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OVERNIGHT STAYS:
- Valladolid 1
- Merida 6
- Playa del Carmen 3
ALL THIS
INCLUDED:
-
Round-trip air
transportation with a major airline
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Travel Medical
Insurance (coverage up to $8,000 per participant)
-
Airport
transfers and intercity transportation by deluxe
motorcoach
-
10 nights
accommodation in comfortable, well- located hotels with
private bathrooms
-
Breakfast and
dinner daily in carefully selected restaurants
-
A beverage at
included dinners
-
Full-time
services of a bilingual Tour Director throughout your
stay
-
Sightseeing
tours and excursions led by licensed local guides
-
Entrance fees
to select sights and attractions
-
City walks led
by your Tour Director
-
20 hours of
Spanish language courses at the Benjamin Franklin
Institute
-
Tour planning
assistance from a professional Travel Consultant
-
Full-color
Mexico Travel Guides
-
24-hour
emergency service
-
Tips for hotel
bell boys, maids and waiters
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Spanish Studies
in Yucatan Mexico
Days: 11 | Price: from $2,060
* A minimum of 10 paying participants is required
Tour Highlights: Study,
practice, and perfect your Spanish by joining a Spanish
school in Merida, Yucatan which is considered one of the
most beautiful and culturally enriched cities in all of
Mexico. Add guided tours of the most impressive ancient
ruins in Yucatan, underwater adventures in drop-dead
gorgeous natural settings, and plenty of beach time in
world-famous resort towns. You’ll also participate in unique
cultural exchanges with local people and excursions with
your language teachers to guarantee you’ll end the tour
program with a true insider’s perspective. Sunny beaches,
historical colonial towns, ancient pyramids, and fabulous
resorts -- you’ll hardly realize how much you’re learning
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1. Fly to Mexico
Upon arrival in
Cancun, meet your Tour Director and transfer to Valladolid,
a cute little town with Spanish colonial mansions and
churches. Check in to the charming colonial-style Meson del
Marques hotel. This evening, enjoy an authentic Mayan dinner
at the lovely hotel restaurant. Try the specialties Pollo
Pibil (chicken marinated in special spices, barbecued in
banana leaves) and Poc-Chuc (grilled pork fillets served
with a tomato sauce and pickled onions). Later, join a Tour
Director-led walking tour of Valladolid, featuring visits to
St. Servacio’s Cathedral and the Church of San Bernardino
Day 2.
Chichen Itza - Cenote Ikil - Merida
Begin the day with
a visit to the sacred Mayan city of Chichen Itza (recently
named one of the new 7 wonders of the world). Your guided
tour will feature views of the Ball Court, Temple of the
Jaguars, astronomical Observatory, and the mighty pyramid of
El Castillo, whose 365 steps and 52 panels once served as a
calendar. Then swim in the deliciously fresh, crystal-clear
water of cenote Ik-Kil, with the sunlight filtered through
towers of lush vegetation. Enjoy an included buffet-style
lunch before continuing to the colonial city of Merida,
capital of the state of Yucatan. This evening, enjoy
traditional Mexican tacos and fajitas at “Los Trompos”.
Day 3.
Merida Language School
Spanish classes
start this morning at the
Benjamin Franklin Institute.
Housed in a beautiful colonial building in the historic
center of Merida, the Institute´s facilities include
air conditioned classrooms, a
library, a video viewing room, free internet service, and a
snack bar. Classes will be held for 4 hours daily (9am-1pm).
The Franklin Institute has had an outstanding reputation of
professionalism and personal attention for more than 40
years and is affiliated with the U.S. Department of State's
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Begin Spanish
lessons • Students learn to
speak the lively Spanish language with lessons that focus on
meeting someone for the first time and comprehension in
everyday situations, such as dealing with currency or making
hotel reservations.
Folkloric
Ballet Evening • To better
understand the soul of the Yucatan, attend a Jarana dance
performance this evening at the zocalo (town square). Like
so many Mexican traditional dances it is a flirtation dance,
but one with an extra delicacy. The man courts rather than
teases the woman, and at times the flirtation element is
lost within the movement of the dance. Men and women enter
in separate ranks, break up into couples and then re-form,
in a great variety of set patterns. Also popular are the
different ‘prowess’ dances: one involves threading and
unthreading ribbons around a kind of maypole; another
includes dancing with bottles on a tray on the head
Day 4.
Merida Language School
Morning
language lessons • Today students discuss differences
between life in the U.S. and México. They'll also build
speaking confidence as they practice giving directions or
ordering meals in Spanish.
Guided
sightseeing of Merida, including a visit to the Museum of
Mayan culture • Today’s guided sightseeing covers the
amazing history, art and architecture of Merida, a colonial
city founded by the Spaniards in 1542. See St. Ildefonso's
Cathedral, partially built from the stones of Mayan temples;
the Montejo House, historic residence of Merida´s founder;
the Government Palace, with its murals depicting Mayan
history; and the Montejo Avenue, Merida's version of the
Champs-Elysees. Your tour includes a visit to the
19th-century European-style Canton Palace, home to the
Museum of Mayan culture. Return to your hotel and spend the
rest of the afternoon at your leisure. You may want to
browse the local shops and markets for items made by local
artists and craftsmen, tour the city by horse-drawn
carriage, or simply relax by your hotel pool
Day 5.
