Madrid or Salamanca are also popular favorites, but those cities aren’t on the coast. Practically speaking, you also hear a lot of Catalan spoken here, which is great if you’re trying to learn Catalan, but not great if you’re trying to learn Spanish. Language students typically choose Barcelona as a first choice city to learn Spanish: It’s well-known, on the beach and its landmarks and sights are famous the world-over. For those looking to practice their Standard Spanish, though, Valencia is a great option. Spain is home to a variety of languages and localized dialects, you see, and many students are surprised to find out they won’t hear classic Spanish spoken everywhere. His first language is Spanish, his second is Valencian and he’s keen to tell me that he’s very happy to speak either. Why Valencia Is A Spanish Learner’s Dreamįernando, born and raised in Valencia, has been teaching Spanish for over 10 years at Taronja Spanish School in the heart of the city. This city felt vibrant, not sleepy, and in that moment I realized three days just wasn’t gonna cut it. Friends drank beer by the baroque fountain, families dined out in the table-packed streets and couples chatted lazily while sipping cocktails at open-plan bars. We meandered through labyrinthine streets bathed in the orange glow of evening, following the sounds of clinking glass and jazz music, until we emerged onto Plaza de La Reine, a packed central square teeming with life. I realized my predictions were totally wrong a few minutes after we left our Old Town Airbnb the first day. I suspected after three days my mum and I would have covered everything and we could happily tick Valencia off our list.

I expected a quaint, sleepy Spanish town with a few cafes, bars and shops to peruse. This year we selected Valencia, a city I knew nothing about. I live in Berlin, she lives in London, so it’s our annual opportunity to spend quality time together, and it also gives us a good excuse to discover new places. You’ll quickly discover there’s no better place to learn this beautiful language than Valencia.Įvery year my mum and I go on a three-day city trip to somewhere in Europe. Barcelona and Madrid are the go-to choices for many students, but if you’re considering a move to improve your Spanish, take a moment to consider the country’s best kept secret. Thousands of students flock to Europe every year to learn one of the continent’s 24 languages, and no country is more popular than Spain.

Learn spanish in spain