Learn Spanish & Work with a Local Community in Merida

Volunteering with the local community was great fun and I really felt like I had the opportunity to immerse myself in local culture and really get to know the community. Everyone was very kind and welcoming (and very patient with my attempts to become fluent in Spanish!!) - the language classes really helped me too!
Merida is a beautiful place to visit, and there are also amazing places in the local area too, including Chichen Itza (an incredible Mayan ruin). I highly recommend finding time to visit a local hacienda and one of the many beautiful cenotes too. There is lots to see and do all around Merida!
If you are looking for an opportunity to develop your skills, get to know Mexican communities and see some beautiful sights I highly recommend this programme!!

I absolutely adore dogs and only wish I were in the position to be a doggy parent myself, so when I saw the opportunity to volunteer in a dog's home AND learn Spanish (which I hadn't learnt since highschool) AND stay in an absolutely beautiful part of the world I knew it was the perfect program for me. The Spanish lessons were excellent, it was great to be able to learn not only the language but so much of the local dialect too. But the best part was by far working with my gorgeous puppy pals. I only wish I could've taken them all home with me. I fell in love with each and every four legged friend and it felt amazing to see the difference we were making in their lives and the difference they made in mine! What a great way to experience a new country, not just as a tourist but as someone making a difference in the community.

I had a fantastic time, I really enjoyed the experience and I would definitely do it again. It was a great team to work with, everything was very smooth and easy and any issue was sorted before it even really became an issue. It's a beautiful part of the world to visit and great to feel like we're giving back to the community rather than just there as a tourist. We had plenty of opportunities to visit the local areas and communities, the cenotes are stunning and the beaches are gorgeous. The Spanish course was fabulous and my Spanish improved so much and it was brilliant to be able to practice what I'd learnt on the people we worked with in the program, (even if they didn't understand me, they were too polite to say differently!) All around an excellent program.

I spent my volunteering project helping look after the street dogs which a local charity supports. They vacciante them, feed them properly and help them to get used to humans again if they've been mistreated. They are eventually adopted once they are back to full health.
It was really fun playing with the dogs and helping feed them and wash them and things like that. Cleaning outside in the sun was hard work though.
The people who run the centre were really kind to me and my Spanish improved as they didnt speak English!
I really liked Merida, there are loads of cafes and resturants and some cool museums too, the Mundo Maya museum was really interesting and I learnt about the history of the indigenous people from this area and how they lived in the past and today.
My classes were good too and the school is comfortable and well equipped :-)

I spent 4 weeks in Merida volunteering on an environmental project. We helped a local charity to clean up the beaches close to the city. Sometimes we went in kayaks around the mangroves and other times we walked along the beach. The scenery is really impressive and it was good to see the before and after! We started early as it gets really really hot!
I got to practice my Spanish with the local people and the organisers but there were also a couple of bilingual people too.
I had Spanish classes which were included as well and I liked that the teacher only used Spanish, it was difficult but it helped me learn and made me listen carefully! I was also lucky in a way as my homestay family didn't speak any English so I was forced to practice every day!

I had a great experience with my volunteering and my Spanish classes. Having Spanish every day was good practice for me and my speaking improved so much during my stay- especially as I lived with a local family who spoke very little English.
I felt like I knew what to expect as the team were in contact all the time in the build up and then we had orientation when we arrived.
My volunteering was really cool and I was able to get to know the young people quite well as I went for 4 hours a day Monday to Friday. I did feel like I was making a difference as the place doesn't get much support and they don't do many activities. So they enjoyed the crafts we organised and the English classes we did too.
I really liked Merida as a city as there is loads to do and the people are very welcoming :-)

Washington House is a great environment to learn. The facilities are bright and very welcoming just like the staff who are so warm and always willing to give advice. Each class is a different topic and we focus on different skills. The best thing about Washington House is the teachers who not only teach the language but also imparts typical slang words and Mexican culture. I have enjoyed my time at the school and I now feel more confident when talking to people in Spanish.

The school is easy to get to from all parts of the city. Merida is a fabulous city for groups, couples, families or solo travellers. There are cultural events every night, a thriving nightlife, food markets, artisan shops and it's so close to the beach. Not to forget Merida is so close to Chichen Itza, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, an important archaeological site built by the Mayans, which is about a two hour bus journey away. The locals are so welcoming and generous! This is a place you will not regret visiting.

I have really enjoyed my time learning Spanish here. I have gone from zero Spanish knowledge to feeling confident when out and about more quickly than I had hoped. I can now have conversations, do all the basics confidently and feel that I have a good platform to continue my learning and hopefully one day achieving fluency.

The staff are friendly and helpful and the school itself is shiny and new. It’s in a nice part of town and is easy to get to from all parts of the city. Merida itself is fantastic. There are cultural events every week and food galore. Plus the added bonuses of beaches and cenotes to cool off and you have an excellent place to study. Also, if you like art/theatre/music then Merida is a fantastic place to be.

Highly recommended.