The Best Spanish Podcasts You Need to Listen To

Notes in Spanish

Notes in Spanish is a podcast produced by Ben Curtis, who is from the UK, and his wife Marina Diez, who is from Madrid. They talk about a vast range of topics, and offer lessons at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Ben spoke no Spanish when he arrived in Madrid, so he’s a great person to learn from, as he knows all the errors new learners are likely to make. The couple’s international perspective and friendly, conversational chats are a pleasure to listen to. They also have another podcast that is well worth a listen, called Notes from Spain; it’s in English and is all about Spanish culture and current affairs.

This popular series of podcasts produced by Radio Lingua features Spanish lessons led by experienced teachers; they are around 20 to 25 minutes long and so are perfect for fitting into a coffee break, or listening to on your journey to or from work. There are classes for beginners just taking up Spanish, and for more advanced learners who want to improve their confidence in the language.

Nómadas

This weekly travel podcast by Spain’s national public broadcaster RTVE takes listeners on an aural adventure around the world. Each week, the presenters are in a different location, where local people take them around the best sights and tell interesting stories about their lives. Recent episodes have focussed on Johannesburg, Naples and Malmö.

News in Slow Spanish

If you’re eager to listen to the latest current affairs news but your listening skills aren’t quite up to understanding the rapid-fire bulletins on Spanish television or radio news, this podcast is an ideal stepping stone. The podcast features news stories read at a slower speed than usual. There are podcasts at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels and you can choose between listening to Spanish or Latin American Spanish. There are transcripts on the website so listeners can easily follow along.

La Rosa de los Vientos

This popular long-running radio show from Spanish radio station OndaCero has been running for over 20 years, and covers history, current affairs and curiosities from Spain and around the world. It profiles famous Spaniards, investigates stories and always features some interesting nuggets of information. Recent episodes have looked at London’s ancient tunnels, the effects of winter and Gabriela Morreale, the ‘Spanish Marie Curie’.

Histocast

Histocast describes itself as a kind of modern tertulia: a social literary gathering that used to be popular in cafés across Spain. A group of friends sit down to discuss the nitty gritty of various historical events, as well as more modern current affairs, over a couple of hours. The podcasts are long, so you might want to listen in bitesized chunks. Recent episodes have focused on subjects as diverse as geopolitics, Afghanistan, female US pilots in World War II and what would have happened if France hadn’t surrendered during that war.

Documentos RNE

This documentary podcast produced by Spain’s national public radio station RNE features episodes of just under an hour that explore a famous figure or event in recent history. Recent episodes have focussed on Hollywood actor Ava Gardener’s 16 years living in Spain, the British mathematician Alan Turing and the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart.