PropertinspainBuying in Spain from abroad

Note

Best places in Spain for a holiday home: what matters

By Daniel WhitcombeReviewed by Marta Calderón IbáñezPublished Updated Stage 3: Choose where and what

Quick answer

For a holiday home, access and low upkeep matter more than anything. Choose a place you can reach cheaply and often, plan how the home is looked after when empty, and check the tax on a home you rarely use. Rules on letting it differ by region.

Applies toBuyers who want a Spanish home for holidays and part-year stays.

On this page: 10 sections
  1. Use drives the choice
  2. Access
  3. Upkeep when empty
  4. Running costs
  5. Tax on a home you rarely use
  6. Letting it
  7. Resale
  8. Visit out of season
  9. What we could not verify
  10. More on this topic
Checked 26 October 2026by Marta Calderón Ibáñez. Claims on this page are tied to the sources listed at the end.

§ 1Use drives the choice

A holiday home earns its cost only if you use it. The best test of a location is how easy it is to get there and how pleasant it is to arrive. This page belongs to the chapter on best places to buy property in Spain, and it concentrates on the practical points that decide whether a holiday home stays a pleasure.

§ 2Access

Count the real door-to-door time: home to airport, flight, arrival, transfer. Check flights in the seasons you will travel, not only in summer. The operator publishes interactive noise maps for fourteen airports, including those of Málaga, Alicante, Valencia, Palma, Ibiza and the main Canary airports, which also show where flights pass. A home near an airport is convenient and can be noisy, as the location checks section explains.

§ 3Upkeep when empty

A holiday home stands empty for most of the year. Leaks, damp, burglary and unpaid bills are the risks, and the section on owning and selling explains the routine and the insurance duties. Choose a place where you can find a reliable person to look after the home, and a building with an administrator you can reach.

§ 4Running costs

Fixed costs continue when you are away: the local property tax, community charges, insurance, standing charges on supplies and the upkeep of a garden or pool. A pool and a large garden multiply them. A small flat in a managed complex has lower and more predictable costs than a villa with land.

§ 5Tax on a home you rarely use

A non-resident owner pays tax on imputed income on a home not let, and the rate depends on the cadastral value, as the costs section explains. If you let it, you pay tax on the rent in general on the gross amount. These taxes apply wherever the home stands, but the local property tax and the regional taxes at purchase differ. The Ministry of Finance table updated in September 2026 shows resale transfer tax rates from 6.5% in the Canary Islands to higher scales elsewhere.

§ 6Letting it

If you want to let the home when away, check the rules before you buy: the community statutes, the regional regime and the town’s planning rules. Some regions have tightened tourist rules, and a community can ban lets by a vote of three fifths. A plan that depends on lets in a place that restricts them is a risk. The section on renting and investing explains.

§ 7Resale

Holiday markets can be seasonal and sensitive to rules. A home that is easy to reach and to maintain is easier to sell. Best places to buy property in Spain for investment explains how to read official price data, and best places to buy property in Spain for expats covers buyers who plan to move.

§ 8Visit out of season

Many resorts are very different in winter. Visit when you do not plan to use the home, to see what is open, how quiet it is and whether it feels safe. A place that looks alive in August may feel empty in November.

§ 9What we could not verify

We found no official ranking of holiday areas and no official figures on running costs by town.

§ 10More on this topic

Best places to buy property in Spain for retirees explains the checks a retiree should apply when choosing where to buy in Spain and what suits families explains what families should check when choosing an area for children.

What suits British buyers explains what British buyers should consider when choosing an area and where American buyers look explains what American buyers should consider when choosing an area.

FAQRelated questions

How close to an airport should I be?

Close enough that you will really use the home. A place two hours from an airport with few flights becomes a place you visit less. Check routes, seasons and the airport’s own noise maps if you will live under a flight path.

Will I pay tax if I only visit?

A non-resident owner pays Spanish tax on imputed income from a home that is not let, and on rent if it is. The costs section explains the rates and the deadlines we could verify, so ask a tax adviser about your own case.

Can I let it to cover costs?

Possibly, but the rules differ by region and by building. A community can vote to ban tourist lets, and some regions limit licences. Check before you buy, as the section on renting and investing explains.

Sources

About this page

Written by

Daniel Whitcombe

Writer, buying and living in Spain

Daniel writes the chapters on how a purchase runs, who can buy, where to buy and how to check a location. He writes for readers who are new to the Spanish system and prefers plain explanations that name the official source. He is not a lawyer or adviser.

Reviewed by Marta Calderón Ibáñez, chief editor and source editor, 26 October 2026. Checked: Figures and rules checked against the official texts listed below

Found an error? Report it. Each report gets a dated reply, and confirmed corrections are logged on the updates page.

General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.