Authentic Spanish or Maya Immersion with Na'atik in Mexico!

I spent the month of July in Carrillo and had one of the best experiences ever. The classes were great, they were super small so I felt like I got plenty of attention. My host family was great. It was good practice to have to talk to them in Spanish and the food they made was amazing. I felt very safe in Carrillo, even as a 16 year old girl by myself, and had a great time exploring other cities nearby on the weekends. I would definitely recommend this program.

For a short review: I had a week to spare between semesters and I'm so glad I picked Na'atik as my program. It exceeded my expectations and I left learning so much about the language, culture, history, and the wonderful people that live there!

Academics:
Prior to Na'atik the only Spanish I knew was the little bit I picked up from Duolingo and that sort. Edwin was my teacher and he was very patient with me. Our 4 hour classes were very interactive and I was lucky enough to have picked a convenient week that allowed us to explore the community during class hours to gain real life experiences outside the classroom. We hit subject after subject in just a week and I learned so much more than I expected from vocabulary, confidence, to culture.

Support:
The school is 100% there for you. I think after every class I hung around the school to chat up with the English teachers, site coordinator and the owner. We went out for dinner, we went to a lagoon, we kept in touch through messages and I always knew who to go to with questions or concerns. I have so much love and appreciation for my host family. My host parents sat with me everyday after meals to help me practice my Spanish. Even though I was a total beginner in the language, they never stopped and they gave me just enough vocabulary so I can keep up.

Safety:
I'm 19, petite, and hadn't traveled much ever, so I had my concerns about flying into Mexico and navigating my way to the town on my own, but it was so, so easy. The bus ride from the airport to the town was my biggest concern, but there was absolutely no need to worry. The town itself is very welcoming. Everybody smiles and says hello, and when I practiced my very broken Spanish to people in the community they were so nice to me.

After researching Spanish language schools for nearly 6 months and making contact with a few, I found Na'atik to be the most responsive and safest option. They have staff from the area as well as from the USA and UK. It was helpful having both the ease of being totally understood when needed but the challenge of being immersed in the culture and language in classes and at the home stay. My family home was beautiful with my private room and bath. I had the option of sleeping in a hammock which is the area norm, or in a double bed. I was able to go on a few outings with our home stay family and got to meet the mom's precious grandparents. The school provided an outing to a lagoon for kayaking and a fun optional class for learning to make tortillas and juice. Both activities were led by Spanish speaking individuals who loved what they were doing. This was another fun opportunity to develop my language skills. Carrillo is a very friendly and safe town with a lovely plaza in the town center. I would recommend this program to those who like to be away from the city center and like to feel a warm connection to new people and culture.

I stayed in Felipe Carrillo Puerto in a homestay and studied with Naatik for 2 weeks. I had the experience of a lifetime and loved every second! Both the staff contacts (Layla and Poppy) were responsive, helpful, and accessible throughout the entire process. I loved the classes, which allowed for so much more individual attention than I ever received studying Spanish in the United States. It was very immersive, the town is not touristy at all but it is easy to travel to nearby locations such as Bacalar and Tulum. My homestay was amazing, and I even loved sleeping in a hammock every night! I had my own room and bathroom, and the family had two little dogs who were very friendly :) The central square is a great place to go and people-watch and drink agua fresca and the mercado has tiendas to buy gifts and food.

This is a great program for anyone serious about immersing themselves in Spanish and having a unique, wonderful experience! If possible, I would try to schedule a weekend into your trip to explore other nearby towns as well..but day trips after classes are also do-able.

I went for a month to Na'atik to study Spanish. I had an amazing time while I was there, and I definitely recommend Na'atik to anyone that is interested in learning Spanish and gaining knowledge of the Chican@/Mayan/Latin@/Mexican culture.

Homestay/Food: My homestay family was extremely welcoming, and they were extremely nice and good people. They made some amazing food dishes (accommodated my vegetarian diet for the summer) and their agua bebidas were TOO DIE FOR!!! They also taught me a lot about the life of the people in the town, and I gained a lot of the Spanish language just by practicing with them. I miss them a lot!

FCP: I am more of a city guy, but I enjoyed my time at FCP. It was a colorful and chill town, and it was centrally located to many other amazing spots (Valladolid, Chichen Itza, Tulum, Bacalar, etc.). The people are very warm and friendly, and I always felt safe there. If you do want a city feel, I would check out other programs, but I think you'll have a unique experience at FCP. Getting around by combis was extremely easy and cheap (like everything else in the town!!!).

