Do You Need to Speak Spanish to Travel in Latin America?

This is the latest post in my “Ask a Travel Blogger” series – email me in a question if you’ve got one!

For the most part, travellers don’t bother venturing too far from the basics of “Hello” “Thanks” and “Please” when researching the language of a new country. That’s different for the Spanish speaking countries of Latin America though, for several reasons. But do you need to speak Spanish to enjoy Latin America? The short answer is no, and the long answer is buried somewhere in this post…

Travelling Latin America Without Speaking Spanish

In 2015 my wife and I did a big trip down the length of Latin America — from Mexico City all the way to Patagonia (Excluding Brazil, which obviously isn’t a Spanish speaking country). It took about 6 months and I knew next to no Spanish. I didn’t bother picking up much along the way either.

I loved my time in countries like Nicaragua, Colombia and Peru, but the language barrier was always there. From the friendly shop owners who often tried to strike up a conversation to the curious locals on chicken buses throughout Central America, there were plenty of chances to delve a little deeper into the places I was travelling through. If I had happened to speak Spanish.

It definitely didn’t ruin the trip, but it would have added another dimension to it.

My Spanish Journey

Two and a half years ago I decided to learn Spanish. I was recommended an app (Duolingo — not sponsored!) and it was easy to gradually learn the basics. My Spanish learning took on a new momentum when Covid struck, and I was determined to speak (terribly pronounced and grammatically questionable) Spanish on my next trip to Latin America or Spain.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever be completely fluent in Spanish, but I now feel comfortable conversing with people in most travel situations. From bartering for rooms to random bus conversations — things should be more fun (and cheaper) next time.

So, You Don’t Really Need to Learn Spanish then?

No, especially not if you’re going on a two-week holiday in Mexico or Costa Rica. I would recommend it for people on longer overland trips though. We got by fine (my wife spoke enough to get us by, but we’d have managed without it) but we missed out on a lot of conversations with locals, and those conversations are a great way to delve deeper into a destination.