Plan Your Solo Holidays in Spain with Spanish Express

June 27, 2025Spanish ExpressSolo Travelers, Spanish culture, Spanish for Holidays, Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP), Spanish Language, Travel to Spain

Planning a solo trip sounds exciting… until you realize you don’t want to eat alone every night, get lost in a new city (again), or waste your “me time” reading tourist trap reviews. I’ve been there.

You want freedom, yes, but also connection, culture, and a safe space to land. That’s where Spanish Express comes in. We don’t just teach Spanish, we host you in our homes across Spain, giving you the perfect mix of solo freedom and warm, local hospitality. The journey begins with anticipation and excitement as you set out on your solo holiday in Spain.

You’ll learn the language, explore the country, and maybe even leave with a few new friends and much better grammar.

Plan Your Solo Holidays in Spain with Spanish Express

Why is Spain a must-visit destination for solo travellers?

Spain is not just one country, it’s many little worlds stitched together with sunshine, language, and delicious food. For the solo traveler, that’s a dream. You can walk through ancient streets in the morning, sip wine on a golden beach by afternoon, and end your night in a lively plaza with music, tapas, and conversation.

There’s something magical about how Spain welcomes you. Locals chat with you like old friends. Public transportation takes you anywhere, making it easy for solo travelers to explore a wide variety of destinations, from bustling cities to charming villages and coastal towns. And thanks to Spain’s mild winters and warm people, solo doesn’t feel lonely; it feels liberating.

Plus, with Spanish Express, you’ll never feel like a tourist lost in translation. You’ll live like a local, learn Spanish naturally, and discover the real Spain, not just the Instagram version, where fun, lively experiences and memorable adventures await every solo traveler.

Why is Spain a must-visit destination for solo travellers?

Accommodation Options Offered by Spanish Express

There are many types of accommodations available for solo travelers in Spain, including hotels, hostels, and private rentals, but Spanish Express offers great options that go beyond the typical lodging experience. We don’t do hotels with their standard rooms and often extra costs for single rooms, nor do we do hostels or anything that feels like a stranger’s spare room.

With Spanish Express, you stay with one of our native Spanish teachers in their actual home with all the amenities. You eat together, chat over coffee, go to the market, learn Spanish on the sofa or out in town. It’s not just a place to sleep—it’s your home base, your classroom, and your cultural deep dive all in one.

Our teachers live in major cities, coastal towns and national parks, each in a different part of Spain. So, depending on when you visit Spain or where you go, your experience will be totally different. Compared to other accommodations, the homestay experience offers the comfort and privacy of single rooms, ensuring a relaxing and personal space for solo travelers. Let me walk you through the options.

Barcelona

City Streets, Quiet Forests, and the Sea

Barcelonagives you three solo adventures in one. Visiting Barcelona as a solo traveler means experiencing its unique neighborhoods firsthand, each offering a different side of the city. You can stay in Dosrius, where Mónica hosts you at her peaceful home surrounded by forests and silence (literally—Spain’s first “Park of Silence” is just outside her doorstep).

It’s where Gunilla, one of our students, spent her mornings cycling and her evenings chatting over paella with Mónica’s parents and two golden retrievers. The setting? Nature, calm, and good food.

In Castelldefels, you live coastal life with Nanda, a teacher, writer, and home cook. Students here enjoy beach walks, fideuà by the sea, and slow evenings on local squares. The Garraf hills are just behind you, the sea right in front.

And in Poblenou, Ana opens the door to local life. Markets, cafés, and language are all around you. Lessons happen between errands and bar stops, and you’ll leave knowing how to order vermut like a local and how to conjugate past tenses without blinking.

Valencia

Orange Trees, City Streets, and a Bit of Space to Breathe

Valenciaisn’t flashy. It’s warm, lived-in, and just the right size for a solo trip. You stay with Pilar in Gilet, a town close enough to the city for museums and markets, but quiet enough to hear your own thoughts. Students from many different countries spend their days exploring the old centre, strolling through Turia Park, or tasting paella in the sunshine.

Dana, one of our students, came from her home country in the Czech Republic to prepare for life in Spain. She watched flamenco at Café El Duende, spent New Year’s Eve eating twelve lucky grapes, and even went to Oceanogràfic with Pilar’s son. Her confidence grew not from memorising verbs, but from actually using them.

Whether you’re on your first solo trip or planning something bigger, Valencia gives you space to grow. With Pilar, Spanish becomes part of daily life, spoken, heard, and felt.

Cádiz

Cádiz is older than most maps, yet the vibe feels fresh. You can stay with María in San Fernando, where lessons roll into tapas runs and evening strolls along the bay, or with Óscar in Puerto Real, who slips surfing sessions into your verb drills. Learners love the mix: morning grammar, lunch by the market, sunset on La Caleta. It’s Spanish practice that never feels forced. The lively nights in Cádiz offer solo travelers a chance to join group dinners, enjoy local music, and experience the city’s vibrant social and cultural scene.

