6 important lessons for first time Black female solo travelers

I used to think of solo travelers as white backpackers traveling around Thailand. For years, I had never heard of, let alone seen, Black women traveling alone for fun, and that's part of the problem.

As a Black girl growing up with limited representation and exposure to Black female solo travelers, I could never imagine myself taking up solo travel. Before social media, solo travelers like Jessica Nabongo (the first Black woman to visit every country on earth) or Gloria Atanmo, the blogger behind the blog abroad were non-existent.

But as you might have guessed from the title of this blog, a few weeks ago I found the courage to go on my first solo trip. My main purpose was to spend some time alone and I felt that it was the perfect time to overcome my fear of solo travel.

If you're still reading, you may also be contemplating the idea of taking the plunge yourself. That’s what this article is all about, sharing my first, albeit limited, experience as a Black female solo traveler. By the end of it, I hope I'd have convinced you to begin planning your next trip.

Best places to solo travel as a black woman

When traveling alone as a Black woman is important to pick a place that’s known for being safe. In general, Spain is considered to be a safe place to visit. In fact, Spain ranks as one of the top 10% of the safest countries in the world.

Also read: How Seville-based former Londoner turned flamenco dancer

How to plan your first solo trips

As a first-time Black female solo traveler, I had little experience and knowledge. Because of this, I had to learn some of the following tips on the go:

Choosing a destination carefully is essential

It's no secret that there are a lot of guides on the best places to travel solo as a Black woman, but as a first-timer, I would recommend that you start out by looking for a place that has good transportation, especially if you don't have a car. Traveling alone can already be overwhelming without having to worry about transportation.

Then, depending on your location, I would always recommend dipping your toe in a city that isn't on the other side of the world. Because I was only a 2-hour flight away from home, proximity made me feel more at ease and made the whole experience a lot less stressful.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, make sure you read up on how safe the place you are visiting is for foreigners and women.

Book hostels over hotels

Having never stayed in a hostel before this trip, I never knew I would ever say this in my life. In fact, I am quite confident that without hostels I would not have had such a great experience. Hostels made it easier for me to meet new people and participate in group activities such as free city tours and evening dinners. Many of my best experiences have been organized by hostels where I stayed, like my hike in Granada.

However, if I could do anything differently, I would always check if hostels have women-only rooms. The majority of the time I ended up in mixed rooms, which was okay, except for that one time when that random guy literally walked around in the room semi-naked - I'll spare you the details!

In order to avoid this, never book more than two nights at any hostel. If you like the hostel, you can extend your stay or move on to another if needs be. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than being stuck somewhere you don’t feel 100% comfortable.

Where to stay in Seville, Granada, and Malaga

El Granado Hostel in Granada is a great option. The hostel is well-located and offers a lot of shared spaces where you get to know people easily. They even have a Whatsapp group where they share daily activities with all the guests. When booking a hostel make sure they offer these types of amenities as this will make your stay even better.

Here is a full list of all the hostels where I stayed during my trip:

Seville: The Spot Central Hostel - This was OK, the hostel is well located, although the street is very busy and noisy. The rooms were basic, with very little privacy. I was in a mixed room with 3 beds. (I heard from many people that La Banda Rooftop hostel in Seville was amazing, I couldn´t book it as it was fully booked but I would recommend it based on what I was told)
Granada: El Granado - This was the best hostel by far. Amazing vibe, great people, loads of activities, well located, and clean. Cozy rooms with bunk beds, curtains for privacy, and lockers in the room. I was in a mixed room with 4 beds.
Malaga: The Urban Jungle - Clean, located right in the city center, the rooms were the best out of all the hostels I have been to. I was in a mixed room with 4 beds and we had our own bathroom. The only downside is that because I went in November, it rained a lot so I couldn´t really enjoy their rooftop which was the only communal space they had other than the reception. Plus the rooftop closed very early at 11 pm when it other hostels it was open much longer.

