A1
Spanish Short Story

El Parque o La Playa?

(The Park or the Beach?)

A perfect day at the beach: sun, sand and friendship. What makes this Saturday special for Ana and María?

Two girls sitting by the sea watching the sunset, from the A1 Spanish short story 'El Parque o La Playa?'.

Check our tips to learn Spanish more effectively with this story

This story was designed to help you learn Spanish in context, strengthen comprehension, and absorb vocabulary and grammar naturally through reading, listening, and interactive exercises. It includes a quizz, flashcards, and a writing practice to reinforce your skills. Here's how to maximize your learning:

  1. Listen and read the story

    Play the audio while reading to follow the story naturally. Focus on understanding the main ideas and how the language sounds. The goal is to develop your Spanish listening skills and overall comprehension.
  2. Read again with the translation

    Turn on the translation and compare how ideas are expressed in Spanish and English. This builds awareness of Spanish sentence structure and grammar in real use.
  3. Explore the key vocabulary

    Below the story, you’ll find important words bolded and listed. This Spanish vocabulary list highlights key words and expressions in context and helps you understand what matters most in the story.
  4. Take the comprehension quiz

    Now test your understanding with the quiz. It reinforces the main ideas and helps improve your Spanish reading comprehension with instant feedback.
  5. Review key vocabulary with flashcards

    Use the flashcards to practice the vocabulary you just learned. This boosts memory through active recall and strengthens Spanish vocabulary retention.
  6. Try the writing practice

    Respond to the writing question related to the story. Use the new words and grammar to create your own sentences. This strengthens grammar and encourages you to think in Spanish.
  7. Practice speaking out loud

    Try saying full sentences out loud — or even read the whole story aloud if you feel ready. You can also speak along with the audio, matching the narrator’s voice as closely as possible. This is a great way to improve pronunciation and fluency while building your Spanish speaking confidence.
  8. Review as needed
  9. Come back to the story anytime to review vocabulary, grammar, or anything you found challenging. You can retake the quiz, replay the audio, or go through the flashcards again. Regular review helps reinforce what you’ve learned and build stronger Spanish skills over time.

Key Spanish concepts you'll encounter in this story

Grammar: Present tense, simple negatives, basic questions

Vocabulary: Weather expressions, beach items, time of day

Skills: Making plans, describing weather, expressing likes

Spanish version

Es sábado por la mañana. Ana habla con María por teléfono.

—¡Hola María! ¿Tienes planes hoy? —pregunta Ana.

—No, no tengo planes.

—¿Quieres ir a la playa?

—¿Cómo está el tiempo?

Ana mira por la ventana.

—Hace sol y mucho calor —dice Ana.

—¡Muy bien! Me gusta la playa —responde María.

—¿Vamos a las diez?

—Sí, perfecto.

—Yo llevo toallas y sombrillas —dice Ana.

—Yo llevo agua y sándwiches.

—Yo llevo protector solar para evitar quemaduras solares.

—Sí, perfecto.

A las diez, Ana y María llegan a la playa. El tiempo está magnífico. Hace sol y el mar es azul.

Ponen sus toallas en la arena y se acuestan.

Toman el sol mientras hablan sobre sus vidas.

Después deciden nadar un poco en el mar.

La temperatura del agua está muy buena. Es muy refrescante.

Después del baño, vuelven a las toallas. Bajo la sombrilla, comen sándwiches y beben agua.

—Me gusta el mar hoy —dice Ana.

—Sí, y me gusta estar aquí contigo.

—A mí también. La playa es muy bonita.

—Sí, es un día perfecto.

Spanish story with English translation

Es sábado por la mañana.

It's Saturday morning.

Ana habla con María por teléfono.

Ana talks with María on the phone.

—¡Hola María! ¿Tienes planes hoy? —pregunta Ana.

"Hello María! Do you have plans today?" asks Ana.

—No, no tengo planes.

"No, I don't have plans."

—¿Quieres ir a la playa?

"Do you want to go to the beach?"

—¿Cómo está el tiempo?

"How's the weather?"

Ana mira por la ventana.

Ana looks through the window.

—Hace sol y mucho calor —dice Ana.

"It's sunny and very hot," says Ana.

—¡Muy bien! Me gusta la playa —responde María.

"Very good! I like the beach," responds María.

—¿Vamos a las diez?

"Shall we go at ten?"

—Sí, perfecto.

"Yes, perfect."

—Yo llevo toallas y sombrillas —dice Ana.

"I'll bring towels and beach umbrellas," says Ana.

—Yo llevo agua y sándwiches.

"I'll bring water and sandwiches."

—Yo llevo protector solar para evitar quemaduras solares.

"I'll bring sunscreen to avoid sunburns."

—Sí, perfecto.

"Yes, perfect."

A las diez, Ana y María llegan a la playa.

At ten, Ana and María arrive at the beach.

El tiempo está magnífico.

The weather is magnificent.

Hace sol y el mar es azul.

It's sunny and the sea is blue.

Ponen sus toallas en la arena y se acuestan.

They put their towels on the sand and lie down.

Toman el sol mientras hablan sobre sus vidas.

They sunbathe while talking about their lives.

Después deciden nadar un poco en el mar.

Afterwards they decide to swim a little in the sea.

La temperatura del agua está muy buena.

The water temperature is very good.

Es muy refrescante.

It's very refreshing.

Después del baño, vuelven a las toallas.

After the swim, they return to the towels.

Bajo la sombrilla, comen sándwiches y beben agua.

Under the beach umbrella, they eat sandwiches and drink water.

—Me gusta el mar hoy —dice Ana.

"I like the sea today," says Ana.

—Sí, y me gusta estar aquí contigo.

"Yes, and I like being here with you."

—A mí también. La playa es muy bonita.

"Me too. The beach is very beautiful."

—Sí, es un día perfecto.

"Yes, it's a perfect day."

It’s time to practice your Spanish

Start by taking the Spanish comprehension quiz to check how well you understood the story. Then, review the vocabulary you’ve learned with fun vocabulary flashcards. Finally, practice your Spanish writing by answering a question based on the story.

Part 1

Comprehension and Vocabulary Practice

Show instructions
Part 2

Writing Practice

Now it’s time to practice your Spanish writing by posting your answer to the story's question in the comments. Don’t worry about being perfect... just give it a go! You can also read other learners’ replies, join the conversation, and build confidence by practicing together.

Answer the question (in Spanish) in the comments:

Do you like the beach? If yes, what do you usually do on a beach day? If not, what do you prefer to do instead?

Comments section for language learners