Immerse yourself in a village surrounded by horses in Mexico. Experience the village of Manialtepec, a rural community with a close relationship to horses that has turned to ecotourism. Other program with horses here
Ecotourism to avoid exploiting and destroying the earth
The partner association supports sustainable development and biodiversity conservation initiatives in the Oaxaca region of Mexico.
It works with local communities, helping to :
- Conservation of wild species ;
- The development of environmental workshops for children or English courses;
- Planting trees in private and public areas;
- Beach clean-ups;
- Promoting ecotourism.
Tartarakus supports ecotourism development projects and works with local communities to protect biodiversity. Among these communities is the village of Manialtepec. Most of the village's inhabitants used to raise livestock and farm. They produced fruit, vegetables, milk, cheese, corn... Until one day, when a family tried the adventure of ecotourism, to show their own community that it is possible to live off the land without exploiting it.
Horses at the heart of the project
Subsequently, many groups began to set up activities, launching ecotourism as a way of making a living. Previously, they used horses to transport tools, crops or themselves. Today, they have changed their relationship with horses. The horses are used only a few days a week for eco-tourism activities, and live free in the wild the rest of the time.
Immersion in a rural village surrounded by horses
You'll be part of a local community living in the traditional way, surrounded by free-roaming horses. This community owns 50 hectares of biodiversity-rich forest, which requires manpower to carry out reforestation and develop conservation activities. There will be additional activities depending on the community's work: you can help give English lessons, run environmental workshops with children, make cheese or traditional bread, clean hiking trails, reforestation activities...
Example of a day's timetable
- 7 a.m.: you pick up the horses and take them to the ranch
- 8 a.m. - 9 a.m.: breakfast
- 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: You help the team with all activities: teaching English, horseback riding, hiking, agricultural activities, designing informative documents on environmental protection, cooking, children's workshops. If you don't know how to ride well, you'll learn on the job, until you can help visitors manage their horses.
- 12 pm - 1 pm: lunch
- 1 pm - 4 pm: free
- 4 pm - 7 pm: bathing horses; developing workshops; reforestation; cleaning up rivers or beaches; supporting a local team English, horse riding or hiking.
- 7 p.m. - dinner
- All year round between 1 and 12 weeks
- 498 € : 6 nights, 7 days.
Included in price
- 24/7 project coordination;
- Airport pick-up ;
- Rooms shared by 2-3 volunteers in a Mexican host family
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner, 5 days/week
- Excursions as assistant: horseback riding, hiking and boat trips in the mangroves.
- 1 additional activity included per week: sea turtle night patrol (October-April), support for the El Popoyote environmental interpretation center in Chacahua; nocturnal bioluminescence in the lagoon.
Not included in price
- Airline tickets
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- People over 18
- Families with children over 8 years old
- You need to be open-minded and flexible to changes in itinerary due to social or climatic causes.
- Minimum one week
- English: intermediate level
Food
Food is mainly vegetarian and Mexican. If required, menus can be adapted to cater for intolerances and allergies. Meat is served as a supplement to certain meals.
Housing
Shared rooms with 2 / 3 volunteers near the beach
Arrival
Pick-up from Puerto Escondido airport (arrive before 4 pm).
What to bring
- A backpack instead of a suitcase and a small daypack.
- Comfortable warm-weather clothing.
- During sunset, you'll need loose-fitting pants that cover your legs to avoid using repellents, as well as long-sleeved shirts. A cap or hat.
- A sweatshirt for night patrols. November to February.
- A waterproof jacket if you travel from June to October.
- Comfortable footwear: sneakers or boots for walking in the forest, sandals, and flip-flops for the shower.
- Towel and hygiene products: shampoo, body soap... the team recommends solid products that are as natural as possible.
- Swimsuit (long-sleeved to avoid sunscreen in the water), goggles.
- For mosquitoes, the team recommends essential oils: citronella, lemon eucalyptus, neem, ... instead of chemical repellents. (Nothing works 100% here, so travel with loose-fitting clothes that cover your body).
- A small first-aid kit for your special needs.
- Earplugs and light sheet for camping.
- A gourd! Please, let's avoid plastic!
Manialtepec is a small, traditional village in Oaxaca with close ties to horses. There's a lot to enjoy in Manialtepec: enjoy the bioluminiscence show in the lagoon, the thermal waters, the mountain of Puerto Suelo beach.
Enjoy the sunset on the beach, walk with your horse, enjoy the moment, enjoy the people, look at the crocodiles hidden in the mangroves and be surprised by the colorful birds along the way. Manialtepec has a lot to offer.
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About the partner association
Tartarukus is a Spanish non-profit organization that supports local communities working to preserve the environment and develop ecotourism, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Tartarakus was created in 2021 by Beatriz, who after several years spent on the Oaxaca coast as a student and volunteer, wanted to strengthen the local population's impact on sustainable development. The association offers a range of volunteer experiences in the less-visited areas of the Oaxaca coast. All Tartarukus missions