Spanish Speaking Travel Destinations

Traveling to a Spanish speaking country can be an invaluable learning tool, giving you the chance to practice your newfound or still-forming language skills. It's also the equivalent of a language learning pep-talk, a chance to bask in the fact that you actually are able to communicate, however imperfectly (or fluently!), in another language.

Speaking strictly from the perspective of practicing a new language, you should visit countries where the language is similar to the Spanish dialect you've been learning, with the greatest divide being between Castilian and Latin American dialects. Some South American dialects are quite distinctive as well. If you're feeling comfortable in a particular dialect and ready to challenge yourself, you might also venture into a country with an unfamiliar dialect just to see how quickly you can adapt.

Puerto Rico: This isn't technically an independent country; instead, the Commonwealth is a United States territory. English is very common here, but Spanish---in the characteristic Puerto Rican dialect---is the primary language.

Costa Rica: Spanish is the official language, but English is also very common here.

Belize: English is actually the official language, but many residents of Belize are multilingual, and Spanish is commonly spoken; according to census records, in some regions, Spanish is the first language of the majority of citizens.

Brazil: You will find English and Spanish both commonly spoken here, although the official language is Portuguese---close enough to Spanish, in some cases, to be very confusing. Your Spanish would be useful here, but it's not the destination of choice for immersion.

A Dialect Apart

Spain: The castellano or Castilian Spanish dialect is the official language here, with other official languages and dialects distributed regionally. There are some differences in pronunciation between castellano and Latin American Spanish, and some differences in vocabulary and conjugation as well.

Other countries where Spanish is the official language include:

North and Central Americas and the Caribbean

• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Mexico
• Nicaragua
• Panama

South America (Some South American dialects vary enormously from those in Central America, often times showing certain similarities to castellano in manner and mode of speech)

• Bolivia
• Chile
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

Africa

• Equatorial Guinea is the only country in Africa where Spanish (along with French) is an official language.

• A Guide to Learning Spanish through Immersion
• Learn Spanish with an Immersion Course in Cuernavaca Mexico
• Learn Spanish in Mexico with a Total Immersion Course