Mexico Rediscovered

Our Mexico Rediscovered Program allows volunteers to experience the realities of rural Mexican life, far from the glitz and glamour that the popular coastal Mexican resort towns offer international tourists. Mexico, a country of two realities, has long been associated with beautiful beaches, Margaritas, and lengthy midday siestas, but Mexican society is deeply polarized between a minority of the wealthy upper class and the majority of the population, rural farmers, who struggle to keep their communities intact.

Our Mexico Undiscovered program takes place in the town of Chalcatzingo, whose name derives from the ancient Nauthl language and means "Place most prized by the Chalcas", "Venerated place of sacred water" or "Place of precious jades" is located at the base of the Cerro de la Cantera, a twin-peaked outcropping in the south-eastern part of the state of Morelos, about two hours from Mexico City.

Chalcatzingo, most well known as an archeological site which boasts dozens of carvings depicting mythical and religious themes associated with agriculture and fertility, holds remnants of various cultures reaching back to 3000 B.C. and the Olmec Empire. 

Work Project

Volunteers will work side by side with local community members of Chalcatzingo to implement sustainable development practices. The community, which once had access to water for crop irrigation, now suffers from a lack of water because governmental authorities in Mexico City constructed a dam to redirect Chalcatzingo's water for city use. With limited access to water for irrigation, the agricultural community is suffering and many locals have seen their loved ones migrate into Mexico City, and beyond, in search of jobs. Volunteers will help revitalize the community through numerous projects such as implementing a recycling program to reduce the impact of solid waste in the environment, building up corrals on communal land where the community is trying to create a community business by breeding a special breed of sheep that are adapted to Chalcatzingo's warm climate, revitalizing the local schools and teaching English, installing compost latrines to improve sanitation, and working on preservation efforts to protect the ancient ruins of Chalcatzingo from deterioration.

Projects vary depending on the number of volunteers, which projects were finished (or not) with the prior group, what priorities have changed, weather conditions, which supplies are available, and often the interest and fitness level of the volunteers. For these reasons, specific projects are often not fixed until the week prior to your arrival and can even change upon arrival.

Some of our Super Volunteer Coordinators

Food and Lodging

Until the cabinas for the volunteers are completed, volunteers will stay in a typical, Hacienda style home with a communal kitchen. Traditional Mexican meals will be taken with various community members. By eating meals with the locals, volunteers will discover that a Mexican enchilada is nothing like the north of the border Tex-Mex imposter and that drinking Jamaica, an infusion made with the Hibiscus flower, is more refreshing than iced tea.

Leisure and Activities

Ample time has been included in the project itinerary for leisure activity. After a day of hard work volunteers will have time to relax with the community hosts or explore the town independently. A series of cross-cultural learning activities, such as cooking demonstrations, language lessons, and games of futbol (Spanish for soccer) are planned to be a fun, yet educational, way to become immersed in a new culture. One afternoon will be devoted to taking a guided tour of the Chalcatzingo ruins and stepping back in time to explore the ancient Olmec Empire.

Arranging Your Airfare

Volunteers will be picked up at the Cuatla bus station, a two hour Pullman bus ride outside of the Mexico City International Airport, also known as the Benito Juarez International Airport, at 11:00 am the Saturday that your program starts and will then be transported by van or bus to Chalcatzingo. The program will end at approximately 9:00AM the following Saturday, so please do not book flights until after 1:00PM in the afternoon the day the program ends. (There are frequent, easily accessible buses from the Mexico City airport direct to the Cuatla bus station; it is safe, inexpensive, and easy. We are happy to help you with more details.)

Safety and Security

Your volunteer vacation will take place in rural Mexico, where incidences of crime and violence are very rare. Travelers should be vigilant when in major cities or tourist areas. More Safety and Security.

Dates and Cost

Fundraising Information

How to Prepare

Want to volunteer for more than a week?

Upon registration, you will have a very detailed orientation packet sent to you with more information on the program, what to pack, etc.