Puerta del Sol is an audiomagazine for intermediate and advanced Spanish students, yet is versatile enough for just about anyone. I wholeheartedly recommend it for teachers, independent students, homeschoolers, travelers, and anyone else looking for authentic Spanish listening practice. 

A subscription to Puerta del Sol includes three separate components:

1. 60-minute audio tape or CD (your choice) filled with articles, interviews, and music, specially chosen and edited to help you improve your Spanish listening skills, grammar, and vocabulary. The audio is done entirely by native Spanish-speaking professional broadcasters, and is formatted like a radio show: Iñaki Gabilondo* introduces each feature and music often separates the segments or plays in the background. 
     
2. 60-page (approx.) magazine with a complete transcript of the audio and a glossary: the difficult vocabulary and expressions are highlighted in bold in the transcript, then translated and usually elaborated upon in the glossary. The glossary is a key element of Puerta del Sol - it takes up more than half of the magazine, and many of the entries are mini-articles in themselves.
     
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3. Optional study guide with pre- and post-listening exercises to help you get the most out of each feature.

* Iñaki Gabilondo, the host of Puerta del Sol, is a well-known Spanish broadcaster, on both radio (Cadena SER) and TV (Televisión Española).

Each bi-monthly issue contains about ten short features on diverse topics in Spanish current events and culture, such as politics, business, music, and sports. To give you an idea of the range of topics addressed, here are the features in the issue that I reviewed (Año X, Número 5):

• Conversación con Salvador Pániker (filósofo y escritor)
• Paco Montesdeoca, el hombre del tiempo
• Velas al viento, en miniatura
• Días de radio y recuerdos de posguerra: unos minutos con Luis del Val
• Pescado a la vasca, con Juan Mari Arzak
• Gastronomía: Los panes de España
• Música de zarzuela
• Canción: María la portuguesa, de Carlos Cano
• Canción: Estaciones, de Antonio Vega

There are occasional features about Latin America, but Puerta del Sol focuses mainly on Spain, and thus Castilian Spanish. 

Calling itself "your door to the Spanish-speaking world," Puerta del Sol is an excellent tool for learning about Spanish culture and current events while improving your listening skills, grammar, and vocabulary.

A subscription to Puerta del Sol can be delivered just about anywhere in the world and comes with a money-back guarantee. If you'd like more information, visit the Puerta del Sol website or, if you're already convinced, you can go right to the order page. :-)

Puerta del Sol is published by Champs-Élysées, Inc., along with similar audiomagazines in French, Italian, and German.

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