TOURS
If you speak the Spanish language even just a bit and know some of the basics, we'll help you form some simple sentences and practice conversational Spanish and learn new vocabulary in short one hour classes. Then the best place to practice Spanish is outside the classroom in the field in Mexico . We'll apply the short cuts we know to get you speaking and coach you to apply this in real life activities. Here is where we can take you in the Puerto Vallarta area and beyond.
One Week Tours Summary
- Pátzcuaro, Michoacan (near Morelia, 3 hrs south of Guadalajara) – Three distinct tours are available: A. Lago de Pátzcuaro - Cultural, History and Nature Tour B. Day of the Dead Tour – Famous overnight vigil and ceremonies with visiting souls of family from the other side C. Cultural and Monarch Butterfly Wintering – Tour of highlights of Pátzcuaro area and then visit the Monarch hibernation area at El Rosario ,1.5 hrs southeast of Morelia.
- Mountain Tour - San Sebastian del Oeste and Mascota – old mining and agricultural centers and Talpa de Allende – Virgin of Guadalupe pilgrimage – from one to two and a half hours east of Puerto Vallarta
- Volcanoes to Coastal Tour - Tepic and Huichol village , and crater lake - Laguna Santa Maria del Oro , and coastal old Fort town and beaches of San Blas –three hours north of Puerto Vallarta
Weekend Tours Summary
- San Sebastian del Oeste – 1.5 hours east of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport
- Tuito and Las Juntas y Los Veranos - 1 hour south of Puerto Vallarta
- Shopping off the Tourist Track in Puerto Vallarta
- Las Palmas Hot Springs – 20 km east of Puerto Vallarta Airport
- Tepic – 3 hrs north of Puerto Vallarta
ONE WEEK TOURS
1. PATZCUARO (One Week) – Departure from Puerto Vallarta (or fly to Guadalajara )
The high mountain state of Michoacán south of Guadalajara is inhabited by the Purepechan natives. They were the only  neighboring kingdom not to be conquered by the Aztec Empire. They still speak their language, sing their traditional songs, and dress typically. They also produce arts and crafts unique to each village www.Pátzcuaro.com . There are still ruins of the ceremonial temples of the city states. Pátzcuaro is the regional government and market centre (3 square block central market). It is located 3 hrs south of Guadalajara and a half hour from Morelia . It is internationally famous for its Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations on November 1st (All Saints Eve).
We'll head there through the Sierra Madre range east of Puerto Vallarta , with a quick tour of the old gold mining colonial mountain villages of San Sebastian and Mascota en route. Once through the mountains we´ll travel the southern shores of Lake Chapala , off the main freeways. We'll make a few brief stops of interest before we arrive in Pátzcuaro (approximately 12 hrs on the road). We'll stay in the Posada de Salud in the center across from the Basilica, with its inner courtyards, lawns and gardens.
Option A – Lago de Patzcuaro Tour - Each morning after breakfast, we'll focus on 2 hours of Spanish with useful phrases, vocabulary and structure. Then we'll do a tour of Pátzcuaro itself or one of the many interesting local villages to view arts, crafts and local geographic and cultural features (eg. Ancient Ruins of Ihuatzio and Tzintzuntzan, handmade Sombreros in Jarácuaro, wooden Mask Carvers in Tócuaro, hammed copper crafts in Santa Clara del Cobre, walking and tramway tour of historic and cultural Pátzcuaro, the natural park region of Lago de Zirahuén, potters in various villages, the 1943 Volcano Paricutín, various local festivals) (see Teacher's Journal at www.talkadventures.com for description and photos – Feb 2008, Oct 2007, May 2007). Also see www.Pátzcuaro.com for general info re: Pátzcuaro.
Costs - 7 nights (Inquire re: dates) $850 or $800 (D).
Option B -
Patzcuaro
Day of the Dead Tour – After breakfast and Spanish class, we'll tour the town and market by tramcar and on foot with a guide. In the afternoon we'll visit some of the local sites and/or villages surrounding the lake as per A (above). The second day after classes, we'll tour the village of Tzintzuntzan and see the ruins of the Prehispanic kingdoms, and tour the cemetery. A local anthropologist will discuss the details of the ceremonies and what we can expect in the days´ events. We'll spend subsequent days touring the surrounding villages and nights in Pátzcuaro joining in the celebrations. On the way back through the mountains, we'll spend a night in San Sebastian del Oeste or Mascota, mountain villages located 2-3 hrs high above Vallarta.
