35 Best Spanish TV Shows on Netflix (2018)
Getting hooked on a binge-worthy Spanish TV show is a great way to practice vocabulary and listening skills. You also learn about other cultures and gain exposure to different accents and slang. If you are an intermediate or advanced learner, I recommend watching with Spanish subtitles as studies show it enhances language learning. I also jot down any interesting new vocabulary and add it to my Anki flashcards later.
Here are 35 recommended Spanish-language TV series on Netflix streaming in the US as of August 1, 2018. If you’re not in the US, just click the title to check if the show is available in your country.
Netflix originals will stick around, but watch the rest while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.
Also, don’t miss my Netflix lists of top Spanish-language movies, Mexican movies, and Mexican comedy specials, as well as Spanish-language movies on Amazon Prime!
1. La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)
Click on the photo to watch the trailer
Addictive, entertaining thriller from Spain. A clever take on the bank heist formula reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs. A crowd-pleaser with lots of twists and turns, some of which push the limits of suspension of disbelief. Season 2 now available.
Accent: European Spanish
2. La Casa de las Flores (The House Of Flowers)
This brand-new Netflix Original is generating rave reviews. In this satirical telenovela, the seemingly perfect De La Mora household deals with the dark secrets uncovered by the sudden death of the patriarch’s mistress, while learning that their flower shop shares its name with a cabaret secretly owned by the father of the family.
Accent: Mexican
3. Ingobernable
Kate del Castillo kicks butt in this binge-worthy suspenseful thriller. Lots of Mexican slang, especially the chilanguismos spoken in Mexico City, and great location shots of the capital. Interestingly, del Castillo’s parts had to be filmed in San Diego, because the actress risked arrest in her home country. She is wanted by authorities for having met with drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán while he was on the run in 2015. Real life meets narconovela!
Accent: Mexican
4. Tiempos de guerra (Morocco: Love in Times of War)
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Historical drama from the producers of Gran Hotel, Velvet, and Cable Girls, with some of the same actors. Revolves around the adventures and romantic entanglements of upper-class Spanish volunteer nurses in war-torn Spanish Morocco in the 1920s. Ridiculously melodramatic and predictable, but still manages to be a lot of fun.
Accent: European Spanish
5. El Chapo
To be honest, I find the real-life cartel kingpin El Chapo repugnant and didn’t want to watch anything glorifying his sociopathic exploits. But I started this gripping crime series on my Spanish teacher’s recommendation and me enganchó de volada – I was hooked straight away. The complete three seasons of this Netflix-Univision co-production are now on Netflix.
6. Cuatro Estaciones en La Habana
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Wonderfully written and acted adaptation of a legendary noir detective series. Fall in love with the melodic Cuban accent and the stunning city of Havana in this riveting four-part crime thriller.
Accent: Cuban
7. Gran Hotel
This fan favorite is back on Netflix Instant by popular demand. Juicy Spanish period soap with plenty of romance, murder, blackmail, betrayal, and comedy. A Spanish Downton Abbey meets Hercule Poirot. The plot twists are definitely preposterous but this highly addictive show never fails to entertain. Read more about Gran Hotel.
Accent: European Spanish
8. La Niña
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Captivating and moving series about a former Colombian guerrilla fighter kidnapped as a child as she struggles to overcome her brutal past and reintegrate into society. An inspiring tale of resilience and courage. Well-written script with lots of Colombian colloquialisms.
Accent: Colombian
9. Rebelde
Netflix has brought back all 440 episodes of this smash hit teen series about six students at an elite Mexican boarding school who form pop band RBD. The compelling storylines of this fun show hook you right away. Not just for teenagers, as this 46-year-old can attest.
Rebelde is infamous for its use of fresa slang popularized by upper-class Mexican youth (fresas). Fresa speech includes the use of English words and phrases as well as expressions like equis (ordinary, boring) and o sea (“come on” or “duh!”).
Accent: Mexican
10. El Ministerio del Tiempo
Spanish fantasy series chronicling the adventures of three members of a secret agency who guard Spain’s past from time-traveling intruders.
Accent: European Spanish
11. El Barco
This sci-fi adventure series follows the gorgeous, skimpily clad crew of a Spanish training vessel as they struggle to survive after a global cataclysm. Highly entertaining despite an absurd plot.
Accent: European Spanish
12. Juana Inés
Click the photo to watch the trailer
If you are seeking a meticulously researched PBS-style documentary about the life of this extraordinary scholar, philosopher, and poet, this isn’t it. However, if you are in the mood for an entertaining melodrama “inspired by actual events” featuring forbidden lesbian love, sneering villains, and bad Spanish accents, then this could be just the ticket. And despite the drama’s soapiness, Sor Juana’s incredible story still inspires and fascinates.
Accents: Mexican, bad European Spanish
13. Mar de Plástico
Murder melodrama set in southern Spain. Suffers from plot holes and poor acting, but offers fascinating insights into contemporary Spanish culture such as the ethnic tension between the locals and the town’s communities of African immigrant workers, gypsies, and Russians. The arid Andalusian landscapes are depicted with wonderful cinematography.
Accent: European Spanish
14. El Marginal
Gritty, suspenseful drama set in an Argentinian prison. Fascinating introduction to Lunfardo, the unique slang native to Buenos Aires. Fortunately, Spanish subtitles are in standard Spanish to help you translate.
Accent: Argentinian
15. La Reina del Sur
Kate del Castillo kicks butt again in this insanely popular telenovela. Del Castillo plays a young Mexican woman who becomes the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain. Gorgeous locations in Morocco, Mexico, Spain, and Colombia. This narconovela probably glamorizes the drug trade, but I loved the powerful female characters.
Great for Spanish practice due to the wide diversity of accents provided by an international cast. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
Accents: Mexican, Colombian, European Spanish, and even Moroccan
16. El Señor de los Cielos
I’m slightly embarrassed to admit my affinity for this narconovela, but if you can get past the violence and machismo it’s a suspenseful and highly addictive show that will keep you watching back-to-back episodes (and there are a lot of them, in traditional telenovela style). Great casting and dialogue in Season 1; however, in my opinion Season 2 went downhill fast.
17. Velvet
A steamy love story set in the glamorous fashion world of 1950s Madrid. A big favorite with Spanish learners!
Accent: European Spanish
18. Velvet Colección
Fans of Velvet won’t want to miss this spin-off, in which Ana Rivera returns from New York to launch a store and design school in Barcelona. Second season to come.
Accent: European Spanish
19. Tiempo Entre Costuras (The Time in Between)
Charming period drama set during the Spanish Civil War. The story follows young Spanish dressmaker-turned-spy Sira Quiroga from Madrid to many gorgeous locations in Morocco and Portugal. The pace is a little slow, but it’s a visual feast. It inspired afterwards me to practice my Spanish reading with the María Dueñas novel it’s based on of the same name.
Accent: European Spanish
20. Las Chicas del Cable (Cable Girls)
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Soapy melodrama about four women working as operators for a phone company in 1920s Madrid. The unique storyline is loaded with twists and intrigue, and Gran Hotel’s Yon González is always un bombón (easy on the eyes). 😀 Beautiful production values but some jarring anachronisms like the modern soundtrack. From the creators of Gran Hotel, Velvet, and Tiempos de Guerra; however, many fans consider it the weakest of the four.
Accent: European Spanish
21. The Day I Met El Chapo
In this fascinating docuseries, Mexican actress Kate del Castillo presents her side of the now-infamous meeting between notorious drug trafficker El Chapo, Sean Penn, and herself. I’ve always admired del Castillo for her strong convictions and badass female roles, but here her ambition and naïveté get her into deep trouble. Sean Penn outs himself as a total slimebag, and Kate becomes a convenient scapegoat for the corrupt Mexican government.
Interesting insights into Mexican culture (the influence of Televisa and telenovelas, Mexicans’ deep distrust of their own government) and lots of colloquial Mexican Spanish.
