Every year when I teach my students about Costa Rica we spend time learning about the fascinating animals of Central America. I was reminded of these amazing animals recently when I visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC. Costa Rica is home to incredible biodiversity and intriguing animals. Today’s story investigates 8 of these animals and their unique characteristics.

This story is in the third person and present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “perezoso” (sloth/lazy), “mapache” (raccoon), “lagarto” (lizard), “cazar” (to hunt) and “depredadores” (predators).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2026/04/12/simple-stories-in-spanish-los-animales-de-costa-rica/

¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher . You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher

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In June of 2025 I finally traveled to a place I have wanted to visit for some time: Mexico. The final stop on my Mexico trip was the one I was most excited about: Tulum. The smaller ruins of Tulum are picturesque, located right on the Caribbean coast. There is also a lot of nature to enjoy, and I got to see it up close with a boat ride and canal float.

This story is in the first person and past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “siglo” (century), “abejas” (bees), “miel” (honey), “aretes” (earrings), and “despedirse” (to say good-bye).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2026/03/22/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-viaje-a-mexico-parte-4/

¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher . You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher

Support the show

In June of 2025 I finally traveled to a place I have wanted to visit for some time: Mexico. In today’s leg of my trip, we left the ruins and the beach behind for a taste of lake life in Bacalar. As a Minnesota girl, I love lake life, and being in the small town of Bacalar was both soothing and uplifting in so many ways.

This story is in the first person and past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “apenas” (just, barely), “amanecer” (dawn, sunrise), “remar” (to row), “árbol” (tree), and “tinte” (dye).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2026/03/16/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-viaje-a-mexico-parte-3/

¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher . You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher

Support the show