Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Vamos al parque por la rotonda siempre y cuando no haya tormenta. - We’ll go to the park via the roundabout as long as there is no storm.

Al is the contraction of a + el (to + the). You must use the contraction before masculine singular nouns (e.g., al parque), but not with feminine nouns (e.g., a la plaza).

Why is it por la rotonda and not para la rotonda?

Por marks the route or path taken: “via/through/by way of.” Para expresses destination or purpose. Here you’re describing the route to the park, so it’s por la rotonda, not para.

Does por la rotonda mean we drive around the roundabout several times?

No. It simply means you pass by/through the roundabout on your way. If you wanted to emphasize going around it, you’d use something like dar la vuelta en la rotonda or tomar la rotonda.

What does siempre y cuando really mean?

It’s an idiom meaning provided that / as long as. It does not mean “always and when” literally; it introduces a condition.

Why is it no haya and not no hay?

After conditional expressions like siempre y cuando, Spanish normally uses the subjunctive because the situation is hypothetical or dependent on a condition. Hence no haya (subjunctive), not no hay (indicative/factual).

What verb form is haya?

Haya is the present subjunctive of haber used impersonally (like “there be”): (que) no haya tormenta = “that there (not) be a storm.”

Can I say no hayan tormentas?

In careful/standard Spanish, impersonal haber stays singular even with plural nouns: no haya tormentas (verb in singular). Many speakers do say no hayan tormentas colloquially, but it’s nonstandard.

Do I need a comma before siempre y cuando?

It’s optional. Many writers add a comma for clarity: Vamos al parque por la rotonda, siempre y cuando… Both with and without the comma are acceptable.

Could I replace siempre y cuando with si?

Yes: …si no hay tormenta. Meaning is similar, but siempre y cuando sounds a bit more formal/explicitly conditional than plain si.

Are there other equivalents to siempre y cuando?

Yes:

Con tal (de) que no haya tormenta (provided that)
A condición de que no haya tormenta (on condition that)
Siempre que no haya tormenta (often = provided that; with indicative it can mean “whenever”)
Mientras no haya tormenta (as long as; with subjunctive it’s conditional)

Is vamos here “we go” or “let’s go”?

Context decides. As a plain statement, vamos = “we go” (habitual/present). With an exhorting tone or exclamation, ¡Vamos…! can mean “let’s go.” The given sentence reads like a statement unless marked as a suggestion by context or punctuation.

What’s the difference between vamos and vamos a ir?

Vamos al parque… can be present (habitual) or near-future in context.
Vamos a ir al parque… explicitly signals a planned/near-future action (“we’re going to go”). Both are common; the second is more overtly future-oriented.

Is ir para ever used for destinations, as in vamos para el parque?

In many Latin American regions (e.g., Caribbean, parts of Mexico and Central America), everyday speech uses ir para for destination: Voy para el parque. In broadly standard usage, ir a is the default: Voy al parque. Your sentence with a is universally correct.

What exactly is a rotonda? Are there regional alternatives?

Rotonda = roundabout/traffic circle. Regional variants:

Mexico and parts of Spain: glorieta
Central America (e.g., El Salvador): redondel
Peru (and some Andean areas): óvalo All are widely understood regionally; rotonda is broadly recognized.

Could I say en la rotonda instead of por la rotonda?

Different meaning. En la rotonda = “at/in the roundabout” (location). Por la rotonda = “via/through the roundabout” (route). For your sentence, por is the natural choice.

Why no article before tormenta? Could I say una tormenta?

Weather events after impersonal haber often omit the article when speaking generally: no haya tormenta. You can say no haya una tormenta if you mean “not a single storm” or emphasize one storm; both are correct, with a slight nuance difference.

Is tormenta the usual word for “storm”? What about lluvia or tempestad?

Tormenta: general “storm,” often implies thunder/wind; specify tormenta eléctrica for thunderstorm.
Lluvia: “rain” (not necessarily a storm).
Tempestad/temporal: stronger or literary/regionally preferred terms for severe storms or bad weather.