Living as a resident in a tourist area or on the islands

Key rules

• Hotspots: Tension is highest in the Balearics, the Canaries, Barcelona, Málaga and other big tourist destinations.
• Daily habits: Greeting people in Spanish, eating at local hours and shopping locally all year mark you as a resident.
• Tourist lets: Rules on tourist rentals keep tightening, so check national and regional rules before renting out a property.
• Part-year living: Take part in local life and follow noise and rubbish rules, even if you only stay part of the year.

The bottom line

In busy tourist areas, many locals feel squeezed by holiday lets and rising rents. You are more welcome if you act like someone who lives there all year: you shop locally, greet people, speak some Spanish and follow local rules.

Where tension is strongest

Feeling runs highest in the Balearics (Palma, Ibiza, parts of Mallorca) and the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria). It is also strong in Barcelona, Málaga, parts of the Costa del Sol, Valencia and San Sebastián, and in popular districts of Madrid and Seville.

The causes are rising rents and house prices, more holiday lets, mass tourism and cruise ships, crowding, strain on water and services, and low local wages. Large protests took place in 2024 and 2025 in several of these places. Governments responded with limits on tourist rentals and tourist taxes.

Will locals blame you?

It depends on what kind of foreigner you are. Wealthy buyers and owners of tourist flats are viewed negatively. Long-term residents who work, rent locally and join in are viewed more neutrally. Housing is one of Spaniards' top concerns, so expect the subject to come up. Don't take it personally, and don't argue about it in a bar on your first week.

If you plan to rent out a property to tourists, check the current national and regional rules first. They are tightening, and some cities plan to end tourist flats altogether.

Do not look like a tourist

These habits mark you as a visitor:

• Eating dinner at 6 or 7 pm.
• Speaking only English, with no Spanish greeting.
• Wearing beachwear or going shirtless away from the beach.
• Eating at places on the main square or with photo menus.
• Drinking loudly in the street.
• Walking into a shop without saying hello.
• Expecting service all through the siesta hours.

These habits mark you as a resident:

• Lunch at 2 to 3 pm and dinner at 9 pm or later.
• Ordering the menú del día, the fixed-price weekday lunch.
• Using local shops and markets.
• Greeting people in Spanish.
• Working around local opening hours.

If you are a part-year resident

Attitudes are mixed. Many locals welcome you, especially families with roots in the village and people who returned after emigrating. Resentment grows when homes sit empty most of the year, when prices rise, or when newcomers treat the village like a holiday park or complain about local customs.

What helps:

• Greet people and learn some Spanish.
• Use local shops all year, not only in summer.
• Join the fiestas.
• Follow the noise and rubbish rules.
• Pay local taxes and register on the padrón, the town hall's list of residents, where it applies to you.
• Offer help and contribute to local life.

Coastal urbanizaciones

In an urbanización with many holiday homes, contact with Spanish neighbours is often polite but limited. Many Spanish owners only arrive in July and August. Groups of the same nationality tend to stick together, the community pool is busy in summer, and the streets are very quiet in winter.

Community meetings and the shared pool are your best ways to meet people. Go to the meetings, and don't leave everything to the other owners. Year-round residents often form tight groups, so joining them early helps.

The questions below cover more specific worries.

Frequently asked questions

Will locals blame me for housing prices if I am a foreign resident?

Not necessarily, because locals judge foreign residents by type. Wealthy buyers and owners of tourist flats are viewed negatively, while long-term residents who work, rent locally and take part in local life are viewed more neutrally. Protests in 2024 and 2025 in Barcelona, Málaga, the Balearics and the Canaries targeted holiday lets and foreign buyers.

Which places have the strongest tension between residents and tourists?

Tension is strongest in the Balearics, the Canary Islands, Barcelona, Málaga and parts of the Costa del Sol. Valencia, San Sebastián and popular areas of Madrid and Seville also feel it.

How friendly are neighbours in a coastal urbanización with many holiday homes?

Neighbours are usually friendly but contact is limited. Foreign residents often form groups with people of the same nationality, and Spanish owners mostly arrive in July and August. Community meetings and the shared pool are the main places to meet people, so go to both if you want to build ties.

What makes a part-year resident welcome in a Spanish village?

Being present and involved makes the difference. Greet people, shop locally all year, join the fiestas and learn some Spanish. Resentment comes when owners are away most of the year, treat the village like a holiday park or complain about local customs.