Mexico: living la vida local
10 Days, 9 Nights
Welcome to Puerto Escondido, a beach town on the Pacific coast. It is popular for surfing and has all the charm of a coastal town that has retained its authenticity. With beautiful beaches and countryside, your trip is in an idyllic setting, leaving you with memories that will last a lifetime.
Although Mexico’s economy has been gradually growing over the last few decades, it still suffers from high levels of poverty. During your stay here, you will teach English to school children, help with environmental and conservation work, and spend time with the wonderful local people. There will be plenty of time for fun as well, with surfing lessons, boat cruises, a cooking class and exploring the local area.
Day 1: Arrival
Upon arrival, you will be met by your tour guide and taken to the accommodation. The afternoon will be spent on the program orientation and what to expect over the next few days.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 2: Project Work and Beach Tour
You will be helping underprivileged children by assisting them to learn English in a local school. Working with teachers and staff, you will help devise fun and engaging activities with the children to help them improve their grammar and conversation skills. The Mexican government has identified speaking English as crucial to the country’s growth. The students are eager to learn, and your contribution will be invaluable to them, offering the possibility of better employment and educational opportunities in the future.
In the afternoon, a guide will take you on a tour of the local beaches, where you will have time to relax and enjoy the stunning backdrop. In the evening, there is a welcome dinner in your honor, where you will be served the region’s specialty cuisine.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 3: Project Work and Cookery Lesson
Following a morning’s teaching you will visit a nearby village where you will enjoy a cooking lesson from the locals and then eat your creations for dinner.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 4: Project Work and Town Tour
After another morning with the children, you will take a guided tour of the local town and its surroundings. The market is the perfect place to pick up a souvenir and take in the town's surroundings. The next stop is an archeological site where several pre-Hispanic discoveries have been made. Historians believe that people settled in the area since around 500 BC, and it wasn’t just the Egyptians that built pyramids, as you will discover today.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 5: Project Work and Local Village
It’s time to say goodbye to the children, as it is your last morning with them. In the afternoon you will be taken to a nearby village to learn about the local way of life. In the village, artists will show you their creations and traditional crafts. You then have the evening free to relax and unwind.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 6: Turtle Camp and Spanish Lesson
Today, you will be engaging in some conservation work, beginning with a visit to the turtle camp. The habitat of turtles is under threat and the conservation work is critical to the turtle’s future and keeping the species alive. You will learn about the conservation efforts undertaken and then release hatchlings into the ocean. Newborn hatchlings can fall victim to many predators on the journey from the nest on the beach to the ocean. By taking them to the sea yourself, you will significantly enhance their chances of survival.
The environmental work continues with a beach clean-up; there is no better place in the world to do some tidying up, and you will remove plastics and other materials that can endanger wildlife. In the evening you will receive a Spanish class from the locals.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 7: Project Work
It’s the last day of working with the children, so time to say goodbye at the end of the lesson. In the afternoon, you will receive a local crafts lesson from villagers in Oaxaca.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 8: Surfing and Hiking
It’s an adventure-packed day as you will be surfing and hiking the trails around Puerto Escondido. The area is renowned for surfing, as you will have already seen from your visits to the beach. Even for beginners, this is the perfect place to pick up a surfboard and have a go at riding the waves.
The countryside around Puerto Escondido has many hiking trails; your guide will take you to the best spots so you can fully appreciate the beauty of this area. In the evening, you are in for a real treat as you embark on a boat cruise to see the phenomenon of bioluminescent plankton. As well as learning all about their ecosystem and the importance of plankton in the food chain, you will see firsthand these glow-in-the-dark lifeforms at a local lagoon.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 9: Boat Cruise and Bike Tour
Your last full day in Mexico begins with a boat cruise around the coast, stopping off and visiting four of the main towns along the way. In the afternoon, a local guide will take you on an exciting bike tour, to explore more of the trails around Puerto Escondido.
In the evening, it is time for your last dinner together to reflect on the amazing journey you have all taken.
Overnight: Puerto Escondido
Day 10: Departure
Time to say adiós to Mexico.
Total cost: $3750
What is included
Activities:
Surfing lesson
Boat cruise
Night bioluminescent lagoon trip
Hiking
Bike ride
Spanish lesson
Cooking class
Local village tour
Visit market
Accommodation and services
A 24/7 tour manager accompanying you throughout the trip
Private transportation throughout the trip
Project accommodation in project center
Post project accommodation in 3 and 4 *hotels
All meals included
Medical insurance up to $50,000 and baggage insurance
Tickets and Tours:
Pyramids visit
Local village tour
Project:
Teaching
Turtle conservation and beach clean-up
Not included in this Trip:
International flights not included (we can arrange these for you)
Visas, where applicable
Any vaccination required
Cancellation insurance (Medical insurance up to $50,000 and baggage insurance are included)