Accent: Mexican
22. Narcos
OK, Narcos is partially in English, but it’s still a compulsive watch and a fun way to practice Spanish from the comfort of your couch.
Accents: Colombian, Mexican (Note: Some of the Colombian accents are notoriously fake as the cast was drawn from across Latin America and Spain. Brazilian actor Warner Moura’s portrayal of Escobar was particularly ridiculed.)
23. Pablo Escobar, el Patrón del Mal
This Colombian version of the Escobar saga is much more detailed and authentic than Narcos, and Andrés Parra’s portrayal of the narcotraficante is vastly superior. The intermingling of graphic period footage adds to the realism.
Parra spent days studying Escobar’s voice, expressions, and body language, and his impersonation is thoroughly convincing. In contrast to Brazilian actor Wagner Moura’s bizarre Portuguese-accented Spanish in Narcos, Parra’s Paisa accent is spot-on. (In Moura’s defense, he only had a few months to learn Spanish. Parra was offered the role of Escobar in Narcos but turned it down because he did not want to be typecast, and because he found it psychologically exhausting to play such an evil character.)
Note: Despite its high quality, I did not finish this series as Escobar’s unmitigated evil was too hard for me to watch. Stronger stomachs than mine should check it out though. 😉
Accent: Colombian
24. Surviving Escobar – Alias JJ
Tap the photo to watch the trailer
Jonesing for another quality drug drama fix? Try this suspenseful Colombian series based on the memoirs of John Jairo (JJ) Velásquez, Pablo Escobar’s main hitman. As the Medellín Cartel crumbles, JJ struggles to survive and gain respect in the prison hierarchy.
Accent: Colombian
25. Bala Loca
A Chilean journalist investigating corruption stumbles on a big story when a fellow reporter dies suspiciously. Ten-episode political thriller that garnered rave reviews in its native Chile.
Accent: Chilean
26. La Esclava Blanca
Excellent Colombian novela that tells the story of Victoria, a white girl saved and raised by slaves in the Colombian Caribbean who later returns to fight for the freedom of her adopted family.
Accent: Colombian
27. Club de Cuervos
This witty Mexican drama, Netflix’s first Spanish-
Accents: Mexican, Peruvian, Argentinian, European Spanish, and even Brazilian
28. Club de Cuervos Presents: The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez
Click to watch trailer
This charming spin-off of Club de Cuervos focuses on meek personal assistant Hugo Sánchez, who is tasked with babysitting the Cuervos in Nicaragua and leading them to victory — that is, if his mom would let him.
Accents: Like Club de Cuervos, a diversity of accents including Mexican, Nicaraguan, and Argentinian
29. Celia
Alternative trailer with English voiceovers
This 80-part Colombian series follows charismatic Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz as she overcomes sexism, racism, and political strife to become the Queen of Salsa. Nice to see a novela with an Afro-Latina in the lead role. Mixed reviews due to its slow pace and a jarring cast change halfway though, but worth watching if you love Celia and her music.
Accent: Cuban
30. Lady, la Vendedora de Rosas
The poignant real-life story of Colombian child-star Lady Tabares, who was plucked off the streets of one of Medellin’s poorest neighborhoods to star in a film and quickly rose to fame.
Accent: Colombian
31. Edha
Netflix’s first original Argentinian production is an erotic thriller set in the glamorous fashion scene of Buenos Aires. The life of a successful designer and single mother turns upside down when she meets a mysterious man. A soapy mixture of revenge, passion, and dark secrets!
Accent: Argentinian
32. Apaches
Set in a working-class neighborhood of Madrid, this series based on the novel by Miguel Sáez Carral follows a young journalist who is forced into a life of crime to save his family.
Accent: European Spanish
33. Fariña (Cocaine Coast)
Tap the photo to watch the trailer
Suspenseful crime drama set in 1980s Galicia, Spain about the rise to power of a young fisherman seduced into becoming a prosperous cocaine smuggler. Based on journalist Nacho Carretero’s controversial nonfiction book of the same name.
