Solo Holiday in Spain? Great Company at Dinner Every Night

The boots are lined up by the door, still damp from the river path. Somebody has lit the fire in the sitting room, a tray of tapas is going round and the cava is open. Across the room, two people who met on this morning's walk are arguing cheerfully about whose photo of the griffon vulture is better. In half an hour dinner will be on the table, and the whole house will sit down to eat together.

That is an evening on a hosted week at Casa Agara, and it answers one of the best questions a solo traveller can ask: where in Spain can I travel on my own and have great company at dinner every single night?

Solo travel, with a crowd built in

Solo travel is mainstream now. ABTA's Holiday Habits survey for 2025-26 found that 19% of UK holidaymakers took a solo holiday in the last year, the highest figure this decade, and 76% of them stayed within Europe. The brilliant bit is pairing that freedom with people to share it.

A hotel, however lovely, gives you a room and leaves the evening up to you. A hosted house plans the whole week around company. At Casa Agara, an 18th-century stone casona in Fresneda de Cabuérniga, inside the Saja-Besaya reserve in Cantabria and about an hour from Santander, everyone staying on the week eats together. Chispa the house dog does the greeting, and by the second evening the strangers have become a crowd.

Days that give you plenty to talk about

The best dinner conversation starts with a good day out, and the scheduled weeks are built around one:

• Walking. On the Cantabrian Walking Week, the group heads out into the reserve and along the coast with a picnic in every rucksack.
• Painting. The Spanish Drawing and Painting Break comes with tuition, so you spend the days drawing and painting around the valley and come back with a sketchbook full of it.
• Fitness. Thrive Fitness Coaching ran a fitness week here in September 2026, one of 10 group weeks the house has hosted since 2023.

Beyond the scheduled programme, the valley has quiet mountain roads and big climbs for road cyclists, horse riding on mountain trails and beaches, and the surf under an hour away. Minibus transport during the week is included, and optional excursions are paid as extras.

What is on the table

Every meal is included: breakfast, a light lunch (a picnic if the day is a walk) and a home-cooked dinner every day, made with vegetables from the house's own kitchen garden. Tea, coffee and local spring water are there all day. Dinner changes nightly. One week's menu ran from tapas and cava round the fire to roasted salmon, a curry night with chicken masala and spinach curry, and grilled sardines with slow-cooked pork belly to finish. Solo guests get exactly the same welcome and the same plate as everyone else.

The bar is free: house wine, beer and spirits, with a charge only for premium bottles. Nobody is doing sums over a second glass, so the evening rolls on as long as the stories do.

Fully catered, then, but not all-inclusive: flights (an add-on on some weeks), travel insurance, optional excursions, premium spirits and lunch out at a restaurant are extra. For more on the food, see the food of Cantabria.

Coming on your own

There is no forced single supplement. Solo guests twin-share with someone of the same sex at no extra cost, or take a room of their own as an optional extra. Couples and friends book the same weeks and join in on everything, so the mix is always sociable. If you like the sound of the evenings, read why the dinner table makes a solo holiday.

Bring your club

Lead a walking club, cycling club, riding group or yoga retreat? Casa Agara has 12 bedrooms for up to 24 guests, firelit sitting rooms and an open hall for yoga and practice. Enquire about bringing your group and Rob replies personally with dates and how a week could work.

Questions people ask

Will I eat with the other guests every night?

Yes, and it is one of the highlights of the week. Dinner is home-cooked and shared, with the free bar open. If you fancy a quieter moment, there are firelit sitting rooms and a garden too.

Is there really no single supplement?

Correct. Solo guests twin-share at no extra charge, matched with someone of the same sex, or choose a room of their own as an optional extra.

Is this an all-inclusive resort?

No. Breakfast, a light lunch and dinner are included every day, plus the free bar. Flights, insurance, optional excursions and any lunch you choose to have at a restaurant are extra.

How do I book a week?

Every scheduled week at Casa Agara is booked through Spice Escapes, our exclusive booking partner (ATOL 9046). They can help with rooms, room-sharing and flights where a week offers them.

Pull up a chair

Pick a week on the scheduled holidays page and come and find out how good dinner tastes after a day in the Cantabrian hills. If you lead a group, enquire about bringing it and fill the house with your own crowd.