Learn Spanish travel guide

If you’ve tried apps, books and CDs and failed to learn Spanish, do not despair. If you’ve been to Barcelona a dozen times and never got beyond dos sangrías, por favour – there is still hope. Learning a language is all about context, and simply being in Spain or Latin America is not enough. What you need is to be surrounded by Spanish speakers – and to use your Spanish skills to be able to find your way around, chat to locals and order a side of pan with your jamón. Our Spanish learning holidays travel guide takes you deep into a Spain that you’ll barely recognise from your regular holidays, where formal lessons are complemented by trips to the market, evenings in the bar and guided walks with Spanish speaking naturalists, which all ensure that the language is absorbed, used and seen as a means to communicate – not just an academic pursuit. Combining language lessons with other activities –hiking to horse riding, yoga to dance – ensures you come back refreshed, relaxed and rolling your r’s like a real Latino.

Spain is unsurprisingly the main hub for Spanish learning holidays – and the focus is on destinations away from the major cities and costas where you’ll be surrounded by tourists. Instead, language schools tend to be tucked away in mountain foothills, ideal for guided treks, or in historic cities such as Granada, where quintessentially Spanish traditions – from flamenco to tapas – still thrive.

Further afield, in buzzing Buenos Aires you can learn the city’s two languages: Spanish and tango. Or head to Peru – where Spanish lessons prepare you for four days trekking to Machu Picchu through the Andes Mountains. Wherever you go, you’ll find activities and workshops to complement your language lessons, giving you plenty of time to practice in real world situations, and explore the stunning settings beyond the walls of your classroom.