Program: I wish I could have given a 16 instead of a 10 (1-10 scale) for the program and how well they accommodated me. Being the spoiled guy that I am (living in the Bay Area weather), I requested a change of my housing because I had a hard time sleeping at night without any AC and in the hot weather (still would spend time and eat with homestay family though). They were extremely responsive and found something for me, and I didn't have to pay that much extra. They also helped me find places to visit outside of the town, located acupuncture services, and made a lot of recommendations on how to improve my Spanish.

Classes: Irene is a great teacher and a valuable resource with a lot of knowledge about the Mexican culture. She accommodated my needs and was extremely receptive to any feedback or concerns that I have, so please let her know if you want anything in particular. She was really encouraging when I doubted myself and diagnosed what I needed to continue with after I returned to the States. She also helped me with understanding the town better and helped me buy guayaberas for myself, father, and a friend of mine! I can't thank her enough! Ask her about her tours to other parts within the Yucatan and Quintana Roo!

I definitely recommend Na'atik, and I think you'll have a great time as well!!!! :)

I am a 31-yr-old Spanish teacher from Michigan who just had the time of my life. I had studied in Mexico before, but in Mexico City, so this experience was much different--it was AT LEAST equally amazing if not more amazing. I loved the Riviera Maya! I was a little nervous before I went because I thought maybe I was too old, but there is a place for everyone at Na´atik of any age and any language level. I was treated like family by the administration, faculty, other students and my host family even though I was practically a stranger. I needed medical care while I was there and a fellow student and the school subdirector accompanied me to the doctor. It made it so much easier since my actual family could not be there. My medical care was quick and low-cost---I actually had a better experience there than I often do in the United States. The cultural immersion along with the academic program at Na´atik was incredibly valuable and fulfilling. If you are lucky enough to have Silvia as your teacher--you´re in for a treat! If you are debating on enrolling in this program, you should dive right in--you have nothing to worry about! I´ll be back!

My 17-year old daughter and I were down in Felipe Carrillo Puerto (FCP) for a week in early July. We are very nostalgic for it now, a month later! She had a homestay with a local family with three daughters and studied four hours daily at Na'atik. I was down for a week to do some work, staying in a beautiful apartment that the Na'atik staff set me up with and catching up with my daughter on occasion.

I highly recommend this program. First of all, the homestay was terrific. She had her own room with a hammock and bed (she ultimately ended up choosing the hammock most nights) and a private bathroom. The food was great. She played with the family's 11- and 5-year old daughters and was invited to join the family for a daughter's graduation. The homestay was about a block from the school, so she managed her own schedule getting there and back, and it was really convenient. Second, the instruction at the school was great. It was my daughter and an instructor, one-on-one, talking completely in Spanish and working on high-level grammar for hours every day. She says she learned a lot, and I certainly relied on her as my interpreter while we were there. The staff at Na'atik are immediately likable. We were so grateful to Poppy and Catherine for their accessibility and their great advice for activities (don't miss Bacalar or Muyil!). Finally, there is Felipe Carrillo Puerto itself -- a manageable small Mexican town filled with surprising juxtapositions of old and new. You'll see big beautiful houses with palapa huts next door. Children playing in the streets, using flip flops as bases. The town is easy to traverse by bike. Everything is crazy cheap. You can go to the Mercado and get unbelievably terrific tacos, with inputs like carne asada or cochinita pibil, for a dollar or two. You would be hard-pressed to spend $5 per person eating unbelievable Yucatecan food in town. We frequently ate at the Mercado and other taquerias and never got sick. The jungle is nearby, and it is truly birdwatcher's paradise there.

If you want a homestay, language immersion, and an amazing cultural experience, look no further. She would definitely do this again, and I, frankly, would be delighted to go back down and absorb the atmosphere in this charming town again.

This was a great experience for our family of 4 (including 2 kids, age 12 and 9). The Na'atik staff really went out of their way to make sure that we were all comfortable and had a great time throughout our stay. The kids' teachers were patient and fun and kept the Spanish lessons fun and interesting-- my youngest went to a market, to the town square, and out for games. My 12 year old's teacher taught "practical" Spanish using lyrics to songs to make the learning relevant for him. Our teacher was great, and mixed in some cultural education with the language learning. We thoroughly enjoyed our home stay and look forward to visiting our host family again. We would recommend this program without hesitation. Thanks Na'Atik!