Accent: European Spanish (Galician), some Latin American
34. Paquita Salas
Netflix picked up this popular Spanish web series, a tongue-in-cheek parody of the entertainment industry. Middle-aged Paquita, played by actor Brays Efe in drag, was one of Spain’s top talent agents in the ’90s, but finds herself in dire straits after losing her biggest client. Lots of cameos of Spanish celebrities, slang, and pop culture references.
Accent: European Spanish
35. Crematorio
Spanish thriller about corruption and the mafia that follows a ruthless real estate developer battling family drama, betrayals, and the fallout from decades of shady deals. Based on the award-winning novel by the same name.
Accent: European Spanish
More Netflix Spanish TV Suggestions
Even more shows that haven’t made it on the list yet:
- Yago – Addictive and operatic Mexican remake of a hit Turkish crime drama. Watch the trailer.
- Merlí – It’s in Catalán, not Spanish, but this wonderful series about an unconventional high school philosophy teacher is a fun watch, especially if you’re interested in the diverse cultures and languages of Spain. Watch the trailer (Note: Unfortunately, this badly dubbed trailer is the only one available. As always, I recommend watching this show in its original language, Catalán).
- Welcome to the Family – Another Catalán offering from Netflix. This dysfunctional family comedy follows single mom Àngela as she tries to support her family by covering up her estranged father’s death after learning they’ve been written out of his will. Watch the trailer.
Bonus: Amazon Prime Spanish TV Shows
I hope you love these shows like I do! Just so you know, I may get a small commission from any purchases made using the Amazon links in this section at no extra cost to you.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, try these shows available to stream for free. Not a member yet? Click here to start your free 30-day trial.
Vis a Vis (Locked Up)
If you like Orange is the New Black, don’t miss this smash TV hit from Spain.
Macarena must serve a seven-year prison sentence in a women’s prison because of the married man she is in love with. When she faces a very hard life behind bars, her parents are ready to do anything to obtain the freedom of their daughter.
Note that many countries outside the US have this show available on Netflix.
Accent: European Spanish
Isabel
This highly successful and critically acclaimed Spanish historical fiction series is based upon the reign of Queen Isabella I of Castile, one of the most influential figures in world history.
Important note: Amazon has only made Seasons 1 and 3 available so far. Hopefully, Season 2 will be added soon.
Additionally, only Spanish and Portuguese subtitles are provided. However, one of my intrepid readers has suggested a workaround to get English subtitles by watching using Google’s Chrome browser and enabling auto-translate of non-English webpages (see his comment below for more details). Thanks, Jim! 🙂
Accent: European Spanish
Diablo Guardián
Based on Mexican writer Xavier Velasco’s award-winning novel, this Prime Original series tells the story of Violetta, a young woman who flees Mexico to start anew in New York City. But instead of living a dream, Violetta is awoken to a harsh reality when she runs out of money, sending her into the arms of the villainous Nefastófeles.
Accents: Mexican, European Spanish
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Super fun post to read – thanks! Makes me want to learn Spanish… 😉
Thanks, Rainier! I’ve found Spanish to be really easy and rewarding, as there are so many opportunities to practice it online and in my travels. With your flair for languages I’m sure you’d pick it up quickly. 😉
Me too 😀
Thanks for this great summary. The only one of these I’ve seen is Tiempo Entre Costuras, which I loved. Another series that I loved was Las chicas del cable. I watched El guardián invisible the other night, which includes some Basque as well as Spanish. I haven’t published a review of the last one yet, but it’s coming.
Hi Virginia, it’s great to hear from you! I definitely have Las Chicas del Cable on my list… looks great. Have you seen Velvet? I have that one on my list too. Just added El Guardián Invisible to watch before my upcoming trip to Spain, thanks! Basque is so fascinating.
Lanina. How could you miss this one?
Do you mean La Niña? Got it in my queue but haven’t watched it yet.
Another great one that I couldn’t stop watching was Velvet. Typical telenovela but set in the 1950s fashion world.
