Safety in Spain

I live in the country half a kilometre from the nearest house and feel physically safe.  I walk my dog on my own, and anyone could approach me as she is friendly.  However, there have been a lot of thefts from property in the last eight or nine years so I feel much less safe for my house.  Even so I have never heard of anyone being attacked during a theft.  They have always waited till the house is empty.  In fact once some people were having a drink in the village bar and their dog trotted up to them.  The thieves had let it out so they could steal without it barking.

For any would be thieves who wonder where I live, we now have grills and a security alarm.

It's as secure as anywhere I've ever lived. Obviously there is crime but where isn't there?

Barcelona and Madrid are plagued with pickpockets.

Absolutely, that's not an issue here

On a safety issue rather than security, we have a lot of wild boar about this year.  They usually go up in to the mountains in the summer but for some reason a lot have stayed this year.  I suspect it is because there is less shooting than in the past due to licences going up a lot.  I am more concerned about a big male boar deciding to charge my dog on her night time walk than people.

I live in an area where there are lots of Moroccans but I have to admit that the safety near and around my area is quite safe. My friends daughter walks her dog late in the night and if I had to choose how safe it is between my home country and here, Barcelona wins.

I am an American living in Spain for almost a year now. First in Barcelona and now near Malaga. I have to say that I have never felt safer anywhere. In fact, I feel MUCH safer here than I ever did in in the US anywhere.

I'm an American living in Madrid from mid- 2014 through mid-2015. I do you feel safe in Spain, that is why I chose to spend a year here rather than in Ecuador, where petty crime is rampant. I was robbed once there and foiled two other attempts in 2010. In Málaga and Madrid, this has never even been attempted. 

I have never felt unsafe in Spain but I have heard of Muslim men spitting on European women who are out and about on their own late at night..Someone told me that foreigners from poor countries commit burglaries. but I personally have not seen or heard of this happening wherever I have lived in Spain.
 
I am a man and can walk safely during the day and at night without any fear. I think women can too but it's best to find out from them.

I don't think there is a high rate of criminality, social problems or tensions. There should be considering the unemployment situation here, but it has not resulted in crime. There are a lot of beggars, who smoke cigarettes and have dogs. The Madrid Metro system is crawling with buskers, beggars with high-tech musical equipment. I don't care for any of these.

If I could not live in the US, I would choose to live in Spain.

I cant speak for other parts of Spain, but where I live, all but one of the burgleries I know about over the last ten years have been carried out by British or Romanian, mostly the latter.  The exception was a young Spanish lad in his early twenties.  Wherever you are you are going to get some bad among the indigenous as well as the good.

Absolutely safe where i live in Gandia and yes all the robberies are by Eastern Europeans or English but then I live in a little village and everyone knows everyone else even when someone comes into town, there are always the nosey neighbours and good job too.  Pickpockets and people like that mainly are in holiday areas and our area is mostly Spanish

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your participation on this thread.

I would just like to point out that you should not be targeting or pinpointing any nationalities.

I hereby repost the topic and invite you to give your views as objectively as possible.

Christine wrote:

Hi,

We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in Spain?

How would you define the level of safety in the country?

Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear?

Do you think there is a high rate of criminality, social problems or tensions?

Share with us your insight on safety in Spain and in the city you live in.

Thank you in advance,

Christine

Cheers,
Bhavna

On a day to day basis I don't feel unsafe or threatened in spain and perceive it to be a very safe place.However near me is a nudist beach and I have seen numerous men parading around in the hills over looking the bay. It is in quite a isolated place and I know several women who have had been involved in some scary incidences. So you need to have your wits about you and be sensible when going of the beaten track.
The one area I don't feel safe in is travelling across spain there are numerous stories about robberies taking place on route. Particularly around service stations. Take care and be vigilant

I've been here in the Costa del Sol for almost a year. I'm an American. I've not personally experienced any safety issues; although we read about this every day. Not just here - but every part of the world. Normal precautions are necessary but I don't feel unsafe when I am outdoors or in my home.

Thank you for addressing this issue! As firearms are not allowed in many countries, it helps to remember that 'over there' is not like here. We visited our son in Norway a couple of years ago and also took a side trip to Greece to visit some friends. Cops do not carry guns. That says a lot coming from a country where practically everyone does. If we're going to live somewhere else for extended periods, safety is something to think about.

THEFT. Last night I visited the bar owned by a young Spanish couple in downtown Madrid, where I used to live until the bath fell apart (rotted walls behind the tiles). She was preparing to open the bar and had left her cell phone on the counter, with the front door open to help the floors dry. A man came in while she as mopping toward the back and asked if the bar was open yet. She replied no and he left -- with her cell phone! I tie everything I can to my belt after a theft in another country, and recommend it to everyone. I hope her insurance will compensate her.

