When we were just toddlers, our entire world was our house and our parents, and with a few words and gestures, we could make ourselves understand perfectly and obtain anything we needed or wanted. But, as we grew up, we discovered new places, people, and words. Nowadays, we are aware that we live in a beautiful world, and we are looking forward to visiting recent unique locations to have great experiences and expand our pretty world.
As we see pictures of cities and read about new cultures, we strongly desire to speak to those fantastic places and ask them to tell us all their secrets and wonders. We cannot do that, but we can visit every corner of the world and talk to locals, which is pretty much the same.
We know that this idea is not as simple as it sounds, and probably you are wondering how you will be able to talk to people from countries that do not even speak your same language. The answer to this repeated question is just one: language tourism. Language tourism is the best way to know all those unique places on the map, and learning a second language will allow you to see each culture better.
If you are an English speaker, your best option is to learn Spanish. This language is the second most spoken native globally, with almost 500 million speakers. Thus, being able to communicate in English and also in Spanish will open the doors to a big part of the world. So, if you want to be a language tourist and wisely choose Spanish as a second language, you should enrol in Spanish classes in Madrid immediately.
As you may know, Spain is one of the most popular Spanish-speaking countries and, at the same time, Madrid, Spain’s capital city, is where most people choose to learn Spanish as a second language. Consequently, finding a Spanish course in Madrid is as easy as finding a good place to try some “tapas”. To make this right, you must think carefully about what kind of classes you want, how long you will be there studying and if you prefer group or private lessons. Once you figure that out, you just have to worry about going to classes and having a lot of fun.
Even though we do believe that you will thoroughly enjoy your language classes, when we talk about having fun, we mean in your after-class time. At this point of the article, you should have two essential things in mind: First, classes are never over since you keep listening and practising Spanish even when you are not in the course. Second, you should make the most of your free time since Madrid is a beautiful city full of history and exciting plans, places, and people.
As we want you to have a great experience as a language tourist, we want to give you some valuable tips and recommend some fantastic places to visit to be part of the Spanish culture as much as possible. Let’s start planning your trip!
1. Have a drink at Gran Vía
Gran vía is one of the most important streets of the city. You will find the SmartRental Collection, a fantastic rooftop where you can drink something while enjoying the beautiful sunset falling over the city.
2. Visit Puerta de Alcalá
This historical place was built in 1778 and was one of the five doors that used to allow the entrance to the city. If you do not visit this iconical place, nobody will even believe you are in Madrid.
3. See the city from a cable car.
If you are not afraid of heights, seeing the city from a cable car is a great way to have a different perspective of the amazing Madrid. This cable car goes from Parque del Oeste to Casa de Campo. Even though it is an excellent plan in any season, we believe it is more special to do it in Spring.
4. Go to Debod temple
Debod Temple is a vast and astonishing building of ancient Egypt located in Madrid, and you can visit it for free. If you decide to go, we recommend you wait until the sun goes down since it is said that this place has the city’s most beautiful sunsets.
5. Visit the Crystal Palace
This impressive palace has a fantastic view, but it also has beautiful expositions offered by Queen Sofía to the public.
6. Try some tapas
If you are in Madrid, you will discover how delicious tapas are and find them everywhere you go. However, if you want to try the most typical tapas in Madrid, you must go to Las Bravas. You won’t regret it.
7. Have (another) drink at La Latina
As you can see, eating and drinking is a real serious thing for Spanish people, and you will be able to see why. We recommend you to go to La Latina, one of the most popular and traditional neighbourhoods, and have a great time drinking some “cañas” at a bar.
This list may go on and on, but we believe this is an excellent mix of cultural and fun activities that will make you taste the Spanish culture and even make you feel local. During your stay do not be shy, try to talk as much as you can, and with as many people as possible, the real locals always have secrets to make you discover some beauties of the place that you will never see as a simple tourist. Remember, you will not be just a person on holiday; you will be a language tourist having the best of two worlds. Be a willing student and curious tourist; Spain will be entirely yours.
*This is a collaborative post
