Are you missing out on the real Spain?

‘Duende’ is a Spanish term which lovers of flamenco use to describe music that truly has soul. Through its art it achieves a heightened state of ecstatic emotion, expression and authenticity. It is the real deal. As visitors to Spain we are like lovers of flamenco searching for ‘duende’. We are on a quest to find the real Spain - ‘la España auténtica’ - beyond the tourist clichés and English bars.

Unlocking the secrets of Spain

Ludwig Wittgenstein once commented that “the limits of my language are the limits of my universe”. Nowhere is this more true than when in Spain. By learning Spanish you can unlock more about the country’s culture, meet more people and gain a more authentic experience of the country. Learning Spanish is the key to unlocking the real Spain.

Learn Spanish in Spain

There are plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the Spanish language by learning Spanish in Spain on your next trip out there. There are schools located all over Spain but Andalucía is a deservedly popular place to base yourself where you will be surrounded by history and culture, which you can explore whilst studying with organisations like the Clic Seville school.

Learning Spanish in Spain can be the chance to start from scratch with the language, to boost your confidence or polish your skills. Weekly small group classes will see you quickly master the language whilst practising it in the city bars at night. You can study for a week, a fortnight or as long as you wish and you can choose how many hours you study if you need more time for sightseeing. Most schools run cultural programmes that include guides to local sights, nights out to flamenco bars, guides to Spanish culture through books or films and explorations of Spanish culture and history.

‘España sin límites’

Learning to speak Spanish in Spain is perhaps one of the most interesting and cultural things you can do whilst visiting Spain and a way to open up Spain without limits. Here are just a few ways learning Spanish can enhance your next trip to Spain.

Popular culture

Simply reading the local papers will make you feel at home and allow you to better appreciate Spanish culture and life. Spanish cinema – from Almodóvar to del Torro – can be appreciated with the locals and books in Spanish are no longer, well, a closed book. Those TV broadcasts and songs become suddenly meaningful and your understanding of politics can be enhanced by understanding the posters and graffiti on the walls.

Transform your travel experience

To really get off the beaten tourist trail and explore the real Spain you will need to know Spanish. By speaking Spanish you will discover just how amazingly generous and warmly welcoming the people of Spain are once they begin to accept and befriend you.

Take home more than souvenirs

Taking home a language from your holiday is a gift that will last a lot longer than your suntan or souvenirs. Spanish will help you communicate with more than 350 million people who use it as their mother tongue and open the door to more trips to Spain or further afield to South and Latin America.

The real Spain

Learning Spanish in Spain will help you appreciate Spain more deeply, understand its culture better, really get beyond the traditional tourist trail and kit you up for future holidays. It will ultimately help you find the ‘duende’ that lies at the heart of Spain.


Useful links

Why learn a language
Find out why people choose to learn a new language.

Get started learning Spanish
Discover resources from the BBC to help you start your Spanish learning journey.

What is ‘duende’?
Explore the history and use of the Spanish term ‘duende’.