Live, learn and explore in one of the safest and most beautiful cities in Mexico. People come here to visit ancient Mayan ruins and amazing geological formations, yet still discover so much more. Mérida was ranked the second safest city in the American continent in 2020, the Best Small City by Condé Nast Traveller, acknowledged as the American Capital of Culture by Unesco, and recognized as one of the 10 Best cities to travel by Forbes and Lonely Planet?
Mérida is also a student-friendly city buzzing with cafés and cultural activity.
What’s a typical day like? Mornings are for interactive classes, building your Spanish skills with one of our expert language professors. Afternoons are for fun, organized activities with your classmates and explore the city. Together you’ll try Mexican worldwide famous gastronomy in a cooking class, visit marketplaces and museums, or enjoy the nature in a local park. There’s still plenty of time for listening to local street musicians and chilling out under a shady tree with a marquesita (a hard crepe filled with cheese or chocolate) or a champola (ice cream made with coconut milk).
It’s easy to stroll around and soak up the culture. Spanish colonial buildings painted in a rainbow of bright colors line clean, quiet streets. Marketplaces selling exotic fruits and authentic handicrafts are a great place to practice your conversational and bargaining skills.
Looking for a longer term program? Check out our trimester, semester, or academic year programs for high schoolers.
Graduating high school soon? Visit the CIEE First Year Abroad and CIEE Gap Year Abroad pages to learn more about our post-graduation options.
We award millions in scholarship funds every year. Check out our Scholarship page for more information, including how to apply.