Merida Language School
Morning
language lessons • Students learn about Mexican
festivals and events, as well as useful phrases for specific
situations—such as asking a policeman for directions or
telling a dentist about a toothache.
Excursion to
Progreso Beach • Join a half-day excursion to Progreso,
a port located on the Gulf of Mexico, less than an hour's
drive north of Merida. Progreso offers clean, white beaches
with small shells and very shallow, emerald-green waters.
Spend the day swimming, sunning yourself on the beach,
shelling, waterskiing, banana boating, or simply relaxing
under the palms. Afterwards, return to Merida.
Walking tour of
Merida • Experience the spirit and romance of Merida on
a walking tour. Your Tour Director takes you down the grand
main square, most commonly known as the “Plaza Grande”.
Wander among the newspaper kiosks, handicraft stalls,
sidewalk vendors, street performers and musicians.
Restaurants, cafés and hotels abound, as do tourists and
locals alike.
Day 6.
Merida Language School
Morning
language lessons • Students explore the life of a
typical Mexican teenager. Later, after a discussion of
Mexican foods, students head to the market in the old town
to use their newly acquired vegetable vocabulary!Excursion
to Uxmal & Mayan Village • Journey to the south of the
state of Yucatan. First stop will be the present-day Mayan
village of Santa Elena, where you’ll have the opportunity to
sample daily life in a traditional Maya house. Here, you
will learn about the art of making hammocks and tortillas.
You will also see an old Mayan man making twine and sandals
from the fibrous leaves of the henequen plant, a member of
the agave family. The excursion then leads to Uxmal,
featuring the legendary Pyramid of the Magician (allegedly
built overnight by a dwarf borne by a witch), the impressive
Nunnery Quadrangle (decorated with figures of the Mayan rain
god, owls and serpents) and the state-of-the-art Governor’s
Palace. Dinner is included at a nearby hotel, where you will
also have some free time for swimming. You’ll then attend a
45-minute sound-and-light show, presented nightly from a
vantage point overlooking the Nunnery Quadrangle. Colored
lights, recorded symphonic music under the stars and
melodramatic narration provide an appropriate backdrop for
Maya legends. Afterwards, return to Merida.
Day 7.
Merida Language School
Morning
language lessons • Students discover the traditional way
of life in the Mexican countryside and then discuss how to
keep practicing their Spanish once they return home.
Volunteer visit
to Orphanage • Participate in productive tourism by
volunteering at a local orphanage. It’s a great way to give
something back to the people and communities who have hosted
you during your trip. It’s also a perfect opportunity to
practice your Spanish.
Farewell dinner
• Join your Tour Director and the language teachers for a
special dinner, where students will be presented with a
Benjamin Franklin Language Certificate for all their hard
work!
Day 8. Tulum - Playa del Carmen
Say adios to
Merida this morning as you journey to Tulum, Mayan pyramids
overlooking the pristine turquoise waters of the Caribbean
Sea. See El Castillo, the Temple of the Frescoes and the
Temple of the Descending God. Your photographs will be
mesmerizing! Bring a swimsuit to swim or sun at Tulum’s
gorgeous beach. Shop for local crafts at one of the many
shops at the entrance to the ruins and eat lunch at one of
the many restaurants. Continue to Playa del Carmen, known
for its sandy white beaches and crystal blue waters.
Day 9 - 10. Free days in Playa del Carmen
Two free days are
yours for enjoying the sun and sea of Playa del Carmen. A
wide range of activities and services are available at your
all-inclusive hotel, including windsurfing, kayaking,
sailing, boogie boards, water polo, water aerobics,
ping-pong tables, tennis courts, flying trapeze, poolside
bingo, beach volleyball tournaments, salsa lessons, archery,
bicycling, gymnasium with trainer, aerobics and stretching
classes, mini soccer and bocce ball on the beach, Renova Spa
(surcharge), theater with nightly live entertainment and a
disco. You’ll also have a free afternoon to join your Tour
Director for a city sightseeeing tour, which includes a
stroll along the bustling Av 5, a pedestrian strip that is
set back a block from the ocean offering interesting shops
and cafés. On your last evening, opt to attend a Mayan Ball
Game and a spectacular Ballet Folklorico show at Xcaret
park.
Day 11. Return home
Transfer to
Cancun’s airport to board your flight home.
View Booking Terms & Conditions
(PDF)
Our prices for the
tour "Spanish Studies in Yucatan
Mexico" are based on estimated number of
participants, departure gateway and dates of travel.
For an exact price
quote, simply complete the form below. You will receive a
free, no-obligation quote within 24 hours - usually faster.
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