Having a plan is important, but overplanning isn't

It's great to have a rough plan for your first solo trip. Nobody wants to arrive in a new country unsure of what to do. Still, it's important to leave some room for spontaneity. As soon as you arrive in the country and start meeting people, things will change. Maybe you want to participate in an activity with a group instead of alone, or maybe you prefer to visit a place on a different day because of the weather. Whenever possible, try not to book too many things in advance and leave yourself some wiggle room.

Pre-book selected activities

While overplanning is overkill, if there are specific activities you want to do, you should book them up to a week in advance. Because of this, I missed out on some of the most amazing hikes, El Caminito del Rey in Malaga, so don´t make the same mistake as me.

Don't overpack

It doesn't mean you have to bring a backpack. But, as a general rule of thumb, don't burden yourself with too many things, since this will just make it harder to move around. Although traveling light isn't my forte, after changing cities 4 times in 8 days, I wish I hadn't brought this extra pair of shoes (which, by the way, I never wore).

Choose car sharing over trains

At first, I traveled around Andalusia by train just because it was cheap and quite fast. By the end of my trip, I had switched to BlaBlacar and it made a huge difference. Nothing beats a 3-hour car sharing trip for meeting new people.

6 FOR TRAVELING SOLO AS A BLACK WOMAN: 6 important lessons

You don't have to be a backpacker to travel alone

Since I was a teenager I thought solo travelers were restricted to white backpackers. My trip taught me that solo travel is not only for everyone, but that most people aren't even backpackers (the irony). Although there are fewer Black female solo travelers, that does not mean we can't get a seat at the table. As a community, we tend to overlook our own needs and deprioritize self-care, and solo travel is a great opportunity to do just that.

2. It's okay to be the only PoC

In most places where you travel, you will probably be the only Black female solo traveler. This was the case during my trip to Andalusia. Although this wasn’t an entirely new experience to me as I am used to navigating in a world where I am the only or first Black woman. The difference this time is that I didn't let it phase me. Instead of focusing on my differences, I chose to see them as my strengths.

Also read: The Black in Spain series to hear more stories of Black women living in Spain

3. Differentiate between hostility and curiosity

In most places I stayed in Andalusia, I was the only Black solo traveler. On occasion, strangers stared at me awkwardly, or people asked me intrusive questions about my origins.

In spite of how annoying it can sometimes get, I choose to look at it as curiosity rather than hostility. Unless someone clearly picked on me, which didn't happen on this trip, I allowed myself to not be bothered by the extra unsolicited attention.

4. Try to keep an open mind

Before traveling alone, I was very nervous about the possibility of facing racism or even xenophobia. My body was literally in flight or fight mode.

Throughout my trip, I was pleasantly surprised by people's sense of hospitality and openness. As a Black woman, I think it's normal to keep your guard up, especially when traveling alone, but in this case, most of my fears proved unfounded. Even though I am fully aware that my experience does not represent everyone's, it was great to be proven wrong.

5. Be your own cheerleader

I'm the kind of person who feeds off other people's energy. Traveling alone allowed me to be my own cheerleader. Several times I had to push myself to initiate a conversation with a stranger or do something I had never done before. Solo travel really opened my eyes to the importance of positive self-talk and affirmations.

6. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone

Last but not least, as a Black woman, I learned the importance of not setting a boundary for myself. My life has been filled with times when I have convinced myself something was not for me just because it didn´t seem accessible. Solo travel was one thing I thought was meant for other people and not for me. Stepping out of my comfort zone and actually trying it proved that I couldn't have been more wrong.

Despite only staying for 8 days, my fear of traveling alone quickly disappeared and I was even surprised at how quickly I adapted to my new surroundings. The feeling of freedom and independence I experienced while traveling alone was amazing. I found meeting people without being bound by them to be a novelty and by far one of the best parts of traveling alone.

It's unsettling at first, you'll probably be the only Black female solo traveler, some people might stare, and others might ask annoying questions, but don't let this deter you because it's really worth it.