Abandoned hotels in Spain are the most melancholically luxurious type of urbex — buildings built for pleasure and rest that time, bankruptcy, or changes in the tourism model have left silent with empty pools, double-height lobbies with hanging lamps, and gardens in progressive neglect. The Hotel Stella Canaris in Fuerteventura, the largest abandoned tourist complex in the Canary Islands, which went bankrupt in 2013 leaving the palms in its park to die of thirst; La Puda de Montserrat in Barcelona, the spa from 1870 with the 1924 elevator still in its iron cage; Villa Excélsior in Luarca, the 1912 Indian palace with the green tile dome. Discover the 5 best abandoned hotels in Spain, selected from our Urbex Spain Map — 600+ GPS locations across Spain.
Why Abandoned Hotels Are the Most Photogenic Urbex in Spain
Abandoned hotels and spas have a scale and construction quality that sets them apart from domestic or industrial abandonment — they were built to impress their guests, and that original architectural ambition means that even in ruins they have a grandeur that more modest spaces cannot match. The fall from luxury to abandonment is the most photogenically powerful contrast in Spanish urbex.
1. Hotel Stella Canaris – Fuerteventura — The Largest Abandoned Tourist Complex in the Canary Islands, Closed in 2013, Empty Pools, Dead Palms (Known Location)
The Hotel Stella Canaris in Fuerteventura is the most photogenically powerful tourist abandonment in the Canary Islands — a huge complex that after a decade of splendor went bankrupt in 2013, leaving hundreds of workers unpaid and the largest palm park in Fuerteventura to die of thirst. The empty pools, neglected gardens, and dead palms create a scene of collapsed luxury that urbex photographers from all over Europe have documented since its closure. A slide box found inside inspired the photographic project "Territory" by photographer Cristian Barros. Private property — photography from the outside. Documented by Yorokobu as the most emblematic "urban planning blunder" of Fuerteventura.
🔗 Source: Yorokobu – The Urban Planning Disaster of Fuerteventura
2. La Puda de Montserrat – Esparreguera, Barcelona — Thermal Spa Opened in 1870, Closed in 1958 Due to Llobregat Floods, 1924 Elevator Still in Its Shaft (Known Place)
La Puda de Montserrat in Esparreguera is the most cinematic abandoned spa-hotel in Catalonia — opened in 1870 at the foot of Montserrat, closed in 1958 after the Llobregat floods, and declared a Cultural Asset without restoration. The 1924 elevator still in its iron shaft inside the ruins is one of the most time-laden objects in Spanish urbex — a century-old technology trapped in a century-and-a-half-old architecture, in the Montserrat landscape. The contrast between the spa grandeur of 1870 and the current abandonment is one of the most photogenically extraordinary in Spain’s hotel urbex. Documented by the Catalan urbex community as a reference for spa abandonment in Catalonia.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Must-See Abandoned Sites in Spain →
3. Villa Excélsior – Luarca, Asturias — Indian Palace from 1912 with Green Tile Dome, Garden with Trees from Around the World, Abandoned Since the 1930s (Known Place)
Villa Excélsior in Luarca is the most extraordinary Indian palace on the Asturian coast — commissioned in 1912 with a project by architect Manuel del Busto for Manuel Méndez de Andés, nephew of an Asturian who became wealthy in Argentina, featuring a tower with a dome covered in green tiles as its most recognizable element. The garden was designed with trees brought from all over the world — palm trees, cedars, cypresses, lindens — now completely overrun by unpruned vegetation. Manuel died on the ship returning from Argentina in 1931, and the villa fell into decline; although it was not a hotel in the strict sense, it was designed as a grand representative residence with the ambition to host guests. Today, its state of abandonment amid the unpruned Atlantic vegetation is one of the most photogenically powerful in the northern peninsula. Documented as a reference of Indian abandonment on the Asturian coast.
🔗 Source: Abandoned Spain – Urbex Spain Community
4. La Magdalena Spa – Solares, Cantabria — 19th Century Luxury Thermal Center, Marble Bathtubs, Large Halls, Check Current Status (Known Location — Verify Status)
The La Magdalena Spa in Solares was one of Cantabria’s most luxurious thermal centers — opened in the late 19th century and closed several decades ago, the building has been in progressive ruin with its large halls, marble bathtubs, and deteriorated columns as testimony to its past splendor. Important note: the current state of this spa may have changed — before planning a visit, check the actual condition of the building, as some northern mainland spas have undergone partial rehabilitation projects in recent years. Our Spain Urbex Map includes the updated status of each spot so you never get a surprise upon arrival.
5. Abandoned Monumental Hotel – Lanzarote Coast — 1980s Complex, Double-Height Lobby, Pools with Blue Bottom, Indoor Garden Palms (Off the Radar — Only on Our Map)
A large-scale 1980s hotel on the coast of Lanzarote — the double-height lobby with indoor garden palm trees growing uncontrollably up to the broken glass ceiling, the pools with bright blue painted bottoms still visible under the volcanic dust layer, and the tropical gardens completely overtaken by vegetation in the black lava landscape. The 1980s hotels in the Canary Islands were so large and expensive to maintain that bankruptcy or a shift in the tourism market could condemn them to permanent abandonment. The combination of the building’s decay and Lanzarote’s volcanic landscape creates an atmosphere that no abandoned mainland hotel can replicate. Find it on our map — with access rating and status report.
Safety Tips
- Empty pools: pools without water have drops up to 2 meters without warning — never walk on the edge of an empty pool in the dark or approach without a headlamp
- Tropical gardens: the untrimmed vegetation of abandoned hotels can hide pits, manholes, and irrigation system elements — always watch the ground before stepping into tall vegetation
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location
The urbex code: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most famous abandoned hotel in Spain?
The Hotel Stella Canaris in Fuerteventura — the largest abandoned tourist complex in the Canary Islands, closed in 2013 with hundreds of workers unpaid and the island’s largest palm park dying of thirst. Its scale and bankruptcy story make it the most powerful symbol of abandoned mass tourism in Spain.
Why are there abandoned spas in Spain?
Spanish spas experienced their golden age between the late 19th century and the 1930s — the industrial bourgeoisie of Bilbao, Barcelona, and Madrid discovered thermal tourism as a form of leisure and health. The Civil War halted many projects; those that survived faced decades of decline as cars and coastal tourism replaced thermal vacations. Those without viable rehabilitation projects have been abandoned for decades amid Cantabrian moss or Mediterranean vegetation.
What is La Puda de Montserrat and why does it have a 1924 elevator?
La Puda de Montserrat was a thermal spa opened in 1870 at the foot of the Montserrat massif, taking advantage of the sulfurous waters of the Llobregat River. In its heyday, it was one of the most popular spas in Catalonia. The 1924 elevator was installed to facilitate guest access between the different levels of the complex. The 1958 Llobregat floods severely damaged the facilities, and the spa closed permanently that year — with the elevator still in its shaft, where it remains today.
🎯 Summary
The best abandoned hotels in Spain range from the Stella Canaris with its dead palm trees in Fuerteventura to the 1924 elevator trapped in La Puda de Montserrat and the green-tiled dome of Villa Excélsior in Luarca. Each holds the story of a luxury that time, bankruptcy, or war left silent. Find them all — and 600 more — on our Urbex Spain Map.
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