Community Travel and Community Based Tours in Mexico
Many rural and indigenous communities in Mexico have built their own community travel enterprises where the visitor has a chance to interact more closely with the local cultures. There are a number of community travel projects across the country which are run by ethnic minorities in each region. Indigenous communities such as the Mixtec, Maya, Tzotzil and Lacandon currently have facilities where the traveler will be able to stay in a traditional village and make visits to some impressive natural wonders that are often located close to these remote rural areas.
The traditional activities when staying at these community travel projects involve things such as: guided jungle walks with explanations of the flora and fauna of the region by the local community, hiking excursions across the mountain valleys guided by the people from the communities, bird watching tours, remote archaeological site visits, a taste of the local food cooked by the local families, and often a demonstration of other cultural attractions of the region like traditional dances and music.
Besides the unique cultural experience that a visit to these community travel projects will bring to the visitor, the traveler must also take into account that by visiting them, he or she is directly helping the local communities and ensuring the continuity of the projects.
Some of these community travel projects are difficult to reach for the traveler and are barely ever taken into account in the traditional tours. Access to them is often complicated and public transportation does not cover these regions. It is for this reason that we have incorporated into our tours the community travel programme.
Our Community Travel Programme
Our local community travel programme is designed for the traveler that wishes to visit some of these communities and at the same time get to know Mexico's main cities and cultural attractions. Some of our tours involve overnights at these communities. The following are just certain examples of these tours.
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