Yeah, money belts and small wallets you can tuck in a shirt were the order of the day on our trip to Europe a couple years ago. But on the other hand, it could just as well happen here. It probably would. On the flip side of that, there are random acts of kindness that give one hope While visiting our son in Oslo, I'd had trouble with my bank card. So, my husband and I headed to one of the corner markets to test it after a conversation with the bank. We went in, picked up some things, swiped the card and oops, it didn't work. I said, oh no! The neighborhood my son lives in has a large Muslim population. The man said, it's ok, come back tomorrow and pay me. I was floored. Who does that in the U.S? I had never had anyone here tell me that. I explained I had money and was just testing my card. He then explained he didn't contract with Visa! Anyway, it was a great learning experience all the way around. It's a shame the bar owner's phone was taken. Hopefully karma will catch up with the jerk that took it.

You will get the good and the bad wherever you go. In Paris I was mugged by two men and in Madrid I was fooled by a group of teens and had my mobile stolen. Even though I say it is safe here in Barcelona, you just don´t know what you will bump into when you turn that corner. As I stated in my last post, I do feel safe here, more than my home country but never-the-less, you should always keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. There is always the unexpected.

Agreed. Being aware is half the battle I felt very safe in Norway, but a little more hesitant in Athens.

I am a male so it is difficult to respond to female concerns. However, I live in Menorca where it is unlikely that your security would be jeopardised anywhere on the Island.  We have a prison here so obviously there must be crime and convicted criminals but violence is virtually unknown.  I recently visited Majorca and felt equally safe.  Barcelona is a wonderful, vibrant city but plagued by pick-pockets but I have never felt concerned for my safety there.

Tying your cellphone to you 1) keeps you from forgetting it, 2) keeps it from hitting the floor (if you are standing), and ) keeps it from getting stolen. Using 13kg (30lb) clear fishing line, loop (tie) one end around the phone, pass the other end through the back of the case using a sewing needle, and tie a medallion to the other end. That's my setup. The loop doesn't have to be in the center of the screen or case, anywhere will work but line them up. I use a small souvenir as an anchor 2 feet (60cm) at the end away from the phone. With the phone in my left front pocket, the medallion anchor is passed between the pant and the belt, over the belt buckle, and into the right pocket. Yeah, it generates a few smiles, but it works great. BTW, I use parachute cord to tie my luggage. to my belt too.

LOL, the last thing I would want to think about is tying my phone to me! People are already 'married' to their phones Not sure how I would react if someone were to attempt a 'pick pocket' act.

I'm guessing that the guy who stole the phone didn't tie it to himself either, but sold it to get money for drugs. But that's a guess. Anyways, it won't be long before something like "molar phones" hit the market. "You (One) can run but you cannot hide!"  LOL

Hello Christine

I have moved to Spain Benalamadna Malaga 9 weeks ago. I opened a new business since I have came there has been a lot of muggings at night time and they haven't been just rob them and leave them these people have been left serious in hospital. During the days I ha we never seen or heard of anything but night time best not to be alone

Regards

Stephen

Hi
Where I live, in a small touristic town on Costa Brava, is quite safe. I am always careful though, because like any where else there are small crimes like pick pocketing.
I feel quite safe here.

The lady that owns the bar told me last night that she got a new cellphone. This time she didn't leave it on the bar. She learned her lesson. This time she left it on the counter in front of the cash register. Someone would have to lie down dangling across the bar to get to it. When she came back from getting some supplies downstairs . . . the new cellphone was gone! Are you kidding me? They didn't even try to open the cash register. They just took the phone. She says she is not going to buy another one. JUST TIE THE D@&* THING TO YOU, for crying out loud.

UPDATE: It turns out the replacement cellphone was not stolen. It had fallen off the cash register. The lady that owns the bar told me last night that she found it cleaning the counter around the cash register.

TXy986u wrote:

(...) She was preparing to open the bar and had left her cell phone on the counter, with the front door open to help the floors dry. A man came in while she as mopping toward the back and asked if the bar was open yet. She replied no and he left -- with her cell phone! (...)

This is a rather common example of life in Spain. It's very uncommon that someone will try to inflict violence in order to steal a phone from you. But if you're careless and leave your phone where everyone can see it, it IS common that someone will take advantage of that and take it from you. Most crooks in Spain are "lazy crooks", if you will.

It's sad, and nobody's proud of how frequently these things happen, but I guess it's better than living somewhere where people will really go out of their way to take something from you. In that regard, Spain is as safe a country as you can get.

A very safe place,  just usual tips,  do not show money,  do not leave Wallet,  handy around,  beware of pickpockets.  Usual things

Yes English thieves in Gandia, l had one working for me, very nasty man from Manchester area.

I come from Paris, and will be living in Barcelona really soon. I heard about pickpockets, but as there is pickpocket too in Paris It seems ok with the same habits : keeping your bag near to you, don't let your phone on a table ...

At first sight I feel safer because there are always a lot of people in the street, the metro, even late. People like taxi, working in the bars seem much more helpful than in France. I've travelled and lived in other countries so in a few months I should be able to compare it with the others.