10 Best Spanish Language Shows on Netflix to Watch in 2021

 10 Best Spanish Language Shows on Netflix to Watch in 2021

Spanish shows are absolutely smashing it at the moment on Netflix, so we are here to show you 10 of the best Spanish language shows you can find on the platform. These Spanish Netflix series will have you hooked from the first episode. What’s more, with their quality acting and diction, they are also some of the best Spanish language shows on Netflix for beginners to learn Spanish or practice their Spanish listening. Whether you like Action, Romance, or Comedy, this list of Netflix series has something for you!

So, what do we mean by “best Spanish language shows on Netflix”? Well, any shows with spoken Spanish! The list includes series from Spain itself as well as Latin American countries and their charming accents. As you will see, Spain and Mexico in particular are currently churning out a lot of quality content.

 

  1. La casa de papel (Money Heist)
  2. Élite
  3. La Casa de las Flores (The House of Flowers)
  4. Club de Cuervos
  5. Paquita Salas
  6. Las chicas del cable (Cable Girls)
  7. Desenfrenadas (Unstoppable)
  8. 100 días para enamorarnos (100 Days to Fall in Love)
  9. Valeria 
  10. Alguien tiene que morir (Someone Has to Die)

 

1. La casa de papel

Or, as non Spanish speakers might know it, Money Heist. La casa de papel is a crime drama series about an intricately-planned robbery – first of the Royal Mint of Spain and then the Bank of Spain (no less!) – that will leave you on the edge of your seat. 8 Thieves dare to lock themselves inside these buildings, taking anyone unfortunate enough to have been working or visiting on those days as hostages.

Whose side will you take? That of the mysterious yet ingenious Professor who has planned everything down to a T? Or that of the calm and collected Inspector and the Spanish government? Careful which you choose, the good and bad might just get tangled up… 

Let us know who your favourite operative turns out to be – Denver? Rio? Tokyo? Oslo? Helsinki? Nairobi…? – and what city name you would pick out for yourself in the comments below. 

(If you like these heist plotlines, we recommend you branchout and try the French language Netflix show that is currently trending: Lupin.)

 

First released on Netflix: May 2017

Created by: Álex Pina

Awards: 29

 

2. Élite

Was La casa de papel not enough mystery, tension, and thrills for you? Try this. Our next best Spanish language show on Netflix has to be Élite, a series about a posh private school where the students are anything but well behaved.

They drink, take drugs, have threesomes and – the factor which really ignites the plotline – they are capable of murder. The question is… are they also capable of concealing this dramatic death? Don’t worry, we won’t spoil it for you – all we can say is that we hope your high school experience wasn’t anything close to this one! 

Although some elements certainly belong to the cliché teenage flick territory, the flash-forward plot style creates extra suspense and will keep you on your toes. Unsure how the present events of the show will lead to the future you are occasionally permitted to glimpse.

Moreover, Élite also engages with mature themes and flirts with some progressive issues especially regarding the character Nadia’s relationship with her conservative Muslim father. 

 

First released on Netflix: October 2018

Created by: Carlos Montero, Daríos Madrona

Awards: 1

 

3. La Casa de las Flores

Even if you do not understand a single word of this Spanish language show on Netflix, we can guarantee that you will still enjoy it, purely due to the aesthetic pleasure you will derive from The House of Flowers vibrant emphasis on the visual.

The series is intended to be a contemporary reinterpretation of the classic Mexican telenovela, with equal doses of drama, intrigue, and black humour. The plot revolves around the illusion of a perfect life and family maintained by a wealthy matriarch’s extravagant floristry that cracks to reveal the taboos and mistakes in which each family member becomes engulfed.

The progressiveness and inclusivity of this captivating Spanish language show is undeniable, with themes such as disability, homosexuality and transexuality, openly showcased and celebrated. 

 

First released on Netflix: August 2018

Created by: Manolo Caro

Awards: 4

 

4. Club de Cuervos

This Mexican comedy series will have you laughing your socks off, mostly at rather than with the characters – especially at the failings of the clueless yet nonetheless extremely self-confident Chava. Who would have thought that a show about the trials and tribulations of a football club could be so entertaining?!

2 Siblings fight to obtain their late father’s position as owner of Crows FC throughout 4 whole series, and just when everything seems stable and the team is rising up the leagues, all falls to pieces once again in the most hilarious fashion. This Spanish language show was so successful that they even made a whole spin-off film dedicated to one of its characters: the seductive and lovable airhead Potro

 

First released on Netflix: August 2015

Created by: Gary Alazraki and Michael Lam

Awards: 2

 

5. Paquita Salas

Keeping with the theme of Spanish comedy shows, the marvellous Brays Efe will have you rolling on the floor with laughter when he plays the extravagant female talent agent Paquita Salas. Her agency used to be one of the best but is now sinking as it appears that Paquita hasn’t quite known how to adapt with the times – often struggling with simple technological tasks and attempting to acquire new talent in rather unorthodox, aggressive ways.

