Na’atik has been a great experience. They work really hard to not only immerse you in Spanish but also the culture. The home stay really shows you what life is like in Mexico as well as the town.

This was a lovely experience! Everyone was super nice at both the school and the home stay, and I could feel my Spanish getting better by the day. The Spanish class was tailored right to my level. There were families with school-aged kids, solo travelers, and couples in our group. Highly recommend!

I loved my time at Na’atik. I did 2 weeks of immersion without knowing much Spanish at all. It was a challenge but everyone at the school was extremely supportive and clearly invested in making the experience a well-rounded one. I not only got the opportunity to “dive into the deep end” in learning Spanish but also got a real immersion into Maya culture and the daily life of people outside the tourist areas of the Yucatan. The opportunities Na’atik makes available to experience local attractions after classes during the week or on weekends have been chosen with care. In addition, there are plenty of beautiful and interesting places for weekend trips to take independently that are just a short bus ride away. I cannot say enough about the host family with whom I stayed. They were incredibly generous and welcoming. In addition, every meal for two weeks was delicious. This was a memorable part of the experience and I highly recommend it. I have continued with language classes online since the immersion experience and am grateful to be able to continue to work with my teacher, Erick, who is always patient, has a great sense of humor and is a dedicated instructor. I hope to further my language skills and return to Na’atik some time in the future for another immersion experience.

So much fun learning here! They are very well organized, accommodating, and offer classes of very high quality. I love the town of Carrillo, and the people here are absolutely amazing. The school provided a bike in which to get around, and that was super awesome and helpful. The school is super clean and beautiful, with air conditioned classrooms (which is needed here!). My teacher, Pedro, was awesome, and not only helped me with my Spanish, but also taught be a lot of history and culture around Mexico, while still using the target language. I very highly recommend coming to study Spanish or Maya here!

I took a 5-session Spanish conversation class with Erick Santos at Na'atik. Erick was an excellent teacher who always came prepared with exercises to help me build my skills, and he always reviewed everything we covered at the end of each class. I had been studying on my own for a year with online apps (Duolingo and Pimsleur), but I was never sure if I was pronouncing things correctly, and so it was very helpful to have one-on-one coaching from a native speaker. He helped me feel confident that I could carry on a conversation in Spanish, and we often talked about life in Mexico, which I found very interesting. I loved my class, and I hope that I will be able to do a residency at the Na'atik Institute in Mexico someday.

Wow, what can I say! The immersive Spanish programme Na’atik have provided us this week couldn’t have been more perfect! Both my husband and I feel sad to be leaving, which is saying something considering we were only here for a week. But wow has that week been so wholesome! Firstly in the lead up to the week we were very impressed with the communication to get us ready for the trip. Our host family experience couldn’t have been more perfect! We genuinely felt part of the family for the week, and learnt so much about them and from them! The immersive family experience is so clever in helping you learn Spanish, because it naturally happens while you’re communicating over the three meals each day. And the meals; every single one was delicious! We had the opportunity to experience home cooked traditional food every day for a week, and loved every one! We loved the opportunity to learn Spanish in a local school. The lessons included a mix of vocabulary, grammar, history and reccomendations for our trip. The teacher Cesar was clearly very passionate about teaching Spanish and sharing information about his home country. We were very impressed by the organisation of the whole week. From providing us with bikes to allow us to get around the town easily to hosting a trip to a lagoon halfway through the week; a perfect break from Spanish. The staff were so friendly and accommodating; hosting a welcome dinner at the start of the week, answering any questions we had and helping us organise additional experiences. Thank you Na’atik! I would highly reccomend you to anyone looking for Spanish lessons and wanting to get embedded in the culture of a local community.

I’m already trying to plan my return! An amazing school, staff, & Homestay experience. First off, it must be known you are not going into a city; you will be in a Pueblo where everyone decides the time based off of the weather, their hunger, or their needs. You will not have access to Starbucks or common stores you may find in larger cities of México, but you will have the best acces of being in the heart of the Mayan community with some amazing school staff & even more beautiful host families. First off, the school itself is something quite special in this town. Founded by an American woman & her Mexican professor husband; these two are all about giving back to their community. Na’atik offers Mayan, English & Spanish classes for foreigners like me & for kids in their community. Since Mayan is no longer being taught in public schools, I was so delighted that they offer it here. What’s even more beautiful is that students that came as children to learn Spanish & English are now part of this school & even teach here. You see this school is all about heart & passion. The teachers are incredible. I was fortunate to work with Pedro; & I can honestly say he is one of the best teachers I’ve had…and I’m a middle school teacher, so I’m judgy;). All the leyendas, historias, grammar & the novel we read were just right above the level I needed. I told everyone that my Profe Pedro was like an Acupancturist knowing exactly where my Spanish gaps were at & helped fix them. I had an amazing experience & felt humble knowing I had the privilege to study for 3 weeks. I will say though, my favorite part was my host family though. I can serioudly say I love them with all my heart & I can’t wait to see them again. I 200% felt like a real part of the family & also further continued my study of Mayan culture with them. Yes, it’s tropical. Yes. There are lizards everywhere, yes you may see too many flies, but the mystery & history of the area plus the teachings & experience with the families make every second worth it! Ps. The school could also use school supplies like notebooks, colored paper, glue sticks, colored pencils, etc if you ever want to bring some.

