Does Vastu work in Spain?
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Spain as in India, so its guidance applies to a piso in Barcelona as much as to one in Bengaluru. Indian families have lived in Spain for generations, among them Sindhi trading families in Las Palmas, Tenerife and Ceuta. On the mainland the compass is within about 2° of true north (1° east in Madrid, 2° east in Barcelona); in the Canary Islands it swings the other way, about 3° west in Las Palmas. Spanish listings also describe a flat in a way that matters for Vastu: exterior or interior, and its orientación.
Piso exterior or interior, and its orientación
Spanish listings usually say whether a flat is exterior (its main rooms look onto the street) or interior (they look onto an inner courtyard or light well), and often give its orientación: sur (south), este (east) and so on. Both matter for a Vastu reading. Classical Vastu asks for the north and east of a home to be the most open and light, and the south and west heavier and more closed.
A flat whose main windows and balcony face north or east fits Vastu well; in Spain these are also the cooler sides in summer.
The sunniest flats in winter. The report suggests how to use those rooms, for example for bedrooms and storage, and leads with fixes inside the home.
An interior flat is read the same way, by the direction its windows face. What decides most of the score is inside: where the front door sits on its wall (its pada) and where the kitchen, the bedrooms and the bathrooms fall.
Spanish homes, read correctly
The report uses the names on your plan and reads them the way a home here is built:
Salón, salón-comedor, cocina, dormitorio, dormitorio principal, baño, aseo, recibidor, pasillo, trastero, lavadero, despacho, terraza and balcón are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, main bedroom, bathroom, toilet, entrance, hall, storage, laundry, study, terrace and balcony.
A full bathroom and a separate toilet are each scored by their direction. The north-east and the centre of the home are the places tradition avoids.
A storage room inside the flat is read as storage; a trastero in the basement is outside the flat's outline and need not be uploaded. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Terraces and balconies are read as outdoor areas, a tendedero (drying area) as a utility area. Traditionally best for terraces: North, North-East or East.
A penthouse with a terrace, or a duplex over two floors, is uploaded floor by floor. The main door is the one into your home.
A pooja room or a shrine shelf is read as a prayer space. Traditionally best: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
New to Vastu? What it is, in brief
Vastu Shastra is a traditional Indian system of architecture and home layout, set out in Sanskrit texts such as the Mayamata and the Manasara. It divides a home into eight directional zones around its centre and suggests which rooms and activities suit which zone. Many Indian families use it when they buy, build or arrange a home, and so do people of other backgrounds who are curious about how a home is laid out.
Kept the lightest and least cluttered part of the home; a good place for prayer or quiet.
The zone traditionally linked with Agni, fire, so it is the classical place for cooking.
Linked with weight and stability; tradition places the main bedroom and heavy storage here.
It is a cultural tradition, not a science, and it does not promise outcomes. VastuIQ shows what the classical texts recommend, measured accurately for your home and your city, and you decide what to do with it. Most of the report's fixes need no building work: they are about how rooms are used and arranged.
The Canary Islands
In the Canary Islands the compass correction runs the opposite way from the mainland: about 3° west in Las Palmas and 3° west in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The islands also lie much further south, so the midday sun is high: about 85° above the horizon in June and 38° in December, against 73° and 26° in Madrid. VastuIQ applies the exact figures for your island and town.
The comunidad de propietarios
Most flats in Spain belong to a comunidad de propietarios, whose statutes cover the façade, the balconies and the shared parts, and some works need a licence from the ayuntamiento. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes inside the home, marking anything structural as "If renovating". Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make yourself.
Compass vs true north in Spain
On the Spanish mainland a compass points between about 1° west (Galicia) and 2° east (Catalonia and the Balearics) of true north. In the Canary Islands it points about 3–3½° west. Your score uses the exact figure for your own city.
| City | Compass vs true north | Daylight, mid-winter to mid-summer |
|---|---|---|
| A Coruña, Galicia | 0.8° west | 9.0 – 15.4 h |
| Bilbao, Basque Country | 0.8° east | 9.0 – 15.4 h |
| Barcelona, Catalonia | 2.1° east | 9.2 – 15.2 h |
| Badalona, Catalonia | 2.1° east | 9.2 – 15.2 h |
| Zaragoza, Aragon | 1.4° east | 9.2 – 15.2 h |
| Madrid, Madrid | 0.7° east | 9.3 – 15.1 h |
| Valencia, Valencia | 1.5° east | 9.4 – 15.0 h |
| Alicante, Valencia | 1.5° east | 9.5 – 14.8 h |
| Palma, Balearic Islands | 2.2° east | 9.4 – 15.0 h |
| Murcia, Murcia | 1.3° east | 9.5 – 14.8 h |
| Seville, Andalusia | 0.1° east | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| Málaga, Andalusia | 0.5° east | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| Marbella, Andalusia | 0.3° east | 9.7 – 14.7 h |
| Ceuta, Ceuta | 0.2° east | 9.7 – 14.6 h |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands | 3.5° west | 10.3 – 14.0 h |
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands | 3.2° west | 10.4 – 13.9 h |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey) and NOAA solar equations. "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
Check one home, or compare your shortlist
- Score out of 100 and its band
- Your top three issues
- True north correction for your city
- Every room scored, with no-cost and low-cost fixes
- Your floor plans with the zones at true north
- Centre, front door and pada
- Action plan, 90-day plan and checklist
- Two or three homes side by side
- Which home fits Vastu best, and why
- Plus the full report for the home you choose
Prices are charged in US dollars and your bank converts them; local amounts are a guide.
Vastu in Spain: questions people ask
Does Vastu work in Spain?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Spain as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Spanish piso or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the plano and reading Spanish rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Is a piso interior bad for Vastu?
No. An interior flat is read by the direction its windows face, like any other. It may get less light, so the report suggests keeping the north-east part of the flat the brightest and least cluttered.
Can I upload a Spanish plan from Idealista or a developer?
Yes. Save the plano image or PDF and upload it. Spanish room names are understood, and listing plans often have no north arrow: turn the arrow on screen to match the building on a map.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Spain?
On the mainland only a little: about 1° east in Madrid, 2° east in Barcelona, 0° east in Seville and 1° west in A Coruña. In the Canary Islands about 3° west in Las Palmas and 3° west in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
Is a south-facing flat good for Vastu?
Tradition prefers the north and east open and light, so a flat open only to the south is not the classical ideal, but it can still score well. The front door's position and the placement of the rooms matter more than the orientación alone.
Can I compare flats before signing an arras contract?
Yes. Use Compare 2–3 homes: the side-by-side comparison is free, and Home Buyer Compare (US$79, about €70) adds a PDF that ranks the homes and includes the full report for the one you choose.
Vastu for homes in other countries
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 20 October 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.