4 Spanish-Speaking and French-Speaking Destinations on This Side of the Pond

Spain and France are not the only options for French and Spanish students. Here are some other great destinations where you can practice the language, and experience the culture, minus the crushing jet lag of trans-Atlantic air travel!

COSTA RICA

Whether yours is an eco-tour, an immersion program with a home-stay, a service-learning trip, or a combination of all three, Costa Rica is a breathtaking, Central American paradise for Spanish-speaking, science studies, in-service programs, and so much more.  

PERU

Adorned with some of the most perfect examples of pre-Columbian art, archeological finds, spiritual landmarks, awe-inspiring heights, and just about the nicest people on the planet, Peru will not disappoint.  A typical sightseeing tour will include the miles-high city of Cuzco, an excursion to Machu Picchu and visits to Lake Titicaca, and the capital city of Lima.  Practice español with the locals!

MONTREAL & QUEBEC

Our neighbor to the north offers a quick and easy excursion to the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris!  Don’t get confused!  There’s a Quartier Latin in Montreal, as well as a Rue Saint-Denis and even a church called Notre-Dame! Similarly, Quebec City boasts its own Montmartre-equivalent called Rue du Trésor, and the Grand Allée is sometimes called the “Champs-Élysées of Quebec”. Plenty of museums, street performers and history to go around.  When you return home, you’ll be better versed in French than before you left, that is for sure.

MARTINIQUE

With its capital named Fort-de-France, Martinique, an Overseas Department of France, is a typical Caribbean island with a rich history of the French and British fighting for political “ownership”, during the golden age of sugarcane production in the Caribbean.  The island has its own scaled-down replica of the Sacré-Coeur, as well as shops brimming with perfume and haute-couture, and of course a sugar cane museum.  Like all West Indies islands, handcrafts, artwork, music, costumes, carnival celebrations, beaches and sunshine abound.

Bon Voyage!               ¡Buen viaje!

Au Revoir!                  ¡Hasta la vista!