Costs – 7 Nights- Oct 28-Nov 3, 2008 $950 and $900 (D)
Please reserve early as Accommodation bookings are required well in advance.
Option C - Patzcuaro and Monarch Butterflies Winter Sanctuary 
We'll travel through the mountains from Puerto Vallarta , along south shore of Lake Chapala and arrive at Lago de Pátzcuaro region. Here we'll stay for 4 nights and visit the many villages with ancient ruins, distinctive arts and crafts of the region. Then we'll drive east for 2 hrs to Anguangueo and El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Reserve (2 nights). We'll hike from the trail head a half hour of moderate degree of difficulty into the forests where they reside. The town has lots of charm. Then we´ll head to the coast through the mountains and an overnight at San Sebastian , a mining town from the 1600s for our final night. (See Teacher's Journal , www.talkadventures.com March 2008 for photos and story.
Costs : 7 Nights - Feb 22 -1 March, 2009 - 7 nights $900 or $850 (D)
2. MOUNTAIN TOUR - SAN SEBASTIAN DEL OESTE -MASCOTA - TALPA DE ALLENDE (One Week)
Just 70 km east of Puerto Vallarta , Mexico in the pine-clad high mountains, lays San Sebastian del Oeste. Cobble-stones pave the streets, comprise the fences and the houses are of adobe, ancient timbers and red clay roofs. This was once a wealthy mining community, and today although with fewer facilities, still retains its charm, tranquility and the magic of Mexican village life. After Spanish classes in the morning, we'll tour the museums, the cultural landmarks and the surrounding environs. We may explore Real Alto, a village of 50 people 3,000 ft higher, where dried fruits, tequila and raicilla are the main home industry.
We'll spend 2 nights in Mascota, a spacious agricultural centre, and tour the unique anthropology museum. A local guide walks us through the streets to reveal the town's fascinating history. An hour above Mascota we'll visit the small village of Navidad , a 16 th Century mining settlement, and the lake region of Juanacatlan. Then less than an hour away we arrive in Talpa de Allende. Today the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa is a special religious museum, owing to a sighting of the Virgin Mary. It's one of the most visited sites in Mexico for religious pilgrimages. There are many cultural features, viewpoints, and natural features to take in. We'll spend two nights here, and a final night at San Sebastian before heading home to the coast.
Costs: 7 Nights – Dec 7 – 14, 2008 and March 22 – 29, 2009 $550 or 500 (D)
3. TEPIC and HUICHOL VILLAGE, Crater Lake - LAGUNA SANTA MARIA DEL ORO, and Coastal SAN BLAS – Volcanoes to Coastal Tour
This trip offers a variety of cultural, historical and natural features. We stay off the gringo path in the very old Mexican city of Tepic , surrounded by volcanic peaks, for 3 nights . It's a vibrant small agricultural city of 250,000 people, true to it's name, Tepictl i “land of corn”. Each street corner offers something unique – from street vendors to fruit stands, museums and historic sites, large and forested urban parks and plazas with entertainment.
- We'll take the town Tepi-bus for the historic town tour.
- The Huichol indigenous natives are commonly seen in their traditional dress at the central markets, at various cultural gatherings in the main plaza, and in their communities. We'll visit the Huichol community of Zitacua, shop their market and meet individual artists.
- We'll also do a walking tour of the plazas, the history and anthropology museum housed in an 18 th Century mansion, and the Museo de los Cuatro Pueblos (museum of the four natives – the Cora, Huichol, Tepehuanos and Mexicas), and experience regional shops in the town centre.
Next we'll drive a half hour to the Laguna Santa Maria del Oro, a lake of clear turquoise waters in a deep volcanic crater. Here we'll stay in cabins, hike high along the crater's edge, swim, kayak, row boats and other outdoor pursuits (2 nights stay).
An hour northwest of Tepic on the coast is San Blas, our site for 3 nights. Once a military fort and port with 30,000 people, it was abandoned as a port in the late 1800s and now supports a lively community of 15,000 people. Located on a tongue of land between two estuaries, the southern edge on the Pacific Ocean , this area is renowned for its beaches, the wetlands and coastal plain and the natural wildlife it supports. Among the features to experience:
- Historic sites and views from Cerro de San Basilio, the original hill-top settlement, and the ruins of the 18 th Century Fort “La Contaduría” and the Temple of the Virgin of the Rosary. A great viewpoint of the geography of the area.
- The mile long fine sand beach, El Borrego, in town, dotted with many seafood restaurants and great swimming and surfing, and beaches to the south.
