Volunteer MexicoIn collaboration with our NGO partner, Love Volunteers offers placements for much-needed volunteers in Mexico. The volunteers will be given the chance to work with children and other groups with particular needs in this fascinating Central American country.

Whatever your background, it is likely that you have a great contribution to make as a volunteer. Often, a stint spent volunteering provides the perfect gap year transition before launching on a university degree. Equally, volunteering can fill a break between jobs or career, as it can be the ideal way to gain a new perspective on life or to re-examine one’s value. A short-term stint as a volunteer is a rewarding alternative to a classic holiday.

There is no doubt that volunteering offers the chance to savour a different culture and to engage with people who genuinely need the help and intervention provided by our programs.

Volunteering in Mexico is both challenging and rewarding. Its many different indigenous groups, unsettled economy and lack of state-provided facilities have meant that the more marginalised inhabitants of the country suffer various forms of deprivation. Enriching the lives of such people is what volunteering in Mexico is about. Being in Mexico also provides an excellent opportunity to learn Spanish.

Mexico is a country known for its colour, crowds, festivities and noise. The volunteer projects are located in and around Cuernavaca, capital of the state of Morelos, lying 53 miles south of Mexico City. This is an area favoured by residents of Mexico City as somewhere to escape to, particularly as it has such a pleasant climate. At one time, Aztec emperors too spent their summers in Cuernavaca. The town also plays host to a large numbers of students – often from the United States - who come to study Spanish.

If you need more information about Mexico grab a copy of Lonely Planet's Mexico Guide.

Start and Duration

Volunteers in Mexico can choose from a short term stay – as little as one week - or a long term stay of six months or more. The programs commence every Monday. Volunteers are collected free of charge from Mexico City Airport and taken by bus to Cuernavaca, approximately a 90 minute journey.

Volunteer Requirements

The only requirements are that volunteers in Mexico should be willing to work flexibly and as part of a team. Additionally, those taking part in community development projects need to be capable of doing physical work. Previous experience is not essential. Apply Now!

Project Descriptions for the Mexico

Language Courses

As part of the volunteer program we offer a couple of hours of free Spanish classes during the volunteer’s first and second week. Volunteers in Mexico may sign up for additional classes offered at the low cost of $15 US per hour. Attendance at classes does not affect volunteer hours, and there is flexibility within the schedule to allow for this.

Program Costs

Volunteering in MexicoLove Volunteers is a not-for-profit organization and is one of the most affordable ways to help out in a developing country while being immersed in the local culture.

Fees for volunteer programs in Mexico start at US$275 (€217) per week, which includes accommodation, three meals a day, an airport pick-up (if required), orientation and 24/7 in-country support.

This price also includes several free hours of Spanish lessons and more lessons can be arranged with our local partner.

Other volunteers periods available. Please, contact LoveVolunteers for pricing of other periods.

A Love Volunteers registration fee of US$235 (approximately €170) is charged in addition to the program fees and covers any placements you undertake for twelve months from the start of your first placement. The fee is refundable if you choose not to volunteer more than three months prior to the start of your initial placement. This fee ensures 24/7 pre- and post-placement support from Love Volunteers, checking and vetting of local organisations, a comprehensive information pack, as well as administration and marketing costs. Given Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation we also ask volunteers to cover any bank charges incurred by international money transfers.

Food and Accommodation

Volunteers in Mexico may choose to stay at the local community centre if space permits, or alternatively can lodge with a local host family. In either case, it may be necessary to share a room. No matter which of the two options is chosen, volunteers in Mexico can be certain of comfortable, clean conditions. Mexican families are known to be great hosts, who endeavor to make their guest’s stay a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Another advantage of any stay in Mexico is the opportunity to savour Mexican cooking. Among the staple ingredients found in main dishes are assorted vegetables, corn tortillas, rice and beans. To add piquancy, different sauces are served on top or on the side. Favourite dishes include the following: chicken kebabs (Alhambres de Pollo); shrimps in a chipotle remoulade sauce, enjoyed as an appetizer; the tasty cheese dip, Chile con Queso; Enchiladas Verdes (which involve placing a sauce comprising tomatillos and green chillies on top of corn tortillas); re-fried beans and Fajitas made from sizzling, fried minced steak. Among other produce used in Mexican cuisine is the exotic fruit Mamey and the vegetable the squash. Many savoury dishes include chocolate, the best known being chicken mole.

Mexico is also known for the potent cocktail the Margarita, as well as beer and, of course, tequila.

Orientation

Upon arrival in Mexico, after being taken to the volunteering location, there is the option either to rest or get acquainted with their host family. Following this, the main elements of orientation are: an introduction to the basics about Mexico as a country, facts about the city, local customs, safety, rules and expectations. The local team will also tell you everything you need to know about your volunteering experience, how the work is planned and the program’s goals and objectives.

A Typical Week

For those teaching English, the working week runs from Monday to Saturday, with most classes given in the afternoon, while mornings can be spent on preparation and meetings with staff.

Volunteers in Mexico have the evenings free when they might enjoy eating dinner with their host family, going out with other volunteers downtown or perhaps getting to dine at another nearby home. On occasion, it will be necessary to attend an evaluation meeting.

To gain a full weekend for travel and/or sightseeing (and depending on the length of the individual volunteer’s program), some flexibility is possible as regards taking a Saturday off.

About the Country

Mexico is a huge country comprising its own ‘united states’ (a total of 31 states) and is home to an estimated 111 million people. To the west and south, Mexico benefits from a Pacific coastline, while to the east lies the Gulf of Mexico. To the country’s southeast is found the Caribbean Sea. Besides the USA, Guatemala and Belize also border Mexico.

Perhaps the best Mexico experience is enjoyed by those who leave the well-trodden tourist path and venture into the less tamed hinterland. In Mexico, you'll find jungle and cloud forest. For the adventurous there are canyons, rapid rivers and caves to explore. Mexico is famed for its biodiversity and the number of animal species here simply defies belief. Parrots, jaguar, ocelots, cougars, howler monkeys and bears are just a tiny percentage of the creatures one might see when travelling in Mexico.

In such a large country, the visitor gets to see only a fraction of the varied attractions. These might include Aztec ruins, Mayan palaces, remote villages inhabited by indigenous people, colonial cities and traditional fiestas. Arriving armed with some prior knowledge of the country is strongly recommended.

As for Cuernavaca, where the volunteer program takes place, known as a vacation hotspot, the city has many restaurants, bars and a buzzing night scene. In the vicinity are some of the most interesting attractions Mexico has to offer. One such is the Corredor Biologico Ajusco-Chichinautzin, an area of dense protected forest. Within reach, too, is the Tepozteco Pyramid, a surviving monument from the Aztec period, as well as the National Park "Tepozteco", the Zempoala Lagoons, the Aztec Ruins of Malinalco and the Caves of Cacahuarnilpa. Finally, you may get an opportunity to visit the nearby Xochicalco archaeological zone, named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is a fascinating place which dates back to 650 AD.

Mexico’s highest mountainous areas reach an impressive five kilometres above sea level. Its jungles contain amazing wildlife. Many of its beaches are tropical paradises edged with palm trees. And its cities are frenetic, densely populated and increasingly contemporary.

Apply now! Or check out the FAQ or contact page for more information.