When my kids finished their school year, I couldn’t wait to depart for Felipe Carrillo Puerto. My 13-year-old son and all his male peers immediately sunk into the abyss of free time and violent video games.What a blessing to spend two weeks without video games or high-speed internet or driving to this activity and then that. That’s right, I get to spend two weeks without cooking or shopping or driving. It’s an escape from the grind. The locals refer to Carrillo as “tranquilo”. Where else does Google Map report route times the same amount of time to go by car as it is to go by bike? The streets are narrow and full of locals walking or riding bikes. I found the drivers courteous and well aware that bikes are on the road everywhere. We spent our time either walking or riding bikes or catching cabs. Cabs are everywhere and it is a fixed price. Anywhere you want to go for $1 US. The town’s economy is built around self-propelled transportation with little shops on each corner where you can get a snack or a cold beverage. My kids have a morning break from their Spanish lessons every day, so we walk two doors down from the Na’atik center to the nearest shop to buy a snack. (Na’atik is the yellow building in the background)

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The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.