Mexico Volunteer Programs from $25/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

It was an excellent week - we got to visit Mérida and its surrounding while participating in a great volunteer placement at a boys shelter! We felt very welcome in our host family and would recommend it to any future students going abroad! The rich experience of living with a host family is irreplaceable! We enjoyed the orientation day on the first day - the staff brought us sightseeing to the main places downtown and took the time to explain the city. One of our favorite moment is the celebration of the Posada at our volunteer placement! If you are looking for a week full of fun - this is the place!

I only went to Mexico with IVHQ for a week. It was a very pleasant week!! We were safe, well housed, well fed and the staff was very kind. The placement was also very good and we felt very appreciated.

IVHQ stands out because of the way the staff made sure we did not miss anything and that we were happy. We were constantly asked for feedback to improve our personal experience - with food, with our housing or placement. Since I was only there for a week, I wanted to do an activity every afternoon to visit the city. We were helped by the staff to find beautiful places, find the right way to get around with local transport and even organize a tour at a better price than on the internet.

I definitely recommend IVHQ to have peace of mind ! A+ Thank you !!

I had a really great time - all of the people at the placements were lovely, however sometimes things seemed a bit disorganized. The IVHQ team were very helpful apart from when it came to arranging trips for over the weekend so I would recommend booking those in advance. Also, I felt that the program wasn't exactly as it had been depicted on the website. Nevertheless, Mexico is a beautiful country and I will definitely be returning one day.

I participated in the Mexico program for two weeks in the beginning of August. I truly enjoyed my placement at Pastoral de Amor. At first, it was challenging to communicate with the residents and staff but I tried my best to speak Spanish and learn from them as well. Even though there were some mornings where I didn't feel well, it always brightened my day to spend time with the sweet residents over at Pastoral. I was able to participate in providing rehab therapy services; it extremely was helpful and eye opening to me as a student in the rehabilitation field. It will always be an experience I will cherish. I hope one day in the future, I'll be able to visit the residents again!

As far as the accommodations- I did not have high expectations for the housing. The house is essentially a hostel style accommodation. There is no air conditioning but there are fans provided. The bathroom is shared and there is no hot water in the summer (although you might get lucky if you shower at 2-3pm ..there might be about 5 minutes of hot/warm water). Also as a forewarning, there are a lot of bugs - mosquitoes and fire ants, bats, and lizards that are lurking around particularly in the bathroom. The food for dinner was typically a traditional Yucatanean dish along with veggies and rice. Since the humidity in Merida never goes away, there's a nice pool outside to cool off for a few minutes or hours :) I thought that the support staff was helpful. Marianna helped out a lot in terms of navigating around Merida through public transportation. Also, it is quite safe in Merida but always be precautious.

My tip is to Lysol everything, especially in the bathroom to avoid spreading illnesses and use a lot of mosquito repellant because those mosquitoes are really aggressive. Also, make sure you spend some time exploring Merida and other surrounding towns..it's worth it!

Overall - I had a great time getting to know other volunteers, exploring Merida, and will always value my experience at Pastoral.

Merida Mexico is beautiful and full of places to explore and learn about. I traveled to Merida to volunteer with their childcare program. I met amazing people along the way and friends I will have for a lifetime. I learned many things while in Merida including the children's everyday life, culture, and history. I worked with special needs children while staying in Mexico and it was an experience I will never forget. I expected a little more help and direction from the host family running the Merida project but with the help of the other volunteers we managed. Have an open mind when heading to a new country and understand that nothing is the same or as comfortable as your own home. I recommend volunteering abroad whenever you can!

I had a wonderful and rewarding volunteer week at a small Mayan community called Xcuyún which is northeast of Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico. Together with my two daughters, we signed up the Childcare project organized by IVHQ to offer a summer camp for children, mainly from age 5 to 10, there at Xcuyún. I don’t speak Spanish and so most of my contributions were playing with them soccer and running around games. Life can be simple and fun!! Their laughter brought back my childhood memories years ago. I was like that, even playing soccer with no shoes.

We stayed in the Volunteer Inn of IVHQ in Mérida. Everything is adequate. The opportunity for the volunteers to meet new friends and to know each other is invaluable!

The overall schedule was perfect. We worked three to four hours a day. Then there was ample time for relaxing or exploring places according to your own preferences. The weather was hot though.

We had an awesome local coordinator Mónica Pinzón. She was the main reason of this successful trip. She stayed on top of everything the first day we confirmed going to Mérida. She is caring and meticulous.

I will go again! Next time, I will prepare a few more Spanish words to be used in a playground.

I was placed in an animal shelter called AFAD. There is very friendly staff working there!!! The animals are very friendly, cute and sweet as well!!!
I had so much fun with cute cats and dogs!!! I don't speak Spanish but I communicated very well with local team!!! I got attached with a kitty in the shelter and I decided to take her with me in Seattle. It was a great experience overall!!
Since there are many animals, I would like to see more volunteers who love animals can spend a few time here taking care of cute animals!!!

I volunteered in Mexico for 4 weeks. I truly enjoyed my experience. I taught English in a small town near Merida called Xcuyun. The kids were a pleasure to have! They were ready and willing to learn English. When we were short on staff, I would be in childcare. I would play soccer and participate in arts and crafts with the kids. The volunteer coordinator was helpful when guidance was necessary.
Additionally, Merida is a safe city. I always felt safe when I left the house. The program administrators were always available when needed.