All pet owners will agree that leaving your pet behind while you go on holiday is one of the most heart-breaking experiences. That’s why travelling with your pet has become more and more popular in the past years! According to Statista, 56% of people in the UK prefer to travel with their pet and even say that travelling with their pet makes them enjoy their holiday more.
In honour of World Animal Day, Spain-Holiday, holiday rental experts in Spain, investigated the best places to travel to in Spain with your loyal companion. Using internal data from their own website and data provided by holiday rental portal Holidu, they found out which cities and coasts are most welcoming to pets.
Holiday homes are the preferred accommodation for everyone who wants to travel with their furry friend. According to data from the holiday portal, 27% of holiday homes in Spain allow guests to bring their pets with them on holiday. Although this is lower compared to other European countries where this trend is more established, such as Denmark with 45%, Spain still positively outperforms other popular destinations such as Greece and Portugal, where only 24% and 18% of rentals allow travellers to stay with their pet. The north of Spain is more pet-friendly than the south, with Castilla y León leading this trend with 41% pet-friendly holiday rentals.
Life’s a beach! Beach holidays with your pet
Spain’s costas are among the most pet-friendly areas in the country: perfect for when you want to enjoy a sunny and relaxed beach holiday with your loyal companion. On the Costa del Azahar, almost half (48%) of all holiday rentals are happy to welcome your pet. This region to the north of Valencia is known for its fabulous Blue Flag beaches and quaint resort towns like Peñiscola and Benicassim. Next is the Costa Brava, where animals are welcome at 37% of the holiday rentals. Explore Tossa de Mar, or relax at one of the beautiful coves that are tucked away on the coastline! Another pet-friendly Spanish coast is the Costa del Maresme (36%). Apart from its beaches, this coast also offers amazing hiking routes and cosy little towns. It’s also very close to Barcelona, so take advantage of your great location and spend a day or two in the Catalan capital.
Escape to the sun with your loyal companion
If you would like to escape the rain and cold this year, but don’t want to leave your pet at home, these are the perfect destinations for you. The top pet destination for autumn/winter of 2023 is Calpe, a city on the Costa Blanca, where 37% of holiday rentals are happy to welcome your pet. And at a median price of 99 pounds per night, the holiday rentals in Calpe are very affordable! We’re staying on the Costa Blanca to complete the top 3, with Benidorm (31%) and Javea (30%) coming in strong. These towns are not only pet-friendly, they also have the mildest winter climate in all of Spain: perfect for a sunny escape. The top 5 is completed by Denia, also on the Costa Blanca, and Salou in Catalonia with 29% and 28% pet-friendly holiday homes.
| The most popular pet-friendly destinations | |||
| City | Region | % of pet-friendly rentals | Median price (GBP) |
| Calpe | Valencian Community | 37,29% | 99 |
| Benidorm | Valencian Community | 31,05% | 97 |
| Jávea | Valencian Community | 29,96% | 183 |
| Dénia | Valencian Community | 28,84% | 99 |
| Salou | Catalonia | 27,88% | 90 |
| Altea | Valencian Community | 27,61% | 121 |
| Mojácar | Andalusia | 26,18% | 93 |
| Torrevieja | Valencian Community | 25,06% | 67 |
| Torremolinos | Andalusia | 24,44% | 85 |
| Murcia | Murcia | 23,61% | 80 |
| Barcelona | Catalonia | 22,21% | 191 |
| Estepona | Andalusia | 21,16% | 134 |
| Alicante | Valencian Community | 21,08% | 99 |
| Marbella | Andalusia | 20,53% | 154 |
| Benalmádena | Andalusia | 19,05% | 91 |
Would you prefer a holiday with your pet that also doesn’t break the bank? You can score some amazing deals on pet-friendly accommodation during autumn and winter because of low season prices. In Torrevieja you can rent a beautiful holiday rental at 67 pounds per night. And with a quarter of all holiday rentals welcoming pets, it will be easy to find a place to stay for you and your furry friend. Other destinations with great autumn deals are Murcia (23% pet-friendly accommodation at 80 pounds/night) and Torremolinos (24% pet-friendly accommodation at 81 pounds/night) and Estepona is a good destination. Find your Estepona transfers.
On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive destination is Barcelona, with a median accommodation price of 191 pounds per person per night. This city is closely followed by Javea and Palma de Mallorca, with prices of 183 and 181 pounds respectively. The top 5 is completed by Alcudia (155 pounds) and Marbella (154 pounds).
Discover our best tips for travelling to Spain with your pets and make sure you have a stress-free holiday: https://www.spain-holiday.com/Spain/articles/travelling-with-pets-in-spain
Methodology
The percentage of pet-friendly holiday rentals was calculated using internal data of Spain-Holiday and Holidu, by getting the amount of rentals that allow pets and calculating the percentage they represent of the total number of rentals in each region, coast and city.
The ranking of best winter sun destinations with pets was determined starting from a list of the most searched for destinations on both websites for a stay between October 1, 2023, and November 30, 2023. Then, the list was sorted on the highest percentage of pet-friendly holiday rentals per city. The median price per night, per accommodation, for the same time period was also extracted.
