FAQ

About Mérida

What is Yucatan? Mérida is the capital city of the state of Yucatan.
What kind of city is Mérida? Mérida is a city that combines calmness and safety with a dynamic and modern life; it is also known for being a cultural pole and gate of Mayan world.
Is it Mérida a safe place? Mérida is one of the most secure cities in Mexico, it is a safe place to live and to travel to.
What kinds of services does Mérida count with? Mérida has one of the best urban, medical and cultural services in the south east in Mexico and even in all Mexico.
What kind of activities does Mérida offers? City tours, museums, concerts, theater, art galleries, public festivals, cinema, dance salons, international forums and many more.
What about fun? In Mérida you will find all kinds of bars and places to dance. Salsa clubs, lounges, sports bar etc.
Are there vegetarian restaurants? Yes, there are some specialized in vegetarian food, but the most of people in Mérida are not vegetarian so there are less options, meanwhile in almost any restaurant you can ask for vegetarian food

About Yucatan

Where is Yucatan? Yucatan is located in the Yucatan Peninsula bordered by the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo. The Yucatan Peninsula is located in the South East of Mexico, which is the unique Peninsula in the world that looks to the north, check out your mapamundi.
What is the Yucatan Peninsula? In Mexico there are two Peninsulas one in the north formed by the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur called Peninsula de Baja California and The Yucatan Peninsula formed by the states of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
What is the weather like? The weather is tropical with humidity all year long, you should take in consideration that you must consume lots of liquids in order to maintain you well hydrated.
Is Cancun a State or a city? Cancun is a city that belongs to the state of Quintana Roo which is part of the Yucatan Península and it is located next to Yucatan.
Is Mérida part of Cancun? No, Mérida is the capital city of the State of Yucatan which is next to the State of Quintana Roo where Cancun belongs.
What are the risks with hurricanes? In Mérida the hurricane risks are minimum because the authorities have vast experiences dealing with them and Mérida´s facilities are strong enough for making front to hurricanes so you do not have to worry about them, on the contrary this could be a knew experience for you and in the other hand hurricanes only affect Yucatan Peninsula if that is the case from July to October.
What are the people of Yucatan like? The people of Mexico is known worldwide for being kind and Yucatan is the best example of this, so you can ask for directions and you will always have an answer or at least a smile or a knew friend.
Is it safe to travel in Yucatan? Travel trough freeways in the state of Yucatan it is safe, if you go by bus or car. The little towns and communities are also safe places to visit and to stay. What kinds of places are reachable from Yucatan? Cenotes, archeological sites, living Mayan communities, beach, colonial sites, grottos etc.
What other places are reachable from Yucatan? Cuba, 2 hrs by plane, Mexico city, 2 hrs by plane, Miami 2 hrs by plane, Chiapas 8 hr road trip, Cancun 4 hr road trip, Belize, 5 hr road trip, Campeche 2 hr road trip.

About the Spanish Courses

Are the Spanish courses guaranteed? Our teaching method is really effective but you need to work by yourself the same time or more you work in the classroom and we guarantee you will see your progress faster than you think. We guarantee too that you will have all our support and the tools needed in your learning Spanish process.
Can I get from the YPII credits for my University or College? The credits are given by your University, what we do is to design an equivalent syllabus so you can validate your studies in Yucatan and get the credits with your University or College. If you need to, we can get in contact with your coordinator in order to solve your credit concerns before you come to Yucatan.
What kind of document will I get after my program? At the end of your program you will obtain a YPII´s Diploma with the mention about the syllabus, time, date, period of your course and the number of hours of study or work you have done in Yucatan. Also if you work with a local Institution you can obtain from them a Diploma about your work with them.
How many hours of Spanish classes can I have in a single day? The maximum of Spanish classes per day is four. More than four hour Spanish classes are not recommended for a significant learning.
Is there any chance of setting up a program specially designed for my needs? Of course, we aim to cooperate with you in order to help you reach your own and personal goals about Spanish and/ or cultural experiences, traveling, volunteering etc.
How fast will I progress in my Spanish skills? It depends on various stuff: your native language, spoken languages, your Spanish level, your motivation and commitment to work, but we assure you that if you work hard and trust in our method you will be speaking faster than you think.
What advantages there are in taking Spanish classes in Yucatan? The Spanish spoken in Yucatan is an Spanish really easy to understand for foreign people, more clear than the Spanish you can here in Spain, South America (Argentina for example), or even other parts of Mexico, the Spanish in Yucatan is influenced by Mayan Language which has a really marked and strong pronunciation so the Spanish of Yucatan is an neutral Spanish which makes it more easy to here and to understand.

Miscellaneous Questions

What do I need to take with me? As for clothing you should think about the weather here in Yucatan, it is hot most of the time so you must bring fresh clothes, sandals are also perfect for this climate. You can bring too your laptop, ipod, or any other electronic devise, in Mérida some restaurants and malls have wireless Internet. You should bring too your personal medicines, but if you run out of them don’t worry In Mérida there are lots of drugstores with the medicines you may need. As for personal care products such as shampoo, soap etc, you find it here at the many supermarkets of the city so save space on your luggage.
What happens if I don’t like my family or I have trouble with them? If there is any trouble with your host family we’ll help you to solve this situation and in the case you are not satisfied we can change your host family or find another place like an apartment if you want.
Who should I contact if I have an accident? You should contact you programs coordinator of your Language assistant. * Language assistants in English, French, and German.
What options do I have if I got robbed my credit cards? If your credit cards are stolen, you must call immediately to your bank for making them aware of this situation and ask them new credit cards for you, they must send them to you by FEDEX, UPS, and DHL etc.
What is the exchange rate? Obviously this change day by day but the average is like 11 pesos per dollar.
Does the home stay options is the only one available? No, you can also stay in a house or apartment. Rural, Urban even in the beach if you want to.
Do I need to give my family a present? You don’t need to, but it is a nice detail if you do it at the beginning of the end of your program.
Do I need a traveler’s insurance? Yes, having travelers insurance is necessary for your safety in Mérida In case of accidents or any trouble you may have.

Where to start?

Plan your program:

Fill the Application as listed here.
Make direct contact by e-mail (recommended) or by phone at 001 (9999) 20 72 13 to tell us what are your plans, needs and desires.
Wait for your approval letter.
When you have received your approval letter make your fee payment in US as directed. (There is the option to pay up front or during your first three days in Yucatan)
Confirm your airway, flight number, place (city + airport / bus station) and time of arrival and let us know all of this information.
Then, just jump on your flight and come on down. For free we will pick you up at the airport or bus station (both, Mérida and Cancun) and take you to your accommodation.