- Hiking, bird-watching and beach-combing the sandy Isla del Rey (King Island) across the strait where the Huichol leave offerings to the Sacred Godess of the Sea, Aramara, and often perform wedding, baptism and other ceremonies.
- Boat tour up theTovar River through the mangrove swamp edge where we'll see a host of exotic birds, crocodiles, turtles with even a chance of viewing a jaguar ending at the Crocodile nursery.
- A guided tour of the village of Singayta , an environmentally conscious community, 5 miles inland, and the adjacent forest and mangrove swamps. This is predominantly a native community of Huichol and Cora Indians who lost their livelihood of supplying palm fronds for palapa construction due to Hurricane Kenna. Instead of selling their forested lands to ranchers, they give ecotours, make indigenous handicrafts and grow and sell orchids. We'll take the coastal road following the lovely coastal beach communities, still unspoiled, on the way back.
Costs: 7 NIghts - Nov 30 – Dec 7, 2008 and March 22 – 29, 2009 - $750 (700 D); Tepic alone available also as a weekend tour (see below.
WEEKEND STUDY TOURS
1. SAN SEBASTIAN DEL OESTE , MEXICO
In a weekend, we'll drive the 70 km from Puerto Vallarta up the winding mountain road to San Sebastian del Oeste, a small village, with beautiful Spanish colonial architecture nestled in the green pine and oak hills. We'll spend 1 night and 2 days in the village and environs, with a possible day trip up to Real Alto, 3000 ft higher) or to Mascota, the regional centre one hour away.
Weekend $ 150 Includes Transport, 2 hrs Spanish Class and Conversational support, Accommodation (2 days/1 night)
2. TUITO and LAS JUNTAS Y LOS VERANOS
Las Juntas y Los Veranos is 30 min south of Puerto Vallarta where the Rivers Orcones and Tomatlán join. Los Veranos Canopy Tours has a riverside restaurant, water slides and their canopy tour on “zip” lines or cables to which one is harnessed traversing many kilometers in the treetops. We'll visit the restaurant, exotic animal zoo and play in the crystal clear water and deep pools. The canopy tour is optional (1.5 hrs $70 p.p.). Five minutes south is the Botanical Gardens - a marvel of gardens by theme built along easy to hike trails, one of which also leads to river pools for swimming. At both locations, we can do a short nature hike and birding . We'll overnight in El Tuito , a small Mexican agricultural centre, another 20 minutes south, and stroll the attractive central zocalo, visit the art and crafts gallery, and explore the other distinct charms to be found.
The annual Guadalupe festival is Monday, January 12th , with fireworks (un castillo with synchronous wheels of fireworks set off on a 20-30 ft wooden “ferris wheel” structure), vendors, bands, and a parade. To participate in this fiesta, we'll start on Sunday morning, returning Monday night.
Weekend 2 days, 1 night $150 p.p. (2 per. minimum) Includes Transport, Accommodation (2 days/1 night).
3. SHOPPING OFF THE TOURIST TRACK - in Puerto Vallarta Area.
We'll show you the shopping highlights. We'll briefly hit a few of the “must see” tourist destinations in old Vallarta , stop at “ tianguis ” or flea market for the curious, hit a few unique specialty shops, unique artisan shops and visit Pitillal , a traditional Mexican shopping area north of Vallarta.
Cost: One day -. $75; Overnight - Inquire
4. LAS PALMAS HOTSPRINGS – A short 45 minutes east of Vallarta are the hot springs . We'll head there on a day trip and return by nightfall to Vallarta. We'll lunch at a special Recreational Resort and tour the corridor en route. Cost: $75 p.p . (Inquire re Weekend Tour options ).
5. TEPIC – 2 days, 1 night. Old traditional Mexican town, Huichol village, market, plaza, old haciendas, parks, laid back and traditional. Cost: $200 Includes transport and accommodation.
OFFERINGS & REQUIREMENTS:
1. Recommended Level 2 Students and higher (recent study of basic verb conjugations, Ser and Estar); Limited to 4 per group, Minimum 2 . Inquire re: Level 1 studies in Yelapa before the trip.
2. Prices include : Transportation, Accommodation, Spanish study plus conversational support and daily tours with teacher (Some extra costs for group tours on location, but at group rates).
3. If you'd like to form your own group, have a specific date in mind, or want to go for less than a week, please inquire. We may be able to accommodate your request. If you have a group of all Beginners , we'll also accommodate you.
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