Wow, what an amazing experience! I spent a week studying at Na'atik and my only issue is that I didn't stay longer. Here is my breakdown of the experience: Arrival: We arrived on Sunday. We took the bus. We had to switch in Playa del Carmen, but it was really easy. Jason met us at the bus station and we took a cab over to our homestay. HOMESTAY: This was absolutely the best part. The home was very clean (cleaner than my own apartment in NYC LOL). My fiance and I had our own room and our own bathroom. Our homestay family was so extremely kind, hospitable, and patient. Even though we had very basic level spanish, we were able to get to know them and have really wonderful and deep conversations (my fiance is definitely a beginner and I'm at beginner/intermediate, but we managed fine). We also got to know the kids... we played games and helped them practice their Spanish. I was SO SO SO sad to leave this amazing family. FOOD: They provided all of our meals, which were delicious! My fiance has had issues in the past with eating food in Mexico, but everything was amazing and we had no tummy troubles. We went out to eat with the family a few times. CLASSES: We spent 4 hours/day studying Spanish at Na'atik. I ended up having a teacher by myself. Her name was Wendy and she was wonderful. I'm a nurse and she even tailored the lessons to learning medical words and phrases. It moves FAST but I learned and grew so much over the week and am excited to continue studying all of my notes now that I am back home. EXCURSIONS: Our first day, we had a tour of the town and went out to dinner with the staff. I really liked getting to know everyone and I enjoyed learning about the school and their amazing initiatives. The lagoon trip (which is included) was a ton of fun. It was a short an easy trip and the water was beautiful. We also signed up for the cooking class and a massage. Everything was great. SAFETY: I was a little skeptical before going on this trip, but I felt extremely safe the entire time. We had no problems at all. OTHER CONCERNS: The city itself is a little dirty and there are quite a few stray dogs (who never ever bothered us). It is definitely a different way of life, but that is also what makes it SO special. OVERALL: LOVED LOVED LOVED it. I have recommended it to everyone I know. Get out of your comfort zone and do something different!

Absolutely life changing experience! These fantastic people connect you with locals, verily they insert your into the local culture, for a truly authentic experience. There is an enthusiasm for their work that is absolutely infectious and inspiring. Homestay is THE way to travel. Sign up right away and stay for at least two weeks. I wish I had done two months!

I had a lovely experience learning Spanish at Na’atik for two months. My teacher saw my initial skill level and challenged me to read and speak at a higher level every day in class. I felt very welcomed by the staff, and it was clear that they dedicated a lot of time and energy into ensuring I had a great time. My home stay family was beyond incredible. They were patient with my Spanish abilities and truly incorporated me into their lives. I traveled with them to every family party, soccer game, weekend excursion, etc. The immersive experience was exactly what I had hoped for. I was surrounded by Spanish every second of the day, and after two months I am a much better speaker and listener because of it! I also enjoyed traveling around the region and seeing all of the amazing history and culture of Quintana Roo. Thank you so much to Na’atik and everyone involved in my experience - it is truly one that I will never forget!

If you are a person who prefers to take the road 'less travelled by', Na'atik is for you! (apologies to Robert Frost) Na’atik offers students a unique opportunity to learn Spanish in a town yet unspoiled by the tourist trade. Intimate class sizes mean Spanish lessons are tailored to the needs of the students. The experience is enriched by a homestay with a local family. A comfortable bed is provided, along with three home-cooked meals a day. Your hosts are there to help you navigate the culture and are happy to assist you in any way they can. Although you're on your own for laundry, there are several places in town that will happily fluff and fold your clothes for a fee. The Na'atik experience is not just about taking Spanish classes. You are encouraged to explore the town of Carillo Puerto on your own, either on foot or by a bike loaned by the school. You soon become immersed in the rich culture and history of area. If you get hungry on your travels, stop at any of the dozens of small eateries to sample local cuisine served at very reasonable prices. If your tastes lean towards the arts, visit some of the ateliers making and selling Mayan inspired arts and crafts. If you just want to hang out, head to the park in the centre of town, where you will find carts selling everything from agua fresca to tamales, and everything in between (Agua fresca is fruit-infused water served with ice)

I just got back from a week studying Spanish at Na'atik and the entire experience exceeded my expectations. I speak pretty fluent French, and spoke tourist Spanish before I went, but I'd always wanted to do a Spanish immersion. Choosing the place felt like a bit of a leap of faith because you just don't know until you go. Na'atik's professional Website and terrific reviews- convinced me to take the leap and it was totally more than worth it. Trust me when I say, if you like traveling off the beaten path, meeting wonderful local people, and learning a new language from a school that works hard to support and be a part of the local community, this is the school for you. Everything from the small, safe, friendly town to the professional classes, the excursions, and my welcoming homestay family was top notch. On top of all that, they teach Mayan in addition to Spanish, and are a non-profit that uses those proceeds to provide English classes to local kids. I only stayed a week and I'm already searching for a time in my schedule to go back. And after seeing firsthand the incredible work they're doing to support the community by teaching English--and showing kids a path to higher education and jobs outside the tourist industry--I donated scholarship funds as well. It's clear that not only is the organization extremely well run but they care about the work they're doing and the people of the town of Carrillo. Even the locals have nothing but good things to say about the school. Unless you're the type of person who prefers an all-inclusive resort, I highly recommend doing your Spanish immersion with Na'atik.

I had an amazing experience taking Spanish classes at Na'atik. The program truly offers an immersive language and cultural program and I gained confidence in speaking Spanish rapidly as my AMAZING host family and people in town mostly either spoke Maya or Spanish. My host family made me feel right about home and quickly integrated me into their family! The classes were fun and engaging, and my teacher, Cesar, was super knowledgable not only about effective teaching methodology but also the history of the city/Mayan history in general. I can't say enough about how great every excursion offered by the program are. Everyone involved in Na'atik is very genuine about uplifting Mayan culture, and it was a breathe of fresh air to step outside of the more touristy parts of Mexico and learn more about Mayan history. If you're thinking about talking classes here, DO IT! It's been a phenomenal and super educational experience.