Locals here live for conversation, and their legendary work-life balance shows you how it’s done. One minute you’re chatting about history in a tiny taberna, the next you’re clapping at a spontaneous flamenco set.

If nature calls, our host teachers can whisk you to white villages, salt mines, or dolphin-spotting boats. Cádiz teaches you Spanish by letting you breathe it—salt air, slow afternoons, and words you’ll remember long after the waves fade.

Burgos

Stone Walls, Big Skies, and Proper Conversations

Burgos is one of those places where people actually look you in the eye when they talk. You stay with Marisol and Alberto, two lovely humans who teach you Spanish while cooking tortilla and walking you through 1,000 years of local history. Their house is calm, cosy, and about 15 minutes from the Cathedral. That’s close enough to hear the bells, but far enough to sleep in.

Donald, one of our students, came from the U.S. for two weeks and ended up moving here for a year. He walked the Camino de Santiago, debated evolution at the Museum of Human History, and somehow learned more Spanish chatting over pinchos than in any classroom. Planned visits to local attractions, like the Cathedral and museums, make solo travel in Burgos even more rewarding by ensuring you experience the best the city has to offer.

If you like cities that feel like real life and not a photo backdrop, Burgos is it. You won’t be anonymous here. People talk to you. And yes, they’ll correct your grammar… kindly.

Sevilla

Sunlight, Tapas, and Spanish That Doesn’t Feel Like Studying

Sevilla has this way of making everything feel like it matters just a bit more. As a key destination in the south of Spain for solo travelers, maybe it’s the orange blossoms or the sound of flamenco floating through the windows—but once you settle in with Carmen, learning Spanish feels like something you just do… naturally.

You’ll stay in her home (yes, solo—it’s just you), cook lunch together, stroll through Santa Cruz, and talk your way through the streets like a local in training. Grammar happens at the table, in the kitchen, or mid-tapas when you least expect it.

Carmen doesn’t “teach” you. She ropes you in. One minute it’s subjunctive, the next you’re watching a flamenco guitarist and nodding like you understand everything. Even the business socializing here comes with red wine and actual laughter.

It’s Sevilla. You won’t just study Spanish—you’ll live it, feet first.

Extremadura

Roman Stones, Big Skies, and Spanish Over Tapas

Extremadura is where you finally slow down enough to notice the language around you. You’ll live with Richard, your host teacher, in a quiet town that sits between Roman ruins and open countryside. The days start with lessons, but it’s those mid-morning café stops and museum chats that really get your Spanish flowing.

Hazel and Brian came out here from the UK for something deeper than tourism. They found good food, proper grammar drills, and long conversations that felt more like friendships than formalities. Richard made sure of it.

If you’re the type who’d rather talk about history over Jamón ibérico than network at a bar, this place is for you. And funny enough, that’s how most of your business contacts here will be made: one espresso at a time.

Extremadura also offers unique opportunities for solo travel, with immersive experiences perfect for independent explorers seeking authentic Spanish culture.

Local Cuisine Options in Spain for Solo Travelers

If you’re traveling solo, the best dining partner is… Spanish food. Seriously. Here’s what should be on your plate (at least once):

Tortilla de patatas – Not just eggs and potatoes. It’s a national treasure. Hot, cold, with onions (yes), always delicious.
Pulpo a la gallega – Tender octopus with paprika, olive oil, and sea salt. Perfect with crusty bread and no one to judge your portion size.
Salmorejo – Like gazpacho but thicker, creamier, and topped with jamón. Sevilla knows how to do this one right.
Morcilla de Burgos – Blood sausage with rice and spice. Don’t knock it till you try it.
Paella – The real stuff, preferably eaten in Valencia near the sea.
Churros con chocolate – Breakfast? Dessert? Midnight snack? Doesn’t matter.

You came for Spanish. Stay for seconds.

Local Cuisine Options in Spain for Solo Travelers

Spain Tours You Can Avail in Your Free Time for Solo Travel

During your Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP), your days will be a balanced mix of learning and freedom. While your mornings or evenings are usually free, you’ll also have a full day off each week, giving you plenty of time to explore beyond your host home. This flexibility is perfect for solo travelers who want to make the most of their stay in Spain, with just the right amount of structure and spontaneity.

In addition to local excursions, consider exploring popular destinations like Mallorca, known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant culture, or planning a tour through the Pyrenees mountains, which offer breathtaking scenery and connect Madrid to Catalonia for an unforgettable travel experience.

To help you plan your adventures, we’ve curated a list of top-rated tours across Spain.

Before setting out, solo travelers should prepare for medical emergencies by knowing the locations of nearby hospitals and keeping emergency contacts handy. It’s also wise to purchase travel insurance to ensure you have coverage for unexpected situations and to safeguard important documents during your trip.