Free Time
Mexican Marine Expedition in the Caribbean Sea

Participating with GVI not only allows you to work on programs assisting disadvantaged communities or endangered ecosystems but it also offers wonderful opportunities to travel in the local area in your down time or further afield either before or after your program. Below is some information on trips and travel options in Mexico.

Optional Side Trips

A surprisingly large and vibrant country, Mexico seems daunting at first, but here are a few ideas to get you going in the Yucatan Peninsula on your weekends off:

• Dive or snorkel within the unique cenotes – the underwater river systems within the reserve.
• Snorkel with turtles of all sizes in Akumal bay, an area where they are protected and come to feed.
• Check out the small fishing village and make your way to Río Lagartos where flamingos flock and river crocodiles abound.
• Dive Cozumel! The wall dives along the island have been voted as part of the world’s best top 10 diving locations.
• Visit Bacalar- known as the lake of 7 colours due to the various shades of blue you’ll see. You can camp or stay in a hotel in the small town of Bacalar, while spending the weekend kayaking or lounging on the lake.
• The colonial era city of Mérida is the peninsula’s cultural capital and the local artisans of Izamal (also known as the Yellow City since all of the centre’s buildings are painted yellow) will be sure to offer you some souvenirs of your trip.
• Visit prime breeding areas for the hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, and green turtle.
• Immerse yourself in the surviving Mayan culture of the area and visit remote and untouched Mayan archaeological sites, such as the famous and easily accessible sites of Tulum and Coba, or visit the beautiful and majestic Mayan ruins of Palenque in the Chiapas region.
• Travel to Isla Holbox, a tiny, sleepy island off the north of the Peninsula. It’s a beautiful, tranquil place, great for a quiet weekend away. Whale sharks (the world’s largest fish) migrate up near the island from June to September and snorkelling alongside them while they filter feed is a breathtaking experience!
• Another great trip is down to Belize to dive the Blue Hole. This is an all day trip to the Blue Hole atoll, along with 2 other great dives.

Further Travelling Opportunities

If you want to travel throughout the rest of Mexico, either before or after your time with GVI, these are just a few of the places worth a visit:

• Take a trip to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and experience lowland tropical forests and have an opportunity to try and seek out threatened species, such as jaguar, puma, tapir, white-tailed deer, howler monkey, spider monkey, ant-eater, ocellated turkey, great curassow, toucan and king vulture and over 300 species of birds. You can also find some Mayan ruins here.
• The little known beautiful city of Morelia holds roof-top bars and clubs as well as Spanish relics.
• The island of Espíritu Santo offers kayaking with whale sharks and sea lions.
• Enjoy surfing? Rent a surf board in Puerto Escondido and hit the waves in one of the world’s best surfing spots.
• Oaxaca is a beautiful city to visit on the Pacific Coast; a colonial city with some of the nation’s most magnificent architecture, it also offers several archaeological sites, including the Zapotec ruins, which have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• Mexico City is packed with, amongst many sights, some fascinating museums.
• San Cristobal de las Casas, located in central Chiapas, is definitely worth a visit. Colourful buildings, historical architecture, and impressive nearby ecological sites with fun activities will easily keep you entertained for days.
• Guatemala can be reached easily by bus and offers everything from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Anitgua, to volcanoes, to the beautiful Lake Atitlan, adventure sports such as mountain biking, the majestic Mayan ruins of Tikal and the quaint island of Flores.