Na'atik Language and Culture Institute

My granddaughter, age 16, and I went to Na'atik for a week to study Spanish recently - I had been there before and thought she would enjoy it as I had. We both thought our instructors were great, and that we gained a lot from their help. Our host family was just the best! We also really enjoyed the activities outside of school. The school staff are all very helpful, and the people of the town are really friendly. Everyone should try a delicious marquesita, sold in the town plaza. I also definitely recommend visiting the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben, as well as beachside Bacalar. The restaurant La Playita there is definitely worth a visit.

My weeklong stay with the Garcia Uicab Family was amazing. I had a tremendous amount of fun and this is a giant step out of my comfort zone to visit a foreign country by myself as a 16-year-old. The food the family served was out of this world and I was looking forward to every meal because I knew it was gonna taste good. Also, the staff at Na’atik were amazingly welcoming, and they helped me tremendously to get where I needed to be. The activities available were an insane amount of fun. The cenote trip is definitely worth it and I got some amazing videos and pictures out of it. I also did the bike adventure with Bruno. Right now, most of the people here are on break so it was only me and Bruno. The bike trip super interesting. We rode on a historic and iconic road that goes from Felipe Carillo to the ocean and I learned all about its history, the seasons here and we stopped at a lagoon, I got to try sapotes and mangoes. And even though I’m not totally fluent in Spanish, I was still able to have a conversation with him basically the entire time and I could understand everything he was saying, and I even got to teach him about some of the American culture on the East Coast. In general, I had an amazing time on this trip and honestly, I would do it again if I had the chance to, and I would bring my friends because something like this would be tons of fun with people you know and before I came here, I was a little nervous, but after being here for a week, I feel like I’m a part of the community and this is more than worth it so I definitely recommend.

I feel excessively effusive but I don't think I could have had a much better experience than the one that Na'atik provided. I felt so taken care of with my host family and by day 3 felt completely comfortable either interacting or taking alone time. They were incredibly accommodating with my dietary restrictions (pescatarian) and generous with helping me navigate Carrillo (took me to Carnaval, to the combi station when I went to Bacalar, offered me rides late at night, etc). I was really glad I got to stay in a home with kids as well, which was incredibly fun. Similarly, the Na'atik staff is fabulous. Everyone is so kind and seemed genuinely invested my experience. I loved the "water cooler" chats, getting activity suggestions, and opportunities to practice Spanish with other folks.

I cannot be more complimentary of my classes either. Of course the advantage of having private classes is that it went at my speed, and I certainly felt that I had days where I was a bit slower on the uptake. But ultimately, I can't believe how much more comfortable I am speaking Spanish and UNDERSTANDING in just two weeks.

Activities-wise, my only regret was not getting to do more of them, and not taking the time to wander around Carrillo more (but neither of those have anything to do with Na'atik). Keep doing what you are doing! This is a fabulous program! I am already looking at my calendar to figure out when I can come back.

Everyone here is great. Wish we could have stayed longer. Learned a lot! Class size was small, and for a week I had 1:1 with my professor. Winter is a great time to visit if you don't love the heat. The town is charming and safe. The staff are fantastic, the host family was lovely, the excursions are well done and support local efforts.... Make sure to go on the bike ride, get a maya massage, check out the archaeological sites...

If you're on the fence, I did the research, and this is the best choice.

Also make sure to stop at Carnes Ahumadas 100% Maya.

This was my first time coming to Mexico. Na’atik guided me about the process the whole way. Although being a seasoned traveler, I had no idea as to what I should expect here in Mexico despite watching videos and reading about it. It’s really hard to know a place unless you’ve actually been there.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto is a small busy city with friendly people. Tourists are indeed, uncommon here, but with a little Spanish and an open mind, you can get around relatively easily.

If this is your first time, coming to Mexico, there are many different variables that can affect your experience. This was definitely the case for me, but Na’atik very professional, and positive in assisting me with a number of different things that didn’t go the way that I would’ve hoped during my three week trip. I came here speaking a little Spanish, and I’m speaking a more Spanish than before and able to understand a considerable amount more. The course is tailored to your needs based on what you communicate. People at the school were extremely helpful and caring. They did everything they could to help make this experience a great one for me.

A homestay experience is really the combination of the individual plus the family, therefore, one’s experience for a homestay can be really unique from someone else’s experience. There are some times of year that the neighborhoods are really loud with parties and if it’s a hot time of year without air-conditioning, the circumstance would be really challenging. There is also the burning of garbage which happens, many times on weeknights, especially outside of town, which often includes burning plastic, which can make someone from the United States, feel rather ill at times. That being said, my overall experience here, with the people was a very positive one. I learned a lot at the school and especially a lot about Mexican culture. Felipe Carrillo Puerto is a great base to travel further a field into the Yucatán to explore the great things that this part of Mexico can offer to just about anyone depending on your interests.