Thanks for the recommendation, Julie! I definitely have Velvet in my queue to watch before my next visit to Spain. I may just add it to this list before then since several other people have also recommended it. 🙂
Velvet was very additive but I did not care for the ending. La casa de papel is also a very good.
Hi Maria, La Casa de Papel is new to Netflix and I haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, but I definitely will soon. Thanks for the recommendation!
To those don’t mind violence and vulgar words, I suggest to watch Narcos which season 1&2 showing about pablo escobar and season 3 showing about cali cartel.
I just finished watching el chapo season 1 & 2, season 1 quite boring but season 2 more of action packed war amongst cartel dealers with el chapo leads the war mostly. most of el chapo’s advantage came from government liason don sol that support him internally especially the army of entire season 2. Worth to watch and better than season 1 for sure!
Agree, Season 2 is awesome! Can’t wait for Season 3 already. 🙂
Mar de Plastico (2016, 2017; crime drama; murder mystery; European Spanish)
Hi Charles, thanks for the suggestion! I watched a couple of eps of Mar de Plástico and enjoyed it, but hadn’t gotten back to it yet… I was planning to do so before my next visit to Spain. I should add it to the list!
Hi Ingrid, you’re welcome. I also liked “Estocolmo”; it’s another Argentinian crime thriller set in the more swanky but seedier news- and boardrooms of Buenos Aires. Another in the same genre is “La Bala Loca” set in Santiago, Chile. Enjoy!
Gracias, Charles, I’ll check those out, especially La Bala Loca… we don’t have any other Chilean series in the list right now!
My favorites are El internado, el tiempo entre costuras and velver, of course El gran hotel was awesome too. I need to watch the other ones
Agree, and thank you for reminding me El Gran Hotel is back! I need to add it.
Oh my gosh, “Club de cuervos” is hilarious! I love it. Give it another go.
Thanks for the encouragement! So many people love it that now I feel like I have to give it another try. 😉
Pablo Escobar – El Patron del Mal; this would have to be up there. 7 seasons worth and the characters they create in the series are top notch.
Hi Sean, you’re right, I should add it. I watched a couple of episodes but didn’t continue because I found it hard to watch the unmitigated evil of the main character. I do think the portrayal of Escobar is vastly superior to the one in Narcos. Thanks for the suggestion!
I’ve just started watching another v. similar to the one I mentioned before, Surviving Escobar. Again it’s like 70 episodes and follows the story of the last remaining member of the Medellin Cartel after all the other Inextritables have perished. The protagonist, JJ, or John Jairo, plays an awesome role as a street smart wheeler and dealer, and I find the whole show equally well made as Pablo Escobar.
I have an affinity with the Colombian Spanish I think.
I’m only 6 episodes in but am settling in for a marathon!!!
Thanks for the suggestion, Sean! Looks like a high-quality show. I will add it. And agree, the Colombian accent is very easy on the ears!
Thank you for noting what accent is on the show. Makes it more fun when searching for a new country of origin to pick shows from when one is used to watching the same thing all the time.
So glad you found it useful! I try to provide shows from a diversity of Spanish-speaking countries.
Rebelde is not available on netflix.
Hi Jaye, it’s available on US Netflix (I’m currently watching it), but may not be in other countries.
You forgot Según Roxi!!!!
Sarah, that sounds awesome, but it’s not on Netflix USA! What are you using to watch it?
What about turkish series in spanish CC ?
Hi Luisa, I know those are really popular in Latin America, but I haven’t watched any yet. Do you have any recommendations?
dont forget sin senos yo hay pariso…..it was awesome….so was centaur’s woman..the first season….
Thanks for the recommendation, Tammy! Looks like Centauro’s Woman (La querida del Centauro) isn’t on Netflix yet but it is on Youtube!
Lady, la vendedora de rosas. And I really wish they’d bring back the Disney series, Soy Luna.
Thanks for the suggestion, Vallarie, I should add Lady. And Soy Luna looks great… I hope they bring it back too.
