Europe

Can you drink tap water in Spain?

Capital: MadridSpanish, Catalan, Galician, BasqueUpdated October 2026

YesYes, drinkable

Can you drink the tap water in Spain?

Tap water is safe to drink. Safe nationwide. Taste varies: many in Barcelona, on the coast and the islands prefer filtered or bottled. Ask for 'agua del grifo'.

Key facts

Safely managed drinking water: 99% of people (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP).

Tap water by place in Spain

Place	Verdict	Notes
Barcelona	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink, but hard and chlorinated; many residents use a filter or buy bottled water for taste.
Madrid	Yes, drinkable	Excellent: comes from mountain reservoirs and is some of Spain's best tap water; locals drink it freely.
Seville	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; it is chlorinated and can taste hard, so some people use filters or bottled water.
Valencia	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink but hard and chlorinated; many residents filter it or buy bottled for taste.
Málaga	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink but often hard and chlorinated; many residents buy bottled or use filters for taste.
Mallorca	Filter or boil	Treated and legally potable, but hard and often salty; most residents drink filtered or bottled water.
Ibiza	Filter or boil	Mainly desalinated and brackish; legally potable but most people drink bottled or filtered water.
Tenerife	Filter or boil	Treated and legally potable, but often brackish; most residents and visitors drink bottled or filtered water.
Gran Canaria	Filter or boil	Mostly desalinated and safe to drink, but salty-tasting; most residents and visitors drink bottled or filtered water.
Granada	Yes, drinkable	Excellent: comes from Sierra Nevada snowmelt, and locals drink it freely.
Costa del Sol	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe, though hard and often tasting strongly of chlorine. Many residents prefer filtered or bottled water.
Palma	Filter or boil	Treated and legally potable, but hard and often salty; most residents drink filtered or bottled water.
Las Palmas	Filter or boil	Desalinated and legally potable, but salty-tasting; most residents and visitors drink bottled or filtered water.
Lanzarote	Filter or boil	Desalinated and legally potable, but salty-tasting; most residents and visitors drink bottled or filtered water.
San Sebastián	Yes, drinkable	Excellent tap water from local reservoirs; locals drink it freely.
Bilbao	Yes, drinkable	Excellent: comes from mountain reservoirs and is safe to drink; locals drink it freely.
Alicante	Filter or boil	Safe to drink but hard and chlorinated, with a mineral taste; most residents buy bottled or filter it.
Fuerteventura	Filter or boil	Desalinated and legally potable, but salty-tasting; most residents and visitors drink bottled or filtered water.
Córdoba	Yes, drinkable	Safe and drunk by locals. Summer tap water can taste of chlorine; ask for 'agua del grifo' in bars.
Marbella	Yes, drinkable	Safe, but hard and chalky; many residents use filters or bottles. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants.
Menorca	Filter or boil	Tap water is safe but brackish and tastes salty in places; locals buy bottled water or use filters.
Cádiz	Yes, drinkable	Safe, though the taste is chlorinated and slightly salty; many locals drink bottled.
Toledo	Yes, drinkable	Safe nationwide. Toledo's tap water is hard, and some locals drink bottled.
Santiago de Compostela	Yes, drinkable	Soft, good-tasting and safe; Galicia's tap water is among Spain's best.
Benidorm	Yes, drinkable	Safe but heavily treated and chalky. Many residents buy bottled or filter it.
Costa Blanca	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe, but hard and sometimes salty near the coast. Many residents prefer filtered or bottled water.
Costa Brava	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe. Some coastal towns have hard or slightly salty water, so many residents drink bottled or filtered water.
Maspalomas	Filter or boil	Desalinated and safe, but salty and often chlorinated. Many residents and visitors buy bottled water.
Sitges	Yes, drinkable	Safe, though chalky; many residents use filters or bottled water.
Salamanca	Yes, drinkable	Safe and widely drunk. Taste is good and soft.
Girona	Yes, drinkable	Safe and drunk widely; taste varies but is generally good.
Tarifa	Yes, drinkable	Safe, though brackish in places; many residents and campsites use bottled or filtered water.
Ronda	Yes, drinkable	Safe and good-tasting spring water from the Serranía mountains.
Nerja	Yes, drinkable	Safe but hard and chalky; many residents use filters or buy bottled water.
Formentera	No, drink bottled	Island tap water is desalinated and salty; drink bottled or filtered water.
Torremolinos	Yes, drinkable	Safe, though hard and chalky. Many residents use filters or buy bottled water.
Murcia	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe but hard and chlorinated. Many residents drink filtered or bottled water.

Tap water by place

Sources

Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.