 2025). "Conventional crime" excludes online fraud. Recorded crime only: it depends on reporting, and crimes against visitors count against residents. Holiday-let share: INE Viviendas turísticas, May 2026. Built 2026-10-18.