Viajamos hacia el este.

Viajamos is the first person plural form of viajar (to travel), so it means we travel, we are traveling, or sometimes we traveled, depending on context.

Subject pronouns are often omitted in Spanish, so nosotros viajamos and viajamos both mean we travel / we are traveling.

By itself, viajamos can be either:

• present indicative: we travel / we are traveling
• preterite: we traveled

Spanish has several verb forms like this where the nosotros form is identical in the present and preterite. Normally, context tells you which meaning is intended. In a standalone learning sentence like this, it is often understood as we travel toward the east or we are traveling toward the east.

Hacia means toward, in the direction of, or sometimes approximately in other contexts.

In this sentence, hacia el este means toward the east. It focuses on direction, not necessarily a final destination.

So:

• viajamos hacia el este = we travel toward the east
• it suggests movement in that direction

They are similar, but not identical.

• hacia el este = toward the east, emphasizing direction
• al este = often to the east or eastward, and in some contexts it can sound more like destination or location

Examples:

• Viajamos hacia el este = We are heading east / toward the east.
• La ciudad está al este = The city is to the east.

So hacia is a very natural choice when you want to stress movement in a direction.

Because here este is not the demonstrative this. It is the noun meaning east.

Compass points in Spanish are often used with the definite article:

• el norte
• el sur
• el este
• el oeste

So hacia el este literally means toward the east.

Yes. Este can mean this in other sentences, for example:

• este libro = this book

But in hacia el este, the word el tells you that este is being used as a noun, meaning east.

So:

• este libro = this book
• el este = the east

Context and the article make the meaning clear.

In Spanish, compass directions are usually not capitalized unless they are part of a proper name or begin a sentence.

So normally you write:

• el norte
• el sur
• el este
• el oeste

But you might see capitalization in proper names, such as a region, institution, or title.

Because Spanish only has two mandatory contractions with el:

• a + el = al
• de + el = del

So:

• hacia el este stays hacia el este
• it does not become a contraction

This is completely normal.

A good approximate pronunciation is:

bya-HA-mos A-sya el ES-te

A few key points:

• v in Spanish is usually pronounced very similarly to b
• j in viajamos is a strong throat sound, like a breathy h
• h in hacia is silent
• c before i in Latin America sounds like s

So:

• viajamos ≈ bya-HA-mos
• hacia ≈ A-sya
• el este ≈ el ES-te

Yes, you could, and people would understand you. But the nuance is a little different.

• Viajamos hacia el este emphasizes direction: we are moving eastward.
• Viajamos al este can sound more like we travel to the east.

If you want the clearest sense of heading in that direction, hacia el este is especially good.

No. Spanish usually leaves out the subject pronoun when the verb already shows who is doing the action.

So both are correct:

• Viajamos hacia el este
• Nosotros viajamos hacia el este

The version without nosotros is more typical unless you want emphasis or contrast, such as:

• Nosotros viajamos hacia el este, pero ellos viajan hacia el oeste.