CAMP TOUCAN

At Camp Toucan you will be welcomed into a local community of experienced outdoorsmen and knowledgeable teachers, rather than just checking into a hotel or resort. You can come as a single traveler, or with family, or with traveling companions. If you don't want to do the same things as your companions every day, you can do things together on some days, then on other days each person goes on whichever day-trip or activity they choose, then everyone gets back together again for the evening Social Hour, to compare their experiences over a drink and an appetizer. So one person can kayak, kiteboard, or mountain bike, while another person goes to Mayan ruins, Spanish with music, or folk dancing, and everyone is expanding their lives in the direction they want to go.

At night you’ll sleep in one of several small, family-run hotels (more like guest houses), within a few blocks of the plaza, so you can walk to the plaza in the morning to meet for the activities, then walk back to your lodging in the evening. So it will be a “camp” in the sense of a stay of several days in one scenic town, doing a variety of interesting activities in small groups, with experienced leaders. (It won't be a "camp" in the literal sense of people staying in a group of tents.) (Tent camping is possible on the outskirts of Bacalar, but it's far from the plaza and you have to bring all your own gear.)

There will also be a Kids Program, so kids can spend their days doing some of these same intercultural and outdoor activities as their parents, but at age-appropriate levels, with kid-friendly camp counselors. Then they’ll get back together with their parents at the evening Social Hour (with non-alcoholic drinks for the kids). (See the KIDS PROGRAM page.)

At Camp Toucan your primary language can be English, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, and so on. Participants only need to speak enough English or Spanish to follow along with the activities (which will be in both languages – only the Seminars will be all in English). Your camp name tag will show people whether you prefer to speak English or Spanish, and it will show people what level you currently speak in that language, so the camp guides and teachers will speak to you in that language, at that level. At the local hotels and restaurants, there is usually someone who speaks basic English. So at Camp Toucan you don’t have to learn Spanish, but it will be a unique opportunity to do so, in a fast and fun way, using pictures, music, and physical activities to open new language pathways in your brain, rather than using translation and grammar rules. (See the NATURAL SPANISH & MUSIC page.) 

There is lots of advertising for resorts and cruise ships in Mexico and the Caribbean. Many travelers enjoy the food, drinks, and entertainment on those trips, but the activities tend to be superficial. For example, the advertising may promise kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, but it may turn out to be thirty minutes of paddling in a roped-off area. They probably won’t teach you to sail, windsurf, kiteboard, or speak Spanish, nor conduct seminars about pirates, the Mayans, or the conquest. The advertising may promise a kids program, but it may turn out to be kids in a room watching movies in English. And the costs tend to be more than at Camp Toucan.

There are also tours by bus around the Yucatan peninsula, as there have been since the 1950s. In today’s world, it makes more sense to use your precious travel time to get to know some knowledgeable people in one friendly town, then go with them to visit their sacred sites, and their favorite places for watersports and mountain biking. It makes less sense to ride in a bus for hours to complete a loop around all of Yucatan, just so you can briefly see some well-known landmarks (along with lots of other tourists). And again, the cost is likely to be more.

You’ll be able to stay at Camp Toucan for a week, two weeks, or a month or more, for affordable amounts. There will be numerous day-trips, activities, and seminars to choose from, enough for a stay of several weeks, and you will also be able to insert days to do things on your own, such as swimming in the lake or exploring around town (only paying for your room and meals on those days). You’ll have opportunities to get to know interesting local people, and learn some of their language if you want.

So Camp Toucan will indeed be an intercultural adventure for explorers of all ages, from kids to seniors, arriving singly, or in families, or in small groups.

For DAY-TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES, see the descriptions and photos on the following pages.

For TRIP LOGISTICS, regarding how to get to Bacalar, where to stay, what to pack, and other trip planning, see the TRIP LOGISTICS page.

TO SIGN UP for day-trips and activities, once Camp Toucan is ready to receive participants, see the SIGNING UP page.