Buenos Aires is one of the most vibrant, pulsating and cosmopolitan cities in Latin America, and is attracting travelers from all over the world – thanks to its rich cultural heritage, stunning architecture, its broad spectrum of art and culture, renowned cuisine and exquisite wines. But why just visit Buenos Aires – why not learn Spanish here?
There is no better place in the world to learn Spanish, and no matter if you are thinking about brushing up your Spanish skills, or starting at zero, Buenos Aires would be the ideal location. Why learn Spanish in Argentina’s capital, you ask? Here are ten reasons why Buenos Aires is the best place to learn Spanish:
1 Buenos Aires has something for everyone
Buenos Aires is one of the most diverse cities in South America, with dozens of neighborhoods to explore: San Telmo with its colonial architecture, Recoleta with its ornate buildings, lively Palermo, modern Puerto Madero and colorful La Boca, to name just a few.
If you are a fan of street art, you will love the many colorful murals around the city (you can even take a street art tour), and if you love football, you’ll appreciate the love for Boca Juniors or the River Plate team. Watching the Boca Juniors play in their Bombonera Stadium makes every football fan’s dream come true.
Architecture buffs will find interesting buildings around every corner, and outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the city’s many green spaces. Buenos Aires truly has something for everyone.
The best thing about the city: it offers all these things at little cost! Buenos Aires is inexpensive, and prices for Spanish classes and homestays in Buenos Aires are very affordable.
2 Learn Spanish AND Tango
Tango, the dance that was created by the lower classes in Buenos Aires, has become one of the world’s most famous dances, practiced in cities all around the globe, and was even declared as “Intangible Heritage” by UNESCO. So why not learn Spanish and tango at the same time? There is no better place to take tango lessons than in Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, where there’s tango everywhere. You can enjoy it at night at a milonga (tango bar where locals dance), watch performances on the Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo or at the restaurants in El Caminito, and even parks have tango nights, like Parque Barrancas del Belgrano.
3 The Argentine accent
Argentine Spanish has a very distinct accent. ‘Playa’ (beach) becomes ‘plasha’ and ‘yo’ (I) become ‘sho’ – it is hard not to fall for this endearing accent, and learning Argentine Spanish gives you the advantage that you’ll know the unique expressions that only exist in Argentine Spanish and that you will be able to understand an accent that can be difficult to grasp.
4 Steak galore
Steak is one of Argentina’s most famed export goods, and equally as loved by Argentines as it is by carnivores around the world. In Argentina, beef is traditionally cooked over a charcoal flame, which, combined with the special conditions in which cattle are raised, is what makes Argentine beef so scrumptious. Learning Spanish in Buenos Aires means that you’ll be able to eat your way around the city’s most famous parrillas (steak houses).
5 Heritage and culture
Buenos Aires is a major art hub – discover its wealth of writers, painters and sculptures in museums and galleries across the city. An unmissable place is the MALBA Museum, which holds a remarkable collection of contemporary artworks from Latin American artists such as Xul Solar and Frida Kahlo. History aficionados will be thrilled to learn about Argentina’s tumultuous past which includes Eva Peron’s heritage, the military regime in the 1970s and the Great Depression of the early 2000s.
6 The best wine in South America
Just as Argentina’s steak, the country’s wines are also known well beyond its borders, and for good reason. Argentine wine have become so popular that it is now the 5th largest wine producing country in the world, but there are many smaller boutique wineries that don’t export their wines. When you spend some time in Buenos Aires, you’ll be able to sample some wines that you can’t get anywhere else in the world – and could there be a better way to do your homework than with a glass of Malbec?
7 The Porteños
Porteños, as people from Buenos Aires are referred to, are among the most welcoming people in Latin America which is why they are a reason to learn Spanish in Buenos Aires. Porteño means ‘person of the port’, and the term goes back to the first half of the 20th century, when hundreds of thousands of Spanish and Italian immigrants arrived on ships from Europe. Porteños are known to be blunt and direct, but also very friendly and welcoming to visitors. They will be happy to introduce you to the mate culture (a herbal infusion that could be called the ‘National drink of Argentina’) by passing the gourd over to you. Meeting locals will allow you to practice your Spanish – and there really is no better way than improving your conversational skills than chatting with native speakers.
8 Experience gaucho culture
When you take a Spanish class in Buenos Aires, you can experience Argentine gaucho culture first-hand every Sunday in Mataderos, a former gaucho village at the center of the Argentine cattle trade (Matadero means slaughterhouse in Spanish), on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Here, the famous Feria De Mataderos is held each week. During the folk market and crafts fair, you can buy artisan handcrafts, try local dishes and watch folk singers, dancers and gauchos on horsebacks.
9 The Paris of South America
Buenos Aires is nicknamed “The Paris of South America” for good reason: The city’s tree-lined streets, wide boulevard, vast parks and sidewalk cafes are reminiscent of European cities in a way that is remarkable! There is no other city in Latin America that features European-influenced architecture like Buenos Aires, and where the influence of European immigrants is as tangible as it is here. The grand Parisian-style buildings date back to the early 20th century, when, in its “Golden Era”, Argentina was one of the wealthiest countries in the world and looked to the sophisticated, prosperous European cities for inspiration. European architects who immigrated to Argentina back then gave Buenos Aires its distinct European look and feel. If you study here, you learn Spanish in one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
10 A gateway to other destinations
Learning Spanish in Buenos Aires has the advantage that you’re only a short flight away from some of the most remarkable destinations in South America: Patagonia’s stunning natural beauty in the South, UNESCO World Heritage Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfalls system in the world, or Argentina’s wine region around Mendoza, are well worth a trip after finishing your Spanish course in Buenos Aires. And that way, you get to put your newly acquired skills to use right away! Expanish even offers weekend excursions to Iguaza Falls, Uruguay, and other nearby destinations.
