Adventures in Yucatan, Mexico

We began our orientation trip for the College of the Atlantic Yucatan Program on the beautiful eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo. We avoided the main tourist hubs of the Riviera while visiting historical sites, influential cities, and small communities that welcomed us in to see how they are working to preserve their environment and maintain cultural practices. Along the way, we met some amazing families, ate delicious food, learned about the history of the peninsula and worked our way closer to our final destination, the city of Merida, capital of the state of Yucatan.                                   Our journey began on the beaches of the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, where we visited one of the most important archeological sites from the Mayan Postclassic period, the ancient city of Zama, better known today as Tulu...

  During the first part of the student’s time in Merida, meeting and integrating into their host families is probably the most important step in beginning an immersion program. The host families in Mérida are fundamental for the students to adapt to their new urban context. Another important aspect of the students' time in Mérida are their Spanish classes, since the language will allow them to interact and immerse themselves more profoundly in the culture. During these language classes, the students not only learn grammar and structure, but they are also able to develop their own linguistic abilities by sharing, discussing and practicing everyday vocabulary and expressions that they hear outside of the classroom. The culture classes are another key part of the program, they help the students understand diverse aspects of the culture, how a Yucatecan family lives, the differences between interacting in an urban or a rural setting, and provide the hidden historical context for what w...

Our trip started in Campeche, one of the states of the Yucatán peninsula, in the community of Miguel Colorado, belonging to the town of Champoton. There we could immerse ourselves in nature and enjoy the ‘Cenote Azul’. The experience of swimming and kayaking in the immensity of the open cenote was fascinating. It’s interesting how cenotes, which are so emblematic for this limestone terrain, are an important resource for the communities of the region that profit off these spaces to obtain resources for their subsistence. Continuing our trip we headed to the archeological site of Calakmul deep inside of the Reservation of the Biosphere of Calakmul. This ancient Mayan city always amazes us with its spectacular architecture, lush vegetation and sounds of nature.  On our way we encountered a spectacular place, the cave well known as Volcan of the Murcielagos. This cave is found inside the state nature reserve Balam-Ku and is refuge of the approximately four million bats of at least seve...