Organic Farm and living camp Supporter
Coordinator | Clement
Coordinator | Clement
Book with Flex Option!
Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs.
Highlights
An exceptional opportunity to discover the Yucatec Mayan culture, its actors as well as the richness of its cultural and environmental heritage.
Learn more about the themes of agroecology, forest gardening, eco-construction and ecosystem preservation and get closer to a unique fauna and flora
Live in a unique place, in the heart of the Yucatecan forest, with its own cenote and lookout tower. An ideal place to disconnect and reconnect with nature.
Learn about alternative ways of living that are much more aware of the territory, its cycles and its potentialities
Discover the magical places of the Yucatan Peninsula during your free time (cenotes, Mayan ruins, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico …)
Two axes :
Support to agroecological projects for farmers and women in Yalcobá (Mayan community).
The development of the eco-place carried by the association. This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Support to agroecological projects for farmers and women in Yalcobá (Mayan community).
The development of the eco-place carried by the association. This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+
The 15 hectares of this eco-place located in the Yucatecan jungle are much more than that. You will find a wonderful ecological place where volunteers and tourists reconnect with nature to understand its cycles.
The eco center is located in the heart of the Yucatecan jungle, surrounded by cenotes, in the mysterious atmosphere of the Mayan civilization.
The place is part of the communal lands of the community and is totally integrated into its environment.
One of the objectives of this place is to reach a relative autonomy (energetic, financial, food) and for that, 2 axes have been developed.
- The development of an agroecological center, with the implementation of permaculture projects and the combination of different agroforestry knowledge.
- The development of an eco-tourism project and the reception of guests from all over the world. The eco-tourism project is linked to the community to enhance the cultural and natural heritage of this territory.
The idea is also to achieve a complete integration with the community and to develop projects with it and to integrate it in the development of this place.
The eco-center offers everything you need to detach yourself from everyday life, to experience a completely new world, to find yourself and to be inspired and learn from the Mayan culture.
Typical day
As a volunteer at the Eco-Center, you will have a wide range of tasks. Responsibilities are redistributed on a weekly basis. You can indicate your preferences if you are particularly interested in an area of work.
Life in the eco-center is based on the principles of community living.
The work day at the farm is about 5 and 7 hours. The sun rises early in Yucatán and so does the work day.
The actual working hours vary depending on the year and the weather conditions.
In summer, it is best to work early in the morning and later in the afternoon to avoid the heat.
A well-deserved breakfast at 7:30 am.
After breakfast, volunteers help water the plants and continue with their daily tasks.
The volunteers work hand in hand with the eco-center staff.
The afternoon work revolves around different projects: community work, arts/crafts, teaching, gardening, maintenance and construction projects...
Possible tasks at this location can be:
- Eco-construction
- Landscaping of spaces
- Pruning
- Maintenance and development of agricultural spaces
- Development of traditional agricultural spaces (milpa type and syntropic agriculture)
- Take care of animals
- Artistic development of the place
- Development of the cenote
- Inventory of fauna and flora
- Establishment and development of links and projects with the community
- Help to traditional farmers
- Exploration of the territory and places of interest with the community
- Development of communication of the place and the association
- Participation in the daily tasks of the eco-place
Free-time activities
The region is characterized by tropical forests filled of virgen cenotes. Here you can immerse yourself in the authentic rural life of Yucatan, where the clocks tick more slowly and the priorities are completely different than in modern cities.
You will learn to live the buen vivir Maya.
The eco place is perfect to disconnect and practice activities like meditation or yoga.
You will be able to explore the surrounding jungle and discover its wonders (cenotes, caves, fauna and flora etc.)
The Yucatan Peninsula is also known as an important place for birdwatching. You will be able to observe a lot of unique bird species, many of them endemic to Mesoamerica.
The relative isolation that this place offers is also ideal for inspiration and for any artistic creation (writing, painting, music etc.) and to observe the stars from the top of the tower, whitout any contamination.
The nearest city, Valladolid, is located 40 minutes away. It is a typical manioc pueblo, with a very particular charm.
Located in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula, you will be at a maximum of 2 hours from most of the places of interest in the region such as the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the numerous Mayan cities (Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, Coba, Uxmal, Calakmul), lagoons etc.
Water Sports
Swimming
Sightseeing
Diving/
Snorkling
Snorkling
Climbing
Hiking
Sports
Yoga/
Meditation
Meditation
Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.
You need to speak Spanish (basic level)
or English (basic level)
CV
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
Your helping hand will be required on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
What's Included
The allowances asked to the volunteer, allow to assure the accommodation within an ecolodge managed by the association, the breakfast as well as the transport on the spot.
The volunteer will be housed in the eco-place, in the heart of the Yucatecan jungle.
You will be accommodated in dormitories within a large palapa (traditional Mayan construction) in direct proximity to the cenote.
All the building are rustic, but very functional and beautifully designed, wooden structure.
The place has a common kitchen area, showers, compost toilets, relaxation areas (hammocks ...).
We only provide the drink and the breakfast.
The food is not provided but is usually shared among all the people living there.
Limited access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.
The nearest airport is Cancun International Airport (CUN) in Cancun. We assist you to find cheap flights to Mexico.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Mexico provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Mexico you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Mexico.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
Details on arrival
The volunteer reception is open between the months of March and December.
There are no specific dates or days for the arrival of volunteers.
The team on site can adapt to the volunteers' schedule.
The reception place is located 2h30 from Cancún and its international airport.
We don't provide airport pick up but we pick up you by the city of Valladolid or the village of Yalcobá.
Generally, a meeting point will be set with the volunteer (in the city of Valladolid or directly in the central square of Yalcobá) so that the team on site can pick him/her up.
This program is paused due to COVID-19
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 - 12 weeks
Program fees
1 week
(min. stay)
$200
3 weeks
$600
4 weeks
$700
5 weeks
$900
9 weeks
$1,400
12 weeks
(max. stay)
$2,000
Average fees
$183
/week
Please note that the above shown program fees are estimated.
Ta Náayta
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.
Your final payment will be agreed with Ta Náayta during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
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What are people saying about Volunteer World?
Organic Farm and living camp Supporter
Two axes : Support to agroecological projects for farmers and women in Yalcobá (Mayan community). The development of the eco-place carried by the association.
$183/week
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