If you travel on your own, the honest answer to "what does a solo holiday cost?" is usually buried under supplements and surprise bills. So here's a plain breakdown of a hosted week at Casa Agara in Cantabria: what your money covers, and, just as importantly, what it doesn't.

You're in good company wanting this clarity. ABTA's Holiday Habits research found around 19% of British holidaymakers took a solo trip in the past year — a record, and growing fastest among the under-45s. With ONS reporting about 8.4 million people living alone in the UK in 2024, heading off on your own has stopped being unusual. It shouldn't cost you a premium either.

What are you actually paying for?

Your per-person price for a scheduled week covers your place in the house and half board. That means a bedroom in an 18th-century casona in Fresneda de Cabuérniga, in the green Cabuérniga valley — Green Spain, inside the Saja-Besaya nature reserve, a world away from the crowded Costas. Then breakfast every morning and a home-cooked dinner every evening, much of it from the garden. Many of these weeks run with Spice Escapes, a UK operator (ATOL 9046 covers their flight-inclusive packages), so one booking can tie together your flights, transfers and the week itself.

What's included that usually costs extra?

The drinks. This is the part people don't quite believe: the house wine, beer and spirits are poured all day, on the house. There's no bar tab building up in the background, no rounds to keep track of, no end-of-week reckoning that undoes the relaxed feeling. Rob, María and Chispa the house dog run the place as a home rather than a hotel, so a glass of wine before dinner isn't a line item. It's just part of the day.

Do you pay a single supplement?

Not a forced one — and since solo pricing usually stings right here, it's worth being precise. You won't be charged a compulsory supplement simply for travelling alone. Instead, you choose. You can twin-share: Spice will match you with a same-sex room-mate at no extra charge, and if they can't find you a match, they cover the room supplement themselves. Or, if you'd rather have a room entirely to yourself, you can take one for an optional supplement. It's your call, not a penalty for coming alone. Your hosts confirm the exact terms and figures for the week you're looking at.

What don't you pay for once you're here?

A good deal of what makes the week is free. Walking starts at the door — miles of the Saja-Besaya reserve with nothing to book or pay for. The Picos de Europa are about an hour away for their fringes and viewpoints if you fancy a bigger day out. The wild Atlantic beaches are around 40 minutes off, and the surf there is genuinely beginner-friendly, whatever your age. None of that carries an entry fee.

What might you spend on top?

Some things sit outside the price, and it's fair to know them upfront. If you'd like to add riding, cycling, a yoga session, a painting day or a spot of fishing, those are arranged to suit you. Culture days cost what you choose to spend: Santillana del Mar is about 20 minutes away, Comillas has Gaudí's El Capricho, and the Altamira caves — where visitors see the Neocueva replica — must be booked ahead. Getting here is straightforward, with Santander airport about an hour away and direct UK flights from Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh. Beyond that, it's the usual small change of a holiday: a coffee in the village, a souvenir, the odd taxi — and little more, because your meals and drinks are already handled.

How do you get an exact figure?

Prices shift by week and by how you'd like to travel, so the sensible thing is to ask rather than guess. Tell your hosts the dates you're eyeing and whether you'd twin-share or take your own room, and they'll give you the real number for that week — no compulsory single supplement lurking in the small print, and no drinks bill waiting at the end.

That's the whole picture: a room, your food, your drinks, and country walks straight from the door. If you'd like the honest version for your own dates, come and say hello and we'll break it down for you.