In Partnership With
It’s pretty common to begin your travel planning by choosing a destination. But what if you started by picking a language first instead?
Whether you want to dust off those half-forgotten phrases you haven’t used in years since school or nail down a new language from scratch, Spanish is a smart choice.
There are nearly 500 million native speakers of this global language on the planet. With so many Spanish-speaking countries worldwide, the decision of where to seek a language immersion experience may be a tough one. Yet that’s only because your travel options are far from being limited to Barcelona, Madrid or Tenerife exclusively.
Learn Spanish on the go for free, track your progress with Duolingo Plus and see where it gets you next time!
Where to learn Spanish abroad (other than Spain)?
- For a real melting-pot experience: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- To master your gourmet vocabulary: Cancun, Mexico
- For nature lovers and eco enthusiasts: Costa Rica
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The capital of Argentina is known worldwide for its vibrant, cosmopolitan culture. If you wish to immerse yourself in it, be aware that the porteño accent and way of speaking is the essential elements of living in Buenos Aires. Meaning, the faster you can move from your yo me llamo to a sho me shamo the more authentic experience you’ll get.
The ‘Paris of South America’ has indeed many enthralling stories to tell. To hear them, stroll down the colourful El Caminito road and pay your respects to Evita at Cementerio de la Recoleta. Get all cultured at the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) and haggle like your old man at San Telmo market.
And don’t forget to treat yourself to a café con leche at the legendary Café La Biela, where Borges and Casares, the famous Argentinian writers, used to hang out.
Cancun, Mexico
If you’re after devouring Spanish in Latin America’s undisputed capital of comida (“food”), jumping on a long-haul flight to Mexico will definitely pay off. We’d recommend heading straight to Cancun as this Mexican resort city is famous for its relaxed atmosphere.
Cancun is home to a variety of attractions ranging from history and culture to thrilling adventures and, of course, beautiful beaches that leave travellers deeply enchanted.
It also offers a bite of the best Mexican cuisine in the cosy restaurants throughout the city. Make sure to check out Marbella Fish Market & Raw Bar Grill and La Playita Restaurante Bar Cancún — those are the locals’ favourites.
While summer temperatures in Cancun can easily soar up to 32°C, you are always free to cool off with a dip in the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea or with a frozen margarita.
Costa Rica
A very few countries around the globe can compete with Costa Rica in terms of observing the unique wildlife in its natural habitat.
Costa Rica boasts miles of idyllic beaches on both coasts as well as misty cloud forests pierced by breathtaking zip lines. With such a wealth of extracurricular activities and the world’s finest biodiversity, you might find it hard to focus on your Spanish studies here. But that’s exactly when Duolingo’s bite-sized lessons come in handier than ever!
Learning Spanish with Duolingo and Skyscanner FAQ
Yes, it does. A study has shown that 34 hours of Duolingo are equal to 1 university semester of language courses. Duolingo is scientifically proven to be effective, whether you’re a beginner learning the basics or a more advanced language lover looking to improve your skills while travelling.
Duolingo’s free game-like lessons fully adapt to your learning style and help you stay motivated by earning virtual coins and unlocking new levels. You can achieve your Spanish goals a few minutes at a time.
If you are planning to learn Spanish, or have already nailed down some of the basics, then there are tons of spectacular travel destinations for putting your Español to the test.
Here is a list of Spanish-speaking countries (with the cheapest flight options found on Skyscanner):
1. Mexico — flights from £365 return
2. Colombia — flights from £371 return
3. Spain — flights from £12 return
4. Argentina — flights from £421 return
5. Perú — flights from £399 return
6. Venezuela — flights from £430 return
7. Chile — flights from £442 return
8. Guatemala — flights from £326 return
9. Ecuador — flights from £410 return
10. Bolivia — flights from £492 return
11. Cuba — flights from £322 return
12. Dominican Republic — flights from £309 return
13. Honduras — flights from £352 return
14. Paraguay — flights from £492 return
15. El Salvador — flights from £426 return
16. Nicaragua — flights from £389 return
17. Costa Rica — flights from £348 return
18. Panama — flights from £357 return
19. Uruguay — flights from £476 return
20. Puerto Rico — flights from £414 return
21. Equatorial Guinea — flights from £474 return
Spanish is also commonly spoken in the United States, Belize, Andorra and Gibraltar.
Spanish is a global language with nearly 500 million native speakers, mainly in Spain and the Americas. It is the world’s second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese, and the world’s fourth-most spoken language overall after English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi.
Learning Spanish with Duolingo’s interactive bite-sized lessons is completely free, but you can remove ads and support free education with Duolingo Plus. As a reward, you also get full access to lessons (offline ones included!), freedom to make unlimited mistakes and a tool to track your progress.
