What is the difference between "cerca del corazón" and "cerca al corazón"?

Question

Para traducir esta frase al español:

We hold these traditions close to our heart.

¿Cuál de estas preposiciones usar: "al" o "del"?

What is the difference between "cerca del corazón" and "cerca al corazón"?

Answer 1

Si consultamos el Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas, obtenemos lo siguiente (negritas mías):

cerca. 1. Adverbio que significa ‘en lugar o tiempo próximos’. Normalmente se construye seguido de un complemento con de que expresa el término de referencia: «Había pasado la infancia en un pueblo cerca de Málaga» (Pitol Juegos [Méx. 1982]); «Estamos cerca del final» (Nación [C. Rica] 13.2.97). No debe usarse, en estos casos, la preposición a: ⊗«Custodiaban un coche cargado de explosivos cerca a una de las pistas» (Abc [Esp.] 23.8.89).

Por tanto, el adverbio cerca va seguido siempre de la preposición de, y nunca de a.

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Nota: ten en cuenta que las preposiciones son a o de, no al o del, que resultan de las contracciones a + el y de + el.

Answer 2

First, cerca al corazón is wrong in Spanish. It means nothing. You don't use the preposition a with this kind of adverbs in Spanish.

In Spanish we have some adverbs that indicate position (locative adverbs) and can be used alone or with a reference. Examples are cerca, lejos, encima, debajo... If we use them without a reference, it is implicit. For instance:

La tienda está cerca.

The shop is near. Near what? This is implicit; depending on the context, it may be near us, or near some other place we are talking about. In English, if you want to use a reference, you would use different propositions (or none), depending on the adverb (or adverbial phrase):

The shop is near. --> The shop is near the fountain.

The shop is close. --> The shoe is close to the fountain.

The shop is far. --> The shop is far from the fountain.

The green book is on top. --> The green book is on top of the pile.

In Spanish, the preposition to indicate space relation is de, and this is the one we use with location adverbs if we want to set a reference:

La tienda está cerca. --> La tienda está cerca de la fuente.

La tienda está lejos. --> La tienda está lejos de la fuente.

El libro verde está encima. --> El libro verde está encima de la pila.

In your example, the only possibility is Tenemos estas tradiciones cerca del corazón. Whenever you want to set a reference for a locative adverb or adverbial phrase in Spanish, use the preposition de.