Types of Holiday (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Types of holiday
When learning to talk about holidays in Spanish, you'll discover that there are many different ways people like to spend their time off. Understanding the vocabulary for different holiday types and activities will help you express your own preferences and understand what others enjoy doing.
Types of holiday destinations
Spanish speakers use specific words to describe different holiday destinations and the experiences they offer.
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| la playa | the beach | el campo | the countryside |
| las montañas | the mountains | el mar | the sea |
| la ciudad | the city | la piscina | the swimming pool |
| el bosque | the forest | el lago | the lake |
| la costa | the coast | el pueblo | the village/town |
Worked Example: Using Holiday Destinations
- Prefiero ir a la playa en verano. (I prefer to go to the beach in summer.)
- Mi familia siempre va a las montañas. (My family always goes to the mountains.)
- Barcelona es mi ciudad favorita. (Barcelona is my favourite city.)
- Me gusta el campo porque es tranquilo. (I like the countryside because it's peaceful.)
Grammar note: Notice that prefiero (I prefer) is followed by an infinitive verb (ir = to go), whilst me gusta (I like) can be followed by a noun or infinitive.
Holiday activities vocabulary
Different types of holidays offer different activities. Here are the most common ones you'll need to know:
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| tomar el sol | to sunbathe | hacer senderismo | to go hiking |
| la crema solar (f.) | sunscreen | acampar | to camp |
| la tumbona (f.) | deck chair | pescar | to fish |
| la sombrilla (f.) | sun umbrella | hacer piragüismo | to do kayaking |
| chapotear | to paddle | la tabla de snowboard (f.) | snowboard |
| el cubo (m.) | bucket | esquiar | to ski |
| la pala (f.) | spade | visitar museos | to visit museums |
| el castillo de arena (m.) | sandcastle | ir de compras | to go shopping |
| nadar | to swim | el recuerdo (m.) | memory/souvenir |
| relajarse | to relax | el regalo (m.) | gift/present |
Worked Example: Describing Holiday Activities
- En la playa me gusta tomar el sol y nadar. (At the beach I like to sunbathe and swim.)
- Cuando vamos a las montañas, hacemos senderismo. (When we go to the mountains, we go hiking.)
- Mi hermano menor prefiere hacer castillos de arena. (My younger brother prefers to make sandcastles.)
- En Barcelona visitamos muchos museos. (In Barcelona we visit many museums.)
Grammar note: The verb gustar works differently from English. We say me gusta nadar (literally "swimming is pleasing to me") rather than "I like swimming".
Expressing preferences about holidays
To talk about what type of holiday you prefer, Spanish uses several key expressions:
Basic preference expressions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Me gusta... | I like... |
| No me gusta... | I don't like... |
| Me encanta... | I love... |
| Prefiero... | I prefer... |
| Mi favorito/a es... | My favourite is... |
| Odio... | I hate... |
Worked Example: Expressing Preferences
- Me encantan las vacaciones en la playa. (I love beach holidays.)
- Prefiero las montañas porque me gusta hacer senderismo. (I prefer the mountains because I like hiking.)
- No me gustan las ciudades grandes. (I don't like big cities.)
Giving reasons for preferences
When explaining why you like certain types of holidays, use these connecting words:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| porque | because |
| dado que | given that |
| ya que | since |
Worked Example: Giving Reasons
- Me gustan las vacaciones activas porque es aburrido si tomas el sol todo el tiempo. (I like active holidays because it's boring if you sunbathe all the time.)
- Dado que estudio historia y arte, me gustan más las vacaciones culturales. (Given that I study history and art, I like cultural holidays best.)
Describing family holiday preferences
When talking about what your family likes to do on holiday, you'll need to know family member vocabulary:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| mi familia | my family |
| mi hermano mayor | my older brother |
| mi hermano menor | my younger brother |
| mi hermana mayor | my older sister |
| mi hermana menor | my younger sister |
| mi madre | my mother |
| mi padre | my father |
| mis padres | my parents |
Worked Example: Family Preferences
- A mi hermano mayor le gusta pescar en el lago. (My older brother likes fishing in the lake.)
- Mi madre prefiere esquiar en invierno. (My mother prefers skiing in winter.)
- Mis hermanos menores juegan en la arena. (My younger siblings play in the sand.)
Grammar note: When talking about what someone else likes, use le gusta (he/she likes) instead of me gusta (I like).
Translation exercises
Practice Exercises
Spanish to English:
- Me encanta ir a la ciudad porque puedo visitar museos.
- Mi hermana menor prefiere la playa porque le gusta nadar.
English to Spanish: 3. I prefer mountain holidays because I love hiking. 4. My family always goes camping in summer.
Phrase bank - useful holiday expressions
These essential phrases will help you discuss holidays confidently:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tipo de vacaciones prefieres? | What type of holidays do you prefer? |
| ¿Adónde vas de vacaciones? | Where do you go on holiday? |
| Vamos de vacaciones a... | We go on holiday to... |
| En mis vacaciones me gusta... | On my holidays I like... |
| Siempre vamos a... | We always go to... |
| El año pasado fuimos a... | Last year we went to... |
| Este verano vamos a... | This summer we're going to... |
These phrases are perfect for starting conversations about holidays and sharing experiences with Spanish speakers.
Common errors and fixes
Avoid These Common Mistakes:
-
Error: Me gusta las montañas ❌
Fix: Me gustan las montañas ✅
Reason: Gustar agrees with what is liked. Since montañas is plural, use gustan. -
Error: Prefiero a la playa ❌
Fix: Prefiero la playa ✅
Reason: The preposition a is not needed after preferir when talking about places. -
Perceived Error: Me gusta hacer senderismo porque es divertido ❌
Actually Correct: Me gusta hacer senderismo porque es divertido ✅
Reason: This is actually correct, but remember that divertido agrees with the activity, not the person.
Translation exercise answers
Answer Key
- I love going to the city because I can visit museums.
- My younger sister prefers the beach because she likes swimming.
- Prefiero las vacaciones en las montañas porque me encanta hacer senderismo.
- Mi familia siempre va de camping en verano.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use me gusta/me gustan to express what you like and prefiero for preferences
- Beach holidays involve activities like tomar el sol, nadar, and hacer castillos de arena
- Mountain holidays include hacer senderismo, acampar, and esquiar
- City holidays focus on cultural activities like visitar museos and ir de compras
- Always give reasons for your preferences using porque or dado que
- Remember that gustar changes to gustan when talking about plural things you like