Thanks for this great list! I just finished Ministry of Time (one of the best shows ever IMO) so this list will help a lot in picking my next few Spanish series to watch. I was actually looking for both “Isabel” and “Águila Roja” but sadly neither are on Netflix, Hulu or AmazonPrime. I found a few episodes on youtube but without English subs. RTVE site seems to possibly have all the episodes of each but doesnt allow views outside of Spain. I could try using a VPN to circumvent, but I suspect they still won’t have English subs. You don’t happen to know where these can be view do you? Also, once thing I noted in Ministry of Time is that many words with “S” have it pronounced like the English “Th”. Is this a European Spanish thing? Because I never noticed this before but most of the other Spanish language shows/movies I have watched were probably Mexican or Colombian.
Hi, Jim, thanks for the recommendations! I’ve been wanting to watch Isabel myself, but have not found it anywhere. Hopefully those RTVE shows will come to Netflix at some point. Agree that they won’t have English subtitles if you watch them on the RTVE website.
As you may know, in Castilian Spanish (considered the standard European Spanish) the letters “c” and “z” are pronounced “th,” and in some parts of Andalucía even the letter “s” is pronounced “th,” so maybe that’s the sound you’re hearing.
Let me know how you like the next shows you watch, and if you discover any new ones!
Ah yes that makes sense about the European Spanish pronunciations… just sounds strange after watching mostly Latin American language shows before lol. And frankly, it’s even more noticeable in “Mar del Plastico”, which makes sense given your comments about that region. I am 3 episodes away from the end of season 1 on that and definately agree with your review. The plot holes are notable but not the worst I’ve seen… some of the acting is less than stellar but I really like Rodolfo Sancho and think he does a great job along with a few others in this series. I find it pretty intriguing, though i may jump to another series (possibly La Nina or El Barco) before starting series 2.
For me Andalusian Spanish is some of the most difficult to understand. What I loved about Mar de Plástico was the unique mix of cultures in southern Spain… the Spanish locals, the Roma, the Russians, and the Africans. La Niña is probably a better more serious and well-made production than El Barco, but both are good for entertainment and for practicing Spanish… Let me know what you think!
I agree about the cultural mix aspect… very fascinating to see those tensions and realize that horrible things like that occur across the globe, not just in the US as many closed-minded people would like to think. But to be clear, it’s sad that they occur anywhere, just really interesting to see another country’s perspective on it. I did go ahead and finish the 2nd season and i couldn’t stand not to after that cliff-hangar at the end of S1!
After that, I opted to go with La Nina and am now totally addicted to that lol! Very well done production, and although a little too bit “telanovela-y) for my taste at times, the strong characters and acting, as well as the riveting story line, have got me almost through half of the ~80 episodes already.
I also wanted to mention something about “Isabel” that i just discovered today, as I know you and probably others here are interested in that series. Still no word on Netflix availability but I found that Amazon Prime Video now has full season 1 & 3 (and strangely only ep.1 of season 2). I was thrilled to see this but was quickly disappointed that there were only Spanish and Portuguese subs available. However, a work-around for some that require English subs is to watch through Google’s Chrome browser and enable “auto-translating” of non-English web pages. I use this feature a lot while browsing but never realized it would work on translating subs! What i found was that the original Spanish subs show up very briefly but are then instantly translated to English! The only downside is that a few times, the English subs were not on screen long enough to read. I need to concentrate on watching a full episode to see if that is really going to be an issue, but hopefully this will be a decent work around for most people.
Jim, you rock! Thank you so much for sharing that, as well as your workaround for English subs. I’m going to add it to the Amazon Prime section. Hopefully Amazon will add the full Season 2 soon.
And glad you’re enjoying La Niña! The Colombian accent is famous for being one of the most beautiful Latin accents and is one of my favorites.
Tierra de Reyes was super good. Couldn’t stop watching. I will highly recommend. Filled with love, intrigue, suspense, thriller and a super cast.
Thanks for the recommendation… looks like a very fun and juicy show! 😉 Unfortunately, it’s not available here for streaming in the US, but hopefully readers from other countries can check it out.