Spain solidifies its position as a leading travel destination with an impressive increase in tourist apartments. Current data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) show that the number surpassed the 380,000 unit mark in May. This upward trend, driven by regions such as Andalusia and Catalonia, confirms the country’s continued appeal to tourists and investors. But what lies behind these figures, and which municipalities are particularly fueling this boom?
The Growth of Tourist Apartments in Spain: A Detailed Analysis
In May 2025, Spain recorded a total of 381,837 holiday homes, an increase of 5,374 units since November last year. This represents a 1.4% rise. Although this figure is slightly below the record high of 403,267 holiday homes in August 2024, it underscores the establishment of this type of accommodation. In total, tourists have access to approximately 1.93 million holiday accommodations nationwide, with an average capacity of about five people per apartment.
The seasonal nature of tourism is clearly visible here: between February and August 2024, almost 52,000 holiday apartments were added, compared to over 35,288 during the same period in 2023. The INE has been measuring this phenomenon for five years using data from the three most used accommodation websites. However, it is an experimental statistic, which is why direct comparative data for May 2024 is not available.
Andalusia and Catalonia: The Growth Engines
The latest increase in tourist apartments is mainly due to gains in Andalusia and Catalonia. These two regions added 5,813 and 3,981 new tourist housing units respectively in the last six months, bringing their total inventories to 96,176 and 56,851. Andalusia thus continues to lead the ranking of regions with the largest volume of holiday rentals, followed by the Valencian Community (63,190), Catalonia, and the Canary Islands (50,686).
Despite these impressive increases, there were declines in a dozen autonomous regions, though most were minor. However, notable decreases were seen in Madrid (2,205 fewer) and the Valencian Community (1,555 fewer) in the last six months. The Canary Islands, Murcia, and Aragon also experienced smaller declines.
Besides the top regions, the Balearic Islands (24,361), Galicia (19,996), and Madrid (18,555) also have more than 15,000 holiday homes. At the lower end of the scale are La Rioja (1,360), the Basque Country (1,672), and Extremadura (2,005).
The Density of Tourist Apartments: Where the Share Is Highest
The Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands are the regions where holiday homes account for the largest share of the total registered housing stock. In these Atlantic and Mediterranean archipelagos, holiday rentals account for 4.7% and 3.7% of the housing stock, respectively. In two other communities, the share is also above 2%. This is the case in Andalusia and Cantabria, which, along with the Valencian Community and Catalonia, are above the national average of 1.43%. In other words, almost 1.5 out of every hundred homes in Spain are designated for tourist rental.
Two-thirds of Spanish municipalities already have at least one tourist apartment, and there are 64 where holiday homes account for more than 10% of the total registered properties. The most extreme case is Yaiza in Lanzarote, where almost one in four homes is used as a holiday rental. La Oliva (Fuerteventura) and Roncesvalles (Navarra) are also close to this ratio. On the peninsula’s coast, towns such as Nerja (Málaga), Cadaqués (Girona), and Conil de la Frontera (Cádiz) are above 15%.
Urban Centers and Regulation: Challenges and Measures
In absolute terms, Madrid leads the list of cities with 15,242 tourist apartments, followed by Barcelona (9,579), Málaga (8,597), Marbella (7,934), Seville (7,137), and Valencia (6,553). These six cities are the only ones to exceed the 5,000 mark.
The proliferation of holiday homes has put significant pressure on the real estate market in many large cities and tourist areas, leading to rising prices and difficulties in accessing housing. Many municipalities have responded with moratoria and licensing restrictions to alleviate the housing crisis, which, however, often resulted in an increase in illegal offerings.
In response, the Ministry of Housing has introduced a new register. Since July 1st, it is mandatory for tourist rentals advertised online to appear in this register and have a corresponding identification number to prove their legality. This aims to bring more transparency and order to the market, benefiting both tourists and locals.
