Entre la sierra y la costa, encontramos un pueblo pequeño con un faro y una bahía tranquila.

Between the mountain range and the coast, we found a small town with a lighthouse and a quiet bay.

Breakdown of Entre la sierra y la costa, encontramos un pueblo pequeño con un faro y una bahía tranquila.

• un: a
• pequeño: small
• una: a
• con: with

Questions & Answers about Entre la sierra y la costa, encontramos un pueblo pequeño con un faro y una bahía tranquila.

Why does the sentence start with Entre la sierra y la costa?

This is a prepositional phrase that sets the scene: it tells us where the town is located.

• entre = between / among
• la sierra = the mountain range / the uplands
• la costa = the coast

So Entre la sierra y la costa means something like Between the mountains and the coast.

Spanish often places this kind of location phrase at the beginning of the sentence to give context first.

What exactly does sierra mean here?

In this sentence, sierra means a mountain range or a mountainous area.

It does not mean just one mountain. A native English speaker might be tempted to think of mountain = montaña, but sierra usually suggests a chain or region of mountains/hills.

So:

• la montaña = the mountain
• la sierra = the mountain range / uplands

Why are there definite articles in la sierra and la costa?