Question 1

intro

Accepted Answer

Where can you step completely into a new culture without feeling the jetlag? Practice your Spanish while exploring beautiful beaches? Delve into some of the best food on the planet, from fresh avocados to chilly margaritas? Discover the birthplace of chocolate and the home of some of the most famous architecture, art, and music in the world by taking a gap year in Mexico. Traveling here means opening the door to language practice, cultural immersion, business experience, and a year in Spanish that you&rsquo;ll never forget. &iexcl;Ol&eacute;!

Question 2

Popular Locations

Accepted Answer

Taking a gap year in Mexico gives you lots of options, from living in the middle of a big city to spending your time far from civilization. Here are a few of the most popular places for your Mexican gap year.
Mexico City. The capital of Mexico, Mexico City is home to almost nine million people&mdash;so it sure has something for you! If you&rsquo;re interested in working in business, marketing, law, medicine, or pretty much any profession, Mexico City has opportunities a-plenty. In addition to professional firms, you&rsquo;ll find some of the best universities in Mexico here, which means if you want to study abroad, Mexico City is the perfect spot.
Playa del Carmen. Playa del Carmen is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico and, as a fun beach town on the Yucatan Peninsula, is a favorite for many foreign visitors who are looking for a less touristy option that Cancun. Whether you&rsquo;re exploring architecture in the nearby ruins, studying marine biology in famous snorkel and SCUBA sites, saving sea turtles, or just enjoying the food and amazing beaches while volunteering, working, or studying, Playa del Carmen makes a great home base or pit stop on your gap year in Mexico.
Mazatl&aacute;n. Halfway down the west coast of Mexico is Mazatl&aacute;n, a beautiful beachside city home to about half a million people and full of opportunities for those on a gap year. Mexico has opportunities abound in the tourism industry, with many to be found in Mazatl&aacute;n. With beautiful nineteenth-century architecture, quality universities, and one of the most affordable beach locations in the country, it&rsquo;s popular with those backpacking Mexico and looking for cheap gap year programs.

Question 3

Popular Activities

Accepted Answer

A gap year in Mexico should take you well beyond the traditional &ldquo;spring break&rdquo; experience of beach parties and sightseeing. Whether you&rsquo;re spending your time in one city or traveling around backpacking, Mexico has a lot to offer.
Language Immersion. Many gappers choose Mexico because they want to spend a year in Spanish: speaking it, hearing it, and getting started or polishing to perfection. When it comes to language immersion during a gap year, Mexico is hard to beat. Experience speaking and working in Spanish can be extremely valuable in your career path, and you may find that volunteer options that include homestays or other language immersion mean cheap gap year programs that can really help you get ahead.
Internships. When you think Mexico, you might think tequila and tacos. Think again. In addition to its long and rich culture of art, music, and literature, Mexico is one of the United States&rsquo; top three trade partners and a high priority partner, supplier, and market for many US goods and services. Interested in international law? Medicine? Marketing? Supply chain management? Production? Agriculture? Automotive production? Tourism? International relations? An internship during your gap year in Mexico could give you the perfect experience you need.
Wilderness. From snorkeling with dolphins to cleaning up beaches to protecting howler monkeys in the rainforest, Mexico has tons of options for the gapper who wants to spend most of their time outside. Whether you volunteer, intern, study, or just devote multiple weeks or months in the wilderness abroad, Mexico provides access to some spectacular landscapes and animals in need of your research and protection.

Question 4

Everything Else You Need to Know about Gap Years in Mexico

Accepted Answer

Costs. Mexico is generally considered an affordable place to travel on your gap year, which means there are options for cheap gap year programs and also for affordable solo travel. If you&rsquo;re interested in adventure travel activities such as SCUBA diving, be sure to research costs ahead of time so that you&rsquo;re prepared. In general, whether you&rsquo;re choosing a gap year program or arranging your own plan, consider which costs are included and ask questions if you&rsquo;re unsure. If you plan to fundraise for your trip, you can check out FundMyTravel as a way for others to donate.
Accommodations. Accommodations throughout Mexico can vary greatly, and even within Mexico City you can find everything from glamorous, fancy private buildings to simple, shared apartments. Do your research! If housing is included, ask for pictures and talk to alums about their experience. If you&rsquo;re booking accommodation on your own, read your agreements carefully and be sure to research the safety of the area and what transportation options are available.
Visas. Whether you are traveling, volunteering, working, studying, or interning, be sure to check to make sure you have the appropriate visa required, or you could end up in hot water. Any organized program you choose for your gap year in Mexico should be able to advise you on visa requirements, or if you&rsquo;re volunteering or interning with an organization on your own, you may be able to ask them for advice. If you need help finding an embassy, check out the GoAbroad Embassy Directory.
Safety. Before you plan a gap year in Mexico, be sure to check the State Department for advice on staying safe and any applicable travel advisories. If there are travel advisories or warnings and you choose to travel anyway, doing so may effect your travel insurance, so read your policy carefully. You should register with the embassy of your home country while abroad just in case! Staying safe abroad means doing all the things you do to stay safe at home: keep your wits about you, make sure someone always knows where you are, and don&rsquo;t go out alone at night.

Question 5

GoAbroad’s Inside Scoop

Accepted Answer

When it comes to your gap year, Mexico is full of amazing opportunities. Whether you choose to pursue your passion for art history, practice Spanish until you&rsquo;re fluent, or SCUBA dive with the sea turtles in turquoise seas, you&rsquo;ll be on a great path during your gap year. Mexico has opportunities abound and your experience within Mexican culture can be both fascinating and a great addition to your resume.
Unfortunately, Mexico is often seen as simply a party destination by Americans, who may know very little about Mexican culture and may confuse it with the culture of other Latin American countries. If you&rsquo;re going to do a gap year in Mexico, commit to learning about the country&rsquo;s history, traditions, culture, and industry, and leave the stereotypes behind. When you&rsquo;re visiting a country that&rsquo;s been baraged by thousands of tourists acting disrespectfully over the years, you have a special responsibility to be culturally sensitive. Take the time to learn some Spanish and really communicate. Remember, you&rsquo;re a guest and you are there to learn&mdash;and learn you will!
For your gap year, Mexico can be a great option for those who want to stay closer to home but still experience a new culture. You can gain valuable, practical, hands-on work experience that will help your career path when you return home while still exploring beautiful beaches and world-renowned ruins. So learn to cook some mole sauce, get your tastebuds adjusted to poblano chiles, put on a song by Los Panchos, and practice saying, &ldquo;Habla m&aacute;s despacio, por favor,&rdquo; because you&rsquo;re headed to Mexico!
Keep reading! Help Me Plan My Gap Year! Pretty Please?!