My family is very lucky because we live right by the seaside, and just a stone’s throw away from our doorstep is an expansive playa (beach). If my son could have his way, he would spend hours there every day!
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
The word is derived from the Late Latin plagia, which comes from the Latin plaga of the same meaning.
Playa is a feminine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- la playa = the beach
- las playas = the beaches
- una playa = a beach
- unas playas = some beaches
Did you know that…?
By extension, playa can also refer to the seaside in general, making it a synonym for costa (coast).
Here are a few common verbs and expressions used when talking about la playa:
- ir a la playa = to go to the beach / seaside
- pasar (el día) en la playa = to spend (the day) on the beach
- tumbarse en la playa = to lie on the beach
- caminar por la playa = to walk on the beach
Where we live, we are fortunate to have a playa de arena (sandy beach), allowing us to easily construir castillos de arena (build sandcastles), but many others nearby are playas rocosas (rocky beaches) and playas de piedras (pebble beaches), which aren’t quite as inviting.
Vamos a la playa este fin de semana.
We are going to the beach this weekend.
If you visit a beach, especially in a touristic area, you can expect to find many casas de playa (beachhouses), bares junto a la playa (beachside bars) and probably quite a few playeros and playeras (beach bums) lying happily on their toallones de playa (beach towels), shaded by large sombrillas (beach umbrellas).
Did you know that…?
In Latin America, playa is also used to refer to different kinds of flat open spaces. Some common examples include playas de estacionamiento (parking lots), playas de juegos (playgrounds), and playas de carga y descarga (goods yards).
In the Caribbean specifically, you can use una playa de (literally “a beach of”) as a figurative and informal synonym for “loads of (something).”