Although somewhat short-sighted and self-centred, Paquita is a truly endearing character whose friendship with her quirky assistant Magui is both hilarious and heartwarming.

 

First released on Netflix: July 2016

Created by: Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi 

Awards: 4

 

6. Las chicas del cable

Let’s now return to Spanish Netflix shows that bring a healthy dose of intrigue and (we must say) attractive cast members! Cable Girls is a period drama set in 1920s Madrid that tells of the lives of 4 women and the trouble they get into after beginning work as telephone operators in a renowned telecommunications company.

Marga wants to begin a new, more independent life, Carlota will do anything to escape her dominant father, Angeles seeks a respite from living with her abusive husband, and Alba – who renames herself Lydia – owes a large sum of money to the merciless Beltram.

The difficulties of being a woman in the Spanish patriarchal society of the 20s become blatantly apparent, and you as spectator will be sucked into the drama, hoping and praying that the girls can conceal their crimes from the oppressive male authorities. 

If you loved Las chicas del cable, you should definitely check out the similar style Spanish series: Alta mar and Gran Hotel

 

First released on Netflix: April 2017

Created by: Ramón Campos, Gema R. Neira

Awards: 5

 

7. Desenfrenadas

Desenfrenadas, or Unstoppable, is a Spanish language show from Mexico that also follows the lives of 4 young women, yet it is set in contemporary times and deals with the burning feminist issues of today’s world – Mexico in particular.

The 3 friends Rocío, Vera, and Carlota decide to take a road trip to Oaxaca, wanting a break from the lives that they deem unfair and tedious. Upon meeting poor Marcela, however, they realise just how much they have taken for granted; how precarious life can be for the underprivileged women of Mexico and the coping methods they must resort to. 

With adult themes such as violence, drug use, and rape, Desenfrenadas is a fantastic Spanish language series for raising awareness about misogynistic Latinamerican societies and packs a potent ‘Girl Power’ message.

 

First released on Netflix: February 2020

Created by: Diego Martínez Ulanosky

Awards: 2 Nominations 

 

8. 100 días para enamorarnos

100 Days to Fall in Love is a Spanish language show set between Chicago and Houston, America, so it is a great option for beginners or those learning Spanish as there are still lots of English phrases thrown in!

This Spanish Netflix series is a modernised version of a 2018 Argentine telenovela and follows the on and off relationships of two married couples who decide to take a break. The jealousy stemming from the introduction of new love interests leads to a funny and entertaining plot; not to mention the third ‘relationship’ of the series that will have you constantly cringing due to the ridiculous lies Luis invents to hide his double life from his wife.

Despite its upbeat, lighthearted quality, this Spanish language show does skimp on incorporating important themes such as transgenderism. 

 

First released on Netflix: April 2020

Created by: Ricardo Álvarez Canales

Awards: 5



9. Valeria 

Valeria, you might chuckle to know, is described on Wikipedia as a ‘sex comedy’. (Did you know that genre of series existed? Comment below…) So need we explain further?! Only joking, we know what you’re thinking… but don’t worry, this Spanish show really isn’t so graphic or explicit, but deals with the sex lives of 4 young women in a healthy, refreshing manner.

The plot focuses on Valeria, a writer, who has the impression that both her writing and marriage are missing that special spark. Nevertheless, her friend group are always cheery and supportive, making the show easy and relaxing to watch… except for the prolonged sexual tension between Valeria and Víctor that makes you want to scream ‘JUST KISS ALREADY!’ 

 

First released on Netflix: May 2020

Created by: María López Castaño

Awards: None as of yet

 

10. Alguien tiene que morir

As you might guess from the title Someone Has to Die, this Spanish show is not a comedy. The short series might be better understood as a thriller film that has been chopped up into chilling episodes. Alguien tiene que morir is set in the conservative 1950s under the authoritarian rule of dictator Francisco Franco

When the son Gabino is called back to Spain from Mexico by his well-to-do family for the purpose of marriage, they are rather horrified to find that he has brought a male ballet dancer with him. The mere suggestion of of homosexuality during these times was scandalous and the rumour that spreads through town regarding the Falcón household brings dire, bloody consequences. 

 

First released on Netflix: October 2020

Created by: Manolo Caro

Awards: None as of yet



So there you have the 10 best Spanish languages shows on Netflix to watch in 2021! Have you seen them all yet? Did we include your favourite? Tell us all about your Spanish series obsessions in the comments section below…

Arabella

1 Comment

  • La Reina del Sur! 🙏🙏🙏

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