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Get confident in speaking Spanish for your next trip abroad.

Move from understanding to speaking through online lessons with local teachers before you go, focused around conversational practise so that you can finally use your Spanish.

07/04/2026

5 (very good) reasons to join us in Galicia🌿
(and why this isn’t just another trip to Spain)

If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to spend your vacation time, one that blends Spanish language immersion, slow travel and cultural depth - here are five reasons Beyond Words might be exactly what you’re looking for.

1️⃣ Soak in the thermal baths of Prexigueiro

Galicia is famous for its natural thermal baths in the Ourense province, and we’ll experience them slowly - letting conversations from the day settle while your Spanish gently integrates. Relaxation isn’t separate from learning. It supports it.

2️⃣ Experience the Ribeiro Wine Festival in Ribadavia

The Ribeiro Wine Festival is one of Galicia’s most vibrant cultural celebrations. Music, community, tradition and wine come together in the streets - and you’ll be right there, practising Spanish in real, spontaneous interactions. This is language immersion at its most alive.

3️⃣ Wine tasting at Gandarella Turismo Rural

During our wine tasting in Galicia at Gandarella, you’ll explore the region’s deep-rooted wine culture through the “Pan, Vino y Patrimonio” experience. You won’t just taste - you’ll learn about terroir, tradition and heritage, all while speaking Spanish in context.

4️⃣ Stay in historic accommodation at Pazos de Arenteiro

Our home for the retreat is a family-run, historic countryside stone village in rural Galicia. Pazos de Arenteiro offers more than accommodation - it offers atmosphere, heritage and space to connect. Small group. Shared meals. Slow mornings. Real conversations.

5️⃣ Discover Galicia through a food tour in Ourense

Food is culture. On our food tour in Ourense, you’ll practise Spanish while tasting regional dishes, speaking with locals and understanding how gastronomy shapes Galician identity. No classroom can replicate that.

Send us a DM to know more or head over to our bio to save your spot!

17/03/2026

Immersion doesn’t mean being left alone. 🫱🏽‍🫲🏼

One of the biggest fears people have about language retreats is simple:
❓️“What if I don’t understand?”
⛄️“What if I freeze?”
🫠“What if I don’t feel confident enough?”

That’s exactly why Laura Villar is at the heart of Beyond Words.

Laura is both an accredited local tour guide and a certified Spanish teacher, deeply proud of her Galician roots and culture. She doesn’t just teach the language - she helps you understand the place, the context and the nuances behind it.

Here’s how she supports you:

✨ Before the retreat
You’ll receive 5 online one-to-one Spanish lessons to prepare you for the trip - tailored to your level and focused on real-life situations you’ll experience in Galicia. This ensures you arrive feeling ready, not overwhelmed.

✨ During the retreat
Each day begins with a short, practical briefing:
– Useful vocabulary
– Key phrases
– Cultural context related to the day’s activities

Then Laura accompanies us to every experience - from wine tastings to food tours, hikes to thermal baths - ready to clarify, explain, support and gently guide conversations when needed.

She’s there to:
– Answer your questions in the moment
– Help you express what you’re trying to say
– Explain cultural and historical context
– And build your confidence step by step

And because we’re in Galicia, she’ll even sprinkle in a few Galician words and expressions, helping you feel even more connected as you interact with locals.🤍💙

At Beyond Words, immersion doesn’t mean pressure.
It means supported growth.

You’re not thrown into the deep end.
You’re guided - with care, structure and encouragement.

If you’re curious about experiencing Spanish this way - grounded, cultural and confidence-building, you can explore more here in the link on our bio.

And if you’d like to know whether this is the right level for you, feel free to send us a DM. We’re happy to chat. 💬

11/03/2026

🏠 Our home during Beyond Words is more than accommodation; it’s part of the learning experience.

Aldea Rural Pazos de Arenteiro is the kind of place where conversations linger, mornings are slow, and Spanish naturally finds its way into daily life.

🍃This peaceful setting anchors our Spanish immersion retreat in Galicia, allowing learning to unfold gently and organically.

Beyond Words is an immersive Spanish language retreat in Galicia for people who want to learn through culture, community and real-life connection.

🔗 Curious to experience it yourself? Head to the link in our bio to discover the full experience and claim your spot on our next retreat this September, or DM us directly if you have questions before deciding.📩

24/02/2026

What does language immersion actually look like on Beyond Words Retreats? 🌿

It doesn’t look like a classroom.

It looks like standing in a lively square during the Wine Festival in Ribadavia, listening, observing, ordering, asking questions - and realising you understood more than you expected.

It looks like walking through Ourense on a guided food tour, reading menus, speaking with local producers, tasting regional dishes and learning the cultural stories behind them - in Spanish.

It looks like sitting at Gandarella Winery, discussing flavours and traditions directly with the people who produce the wine.

It looks like a hands-on cooking class, where language becomes practical, sensory and shared.

It looks like unwinding at Termas de Prexigueiro, letting the conversations of the day settle while Spanish begins to feel more natural.

It looks like group hikes through Galician landscapes, where informal chats, laughter and spontaneous exchanges make vocabulary stick effortlessly.

At Beyond Words, immersion isn’t staged.
It unfolds through culture, community and real-life interaction.

Every experience is intentionally chosen to:
– Support local businesses
– Encourage slow, conscious tourism
– And create natural opportunities to practise Spanish in context

This retreat isn’t about perfection. It’s about confidence, presence and letting the language click through lived moments.

If you’d like to spend your May holiday doing something meaningful - learning, connecting and travelling differently, comment GALICIA to get information directly to your inbox 📥 or go to my link in bio 🔗 to find out more on the retreat and reserve your place today!

And if you’re unsure about the level or whether it’s right for you, send us a DM. We’re always happy to chat.

17/06/2025

✈️ Do you work in the travel industry as an independent travel designer, small travel company, or travel agent?

🌍 Do you plan trips for clients visiting Spain, Mexico, Argentina, or other Spanish speaking countries?

If yes - let’s chat! 🤝

I’m looking to partner with like-minded travel pros as affiliate partners for Talking Tourist.

Talking Tourist offers online Spanish lessons tailored to each destination - helping your clients speak with confidence, connect with locals, and make the most of their trip.

You’re already helping people plan amazing journeys. Why not help them arrive ready to talk with locals so that they get even more from their trip and are ready to book again next year?

Not only will you get a slice of the action for each of your clients you send our way who takes a lesson 🍰 - Talking Tourist will also promote your services and any promo offers on our website partner perks page, with a direct link to your offering.

📩 DM me or comment “interested” and I’ll reach out with further details.

Let’s help travellers connect more deeply through language! 💬🌎

23/04/2025

𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 🔥 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵?

👉 You’re exactly who Talking Tourist was made for.

You’ve dabbled—high school classes, free apps, that one podcast you swore you’d stick with.

Your Duolingo streak is 🔥. But real conversations? 😅 Not so much.

Then you land in Spain. Or Mexico. Or that dream trip you’ve been waiting for.

And suddenly…

😶 Words disappear

🤯 Your brain blanks

😬 You nod, smile, and point at the menu (again)

Every time, you tell yourself: “𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺.”

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𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻.

We’re for the *almost-there* learners.

The rusty returners. The “𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨” crew.

You’ve got the pieces—we help you put them together.

So you can finally go from “𝘐 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴…” to “𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵—𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥!”

💬 Perfect for city breakers, travellers, expats, digital nomads, and sabbatical dreamers

🗣️ It’s about confidence, not perfection

🚫 No exams. No grammar lectures. No pressure to be fluent

We’re not here to steal you from your language app—we 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 your Duolingo streak 🫡

But if you’re ready to stop 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 and start 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, that’s where we shine.

You’ll practise with native teachers who 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘵 where you’re going—so your lessons feel real, relevant, and totally trip-ready.

Take Emmett, who prepped with Talking Tourist before his first time in Mexico City:

“𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘪.”

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱.

This is about real conversations.

It’s about connection, not perfection.

And it’s about making your next trip way more fun

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𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹?

👉 Head to the link in my bio to get started, find out more and get 15% off your first lesson booking!

Address

86-90 Paul Street
London
EC2A4NE

Website

https://linktr.ee/talkingtourist

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