These are the tourist scams Trzly has documented across Spanje, grouped by destination. Each one is real, with a clear way to stay safe. Read before you land.
Hoe het werkt: Skilled pickpockets work the crowds on La Rambla, the metro, the Boqueria market and busy squares, using bumps, distractions and teamwork to lift phones and wallets.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep valuables in a zipped inside pocket or a bag worn across your front. Do not keep a phone or wallet in a back pocket, and be extra alert in dense crowds and on the metro.
Hoe het werkt: Someone 'accidentally' spills a drink, sauce or bird droppings on you, then helpfully offers to clean it up while an accomplice picks your pocket during the fuss.
Hoe het te vermijden: Politely refuse help, keep your bag closed and your hands on your valuables, and step away to clean yourself. Treat any sudden mess and eager helper as a warning.
Hoe het werkt: On tourist streets, a man runs a fast shell or cup guessing game with planted 'winners' in the crowd to lure bets. The game is rigged and you will always lose your money.
Hoe het te vermijden: Never play or bet. These games are always fixed and often paired with pickpockets working the gathered crowd. Simply walk on and keep your wallet secure.
Hoe het werkt: Restaurants near the main sights add unrequested bread, tapas or a heavy cover charge, or use a menu with no clear prices, producing an inflated bill.
Hoe het te vermijden: Only sit where prices and any cover charge are printed clearly. Refuse items you did not order, confirm the cost of anything placed on the table, and ask for an itemised bill.
Hoe het werkt: Someone presses a sprig of rosemary or a flower into your hand as a 'gift' or asks you to sign a petition, then demands money or distracts you for a pickpocket.
Hoe het te vermijden: Do not accept anything handed to you and keep walking. Keep your hands to yourself and your bag closed while strangers approach you near busy sights.
Hoe het werkt: Because official Alhambra tickets are capped and often sold out, resellers and websites offer 'guaranteed' entry at inflated prices, sometimes for the wrong time slot or with invalid tickets that fail at the gate.
Hoe het te vermijden: Book only through the official Alhambra site or app well in advance, and carry the ID used for the booking. Avoid third-party resellers and anyone selling tickets outside the entrance, and double-check your Nasrid Palaces time.
Hoe het werkt: Near the cathedral, the Alhambra approach and the San Nicolas viewpoint, a woman presses a sprig of rosemary into your hand as a 'gift', reads your palm, then aggressively demands several euros and may curse or make a scene if you refuse.
Hoe het te vermijden: Do not accept the rosemary or let anyone take your hand, keep walking with a firm no thank you, and hold your bag closed, as the distraction can cover a pickpocket working with them.
Hoe het werkt: Street touts in Sacromonte and the centre promote flamenco shows at a vague price, then add compulsory drinks, transport or a much higher door charge once you arrive at the cave.
Hoe het te vermijden: Book a reputable venue in advance with the full price in writing, and confirm exactly what is included. Decline street sellers pushing a last-minute 'special', however friendly.
Hoe het werkt: Around the Alhambra and Albaicin, someone may offer to 'guide' you or show a secret viewpoint, then demand a steep fee, or sell a tour that skips what you actually wanted to see.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use only licensed guides, who carry official ID, or a booked tour, and agree any price clearly before starting. A polite, firm no is enough to move on.
Hoe het werkt: A few tourist-facing bars near the main sights charge for tapas that should be free, add an unrequested cover or bread charge, or bring pricier dishes you did not order.
Hoe het te vermijden: Drink where locals do, one street back from the monuments, check whether tapas are included when you order, and glance over the bill. Genuine free-tapas bars are the norm, not the exception.
Hoe het werkt: Restaurants beside the main squares lure you with photo menus and touts, then serve mediocre food at inflated prices, add a cover charge, or bring unrequested extras to the bill.
Hoe het te vermijden: Choose places with printed prices and mostly local diners, one or two streets back from the plaza. Confirm any cover charge and refuse dishes you did not order.
Hoe het werkt: Teams work the crowded Metro, the Sol and Gran Via areas and busy squares, distracting you or crushing close on packed platforms while an accomplice lifts your wallet or phone.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep bags zipped and in front of you, carry your phone and wallet in a front pocket, and stay alert when a carriage or platform suddenly gets crowded around you.
Hoe het werkt: People posing as plain-clothes police stop you, claim there is a problem with counterfeit money in the area, and ask to inspect your wallet or passport, then palm cash or cards.
Hoe het te vermijden: Real officers in Spain do not check tourists' cash in the street. Decline to hand over your wallet, ask for uniformed police, and offer to walk to a police station.
Hoe het werkt: Someone, often near Sol or a museum, pushes a clipboard petition at you to sign for a 'good cause', crowding you while an accomplice picks your pocket or they demand a donation.
Hoe het te vermijden: Do not stop or engage. Keep your hands on your bag, say no firmly and walk on. Legitimate charities do not surround tourists at busy sights.
Hoe het werkt: A friendly woman, often near the cathedral or busy tourist streets, presses a sprig of rosemary into your hand as a 'gift' or offers to read your fortune, then aggressively demands money and may distract you while an accomplice picks your pocket.
Hoe het te vermijden: Do not accept the rosemary or let anyone put it in your hand; keep your hands to yourself, say a firm no and keep walking. Be aware these sellers often work in pairs, one distracting while the other targets your bag.
Hoe het werkt: Petty theft is the most common issue for visitors, concentrated on packed streets like Calle Larios, around the cathedral and market, on busy buses and at the beach, where thieves work distractions and crowds to lift phones and wallets.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep bags zipped and worn in front, carry your phone and wallet in a front pocket, and never leave belongings unattended on the beach or on a cafe table. Stay especially alert in crowds and during festivals.
Hoe het werkt: Some tourist-facing beach restaurants sell fish and seafood by weight without clearly stating the price, then present a surprisingly large bill, or add unrequested extras and cover charges to the table.
Hoe het te vermijden: Ask the price per portion or per kilo before ordering, confirm what any 'market price' fish will actually cost, and check the menu for cover and bread charges. Busy places full of locals are usually the safest bet.
Hoe het werkt: Unofficial drivers may approach arrivals inside the terminal offering a 'taxi', then charge well above the regulated fare, or a licensed driver may quote a high flat price instead of the official airport tariff.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use only the official taxi rank outside arrivals, ask for the regulated airport fare, and never follow a driver who approaches you inside the building. The C1 train and Line A bus are far cheaper alternatives.
Hoe het werkt: A person with a clipboard, often claiming to collect for a charity, asks you to sign a petition and donate. While your attention is on the paper, an accomplice may go through your bag or pockets.
Hoe het te vermijden: Decline politely and keep moving without stopping to read or sign anything. Keep your bag closed and valuables secure whenever a group approaches you near the main sights.
Hoe het werkt: Near the cathedral, the Alcazar and Plaza de Espana, women press a sprig of rosemary into your hand as a 'gift' and offer to read your palm, then aggressively demand money and make a scene if you refuse.
Hoe het te vermijden: Do not accept anything placed in your hand and keep both hands to yourself. Keep walking, do not engage, and be aware an accomplice may try to pickpocket you during the fuss.
Hoe het werkt: Skilled pickpockets work the cathedral queues, the lanes of Santa Cruz, Plaza de Espana, the Setas and public transport, using bumps and distractions to lift phones and wallets.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep valuables in a zipped inside pocket or a bag worn across your front, never in a back pocket. Stay especially alert in dense crowds, at viewpoints and while boarding transport.
Hoe het werkt: Someone 'finds' a gold ring or drops coins at your feet and tries to hand it to you or get you to help, distracting you while an accomplice reaches for your bag or pocket.
Hoe het te vermijden: Ignore the object, do not take it, and keep moving. Treat any stranger who suddenly involves you in a small drama as a warning to guard your belongings.
Hoe het werkt: Restaurants right by the main sights add unrequested bread, olives or tapas, or a heavy cover charge, or use menus with no clear prices, producing an inflated bill.
Hoe het te vermijden: Only sit where prices and any cover charge are printed clearly. Refuse items you did not order, confirm the cost of anything placed on the table, and ask for an itemised bill.
Hoe het werkt: The horse-drawn carriages near the cathedral and Plaza de Espana sometimes quote a vague price and then charge far more, or shorten the promised route.
Hoe het te vermijden: Agree the full price and the route before getting in, ideally against the official posted tariff. Confirm whether the price is per carriage or per person to avoid a surprise at the end.
Hoe het werkt: People, sometimes pretending to be deaf, ask you to sign an official-looking petition or charity list, often in English, to distract you while an accomplice picks your pocket or pressures you for a donation.
Hoe het te vermijden: Do not stop, sign anything or engage. Keep walking, keep your bag closed and your hands on your valuables, and treat any clipboard approach in a tourist area as a distraction.
Hoe het werkt: Pickpockets work the crowds at the Central Market, the old town, on the metro and along the beach, using bumps and distractions to lift phones and wallets, and taking bags left on the sand while people swim.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep valuables in a zipped inside pocket or a front-worn bag, and never leave belongings unattended on the beach. Stay alert in the busy market and on transport, especially during festivals.
Hoe het werkt: Someone 'accidentally' spills a drink, sauce or bird droppings on you, then helpfully offers to clean it up while an accomplice picks your pocket during the confusion.
Hoe het te vermijden: Politely refuse help, keep your bag closed and your hands on your valuables, and step away to clean yourself. Treat any sudden mess and eager helper as a warning.
Hoe het werkt: Restaurants near the main sights and beach serve pre-made or frozen 'paella' at inflated prices, or add heavy cover charges and unrequested extras, trading on the dish's fame.
Hoe het te vermijden: Choose places that cook paella to order (it takes 20-30 minutes) and price it per person. Check the menu for cover charges, and prefer restaurants a little away from the busiest tourist strips.
Hoe het werkt: Touts inside the airport may offer a 'taxi' at a negotiated price well above the official flat fare, or drivers may skip the meter and flat tariff for a made-up figure.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use only the official taxi rank outside, and confirm the set flat fare to the central zone before setting off. Ignore anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride.