What to watch to learn Spanish
Everything 3 working Spanish teachers told us they would actually put in front of a learner, with a note on why each one works and the level it suits.
14
Recommendations
3
Teachers
Standard Spanish
Picked by
I picked six Netflix series I actually recommend to my students: four Mexican, one Argentine, and one from Spain, so you can hear how different the same language sounds depending on where it's spoken. They work best once you're around intermediate, because nobody in them slows down for you. And be honest about what watching alone does — hours of Netflix will make you very good at understanding Spanish, not at speaking it. So take the expressions you like, repeat them out loud, and use them in a real conversation.
See Lalu’s picks
Envidiosa
The lead is a bit delulu, but she says out loud the things the rest of us are afraid to say, so you may well feel connected to her. A fun way in if you've never heard the Argentine accent before.
Intermediate
La casa de las flores
Start here if you want to get your ear used to the Mexican accent. The family is funny and sarcastic, and the vocabulary they use is genuinely useful.
Intermediate
Madre solo hay dos
Ideal for natural, everyday Spanish and for picking up how real conversations actually run. Drama and comedy at the same time.
Intermediate
Valeria
The pick for Spanish from Spain, and a rom-com: the conversations sound genuinely natural, and the stories the friends get into are the good part.
Intermediate
Control Z
Modern slang and faster, casual Spanish, aimed squarely at Gen Z. If you like secrets, drama and teen life, this is the one.
Intermediate-Advanced
Luis Miguel, la serie
All the drama around a hugely famous Mexican singer. The vocabulary sits a step above the rest of these, but it's interesting and juicy enough to pull you through.
Advanced
What to watch to learn Rioplatense Spanish
Picked by
Kevin García
Rioplatense Spanish
I teach Rioplatense, so every pick is Argentine. They're native-level — pair them with subtitles if you're an upper-beginner.
See Kevin García’s picks
Un mundo inmenso
Wildly popular Argentine channel telling curious geography and history stories with clear, well-paced narration, friendlier for learners than the dramas.
Intermediate
El Eternauta
Netflix's Argentine sci-fi hit: a deadly snowfall hits Buenos Aires and a group of survivors bands together. Great contemporary Rioplatense.
Intermediate-Advanced
El Encargado
Dark comedy starring Guillermo Francella as a Buenos Aires building superintendent who quietly rules his tenants' lives.
Advanced
Los Simuladores
Cult Argentine series about a team who stages elaborate cons to solve ordinary people's problems, packed with everyday Rioplatense slang.
Advanced
Picked by
Santiago Caamaño
Rioplatense Spanish
I teach Spanish as a foreign language at the University of Buenos Aires language lab, plus online lessons — if you want to work with me directly, you can find me on LinkedIn. These picks are Rioplatense through and through, slang included, and best from B1 up.
See Santiago Caamaño’s picks
Historias Innecesarias
One host, one topic a video, covered in real depth: Argentine history, world events, public debates like the abortion law and euthanasia. His Spanish is careful and formal, good for building vocabulary at B1.
Intermediate
Que Onda Podcast en Español
Santiago's own podcast, made for learners from B1 up: where Spanish came from, Argentine insults, Borges, El Quijote, football. Culture and literature without the classroom stiffness.
Intermediate
LESA
A young Argentine who rode Buenos Aires buses and trains end to end, and now looks for the same underside in other countries: crime, drugs, the parts nobody puts on a postcard. Street Rioplatense at full speed.
Intermediate-Advanced
La Cruda
Migue Granados sits down with one guest an episode, a surgeon, a sex worker, an astronaut, and just talks. Informal, funny, and packed with Rioplatense slang.
Advanced
Frequently asked
What can I watch to learn Spanish?
Lalu of Laluspeaks recommends Envidiosa, La casa de las flores, Madre solo hay dos and Valeria, 14 teacher-chosen picks in total (Rioplatense Spanish). Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What can I watch to learn Rioplatense Spanish?
Kevin García of Spanish with Kevin recommends Un mundo inmenso, El Eternauta, El Encargado and Los Simuladores, 8 picks in Rioplatense Spanish. Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What shows can I watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime to learn Spanish?
Lalu, who teaches Spanish at Laluspeaks, recommends Envidiosa, La casa de las flores, Madre solo hay dos, Valeria, Control Z and Luis Miguel, la serie. These are all TV series and films, so you will usually find them on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Each one links out to where to watch it, with a note on the level it suits.
What shows can I watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime to learn Rioplatense Spanish?
Kevin García, who teaches Rioplatense Spanish at Spanish with Kevin, recommends El Eternauta, El Encargado and Los Simuladores. These are all TV series and films, so you will usually find them on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Each one links out to where to watch it, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best podcasts to learn Rioplatense Spanish?
Santiago Caamaño, who teaches Rioplatense Spanish, recommends Que Onda Podcast en Español and La Cruda. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best YouTube channels to learn Rioplatense Spanish?
Kevin García, who teaches Rioplatense Spanish at Spanish with Kevin, recommends Un mundo inmenso. Santiago Caamaño, who teaches Rioplatense Spanish, recommends Historias Innecesarias and LESA. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.