Be part of a traditional coastal community surrounded by horses living in freedom. Support with respectful environmental activities and connect with horses and nature.
VOLUNTEER WITH HORSES IN A RURAL COMMUNITY
Manialtepec is a small village governed by custom and practice. They are their own authority in the village, they produce fruits, vegetables, milk, cheeses, corn, … They are kind and warm to visitors as they like to show what they built in their community.
SAN JOSÉ MANIALTEPEC
MEET THE RURAL MEXICO
Most of the community were focused on livestock farming and agriculture, but your host family, started to develop ecotourism. They were the first family who started to bring visitors to Manialtepec, showing the community that it’s possible to live from the land without exploiting it. After that, many groups started to develop some activities to show the beauty of their community and landscapes, starting ecotourism as a way to live without exploiting their land. Before that, they were using horses to carry tools, harvests, or themselves, and they changed their function to do horseback riding, as a way to do ecotourism a few days per week, while horses are living ifree in nature the rest of the time.
During the tours, they talk about nature, traditions, the importance of the ecosystems, the needs to care the enviroment and their community… They show the true beauty of the planet.
This local group owns 50 ha of a forest full of wildlife, where they need hands to make reforestations and to improve their conservation activities.
WHAT YOU WILL DO AS A VOLUNTEER WITH HORSES
The main activities of this volunteering program are:
- To support in ecotourism activities during tours to visitors
- Caring horses, giving them water, food, bathing them.
- Cleaning of natural areas (beach, paths and river) from plastic thrash.
- English lessons to local guides,
- Support with material for social networks and promotion online
- To make environmental workshops in the school
- To support in activities in the land: sometimes, the village and people has to do volunteering work for the community, called tequio, and you will participate in those actions.
A TYPICAL DAY AS A VOLUNTEER IN RURAL LIFE & HORSES PROJECT
In the community, the day starts very early, at 7, when the sun is rising, you will hear the sounds of the rural life: birds, women making tortillas early in the morning… Let’s prepare yourself for the day.
Essence of your home.
After having a small breakfast, you will cross the river to check the horses in the morning, giving them some water, and preparing them for the sunset, when it’s planned to walk with them to the beach. If you don’t know how to ride a horse well, you sill use this time to learn it until you can help the group how to help visitors to manage their horses. Some of the guides can talk a bit in english, but sometimes, your knowledge of the place as you were a bit more than them living in Manialtepec, will help them to explain things that they have a hard time to express.
Enjoy the sunset in the beach, ride with your horse, love the moment, enjoy the people, listen the Pacific Ocean, look at the crocodiles hidden into the mangroves and be amazed by the colored birds along the way. Manialtepec has a lot to offer.
Enjoy the sunset, ride with your horse, love the moment.
VOLUNTEER IN MANIALTEPEC
Most of the days, there will be extra activities that will depend on the community work: you can support in giving some english lessons to people, environmental workshops with the children, making traditional cheese or bread, cleaning hikking routes, reforestation activities, …
WHAT IS IT INCLUDED?
- Shared room for max. 3 volunteers in a family home in Manialtepec.
- 3 meals per day during working days. Lunch and dinner elaborated with a Oaxacan cook (there are options for vegetarians and vegans).
- Bottled water
- Isma as your local guide who will teach you to understand nature in a completely different way.
- Basic material to work and for common using.
- Volunteering certificate.
- Liability insurance, although you will need a travel insurance.
- Accompaniment in public transport from Puerto Escondido airport to Manialtepec.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
- National or international flights
- Travel insurance (required)
- Transport and lunch during 1-2 free day(s)/week
- Special drinks or snacks food
- Visa (if needed)
- Drop off. It will ve very easy as we travel in public transport!
RURAL LIFE & HORSES
$ 9,400 MXN ≈ 498* €
DURATION: 7 DAYS | 6 NIGHTS
Live with us in Oaxaca as part of a kind local family while you volunteer in Manialtepec.
*Currency exchange: 1€ ≈ 18.00 MXN aprox.
per day (rural life & horses)
$1,400 MXN ≈ 78* €
DURATION: 2 DAYS | 1 NIGHT
If you want to join us for some days more 🙂
*Currency exchange: 1€ ≈ 18.00 MXN aprox.
Book your spot for your volunteering experience with the coordinator!
