Community Tour of Isla Columpios and Chuburná by local fishermen in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula

This is the second post in a series on my trip with RISE Travel Institute. This past February, I joined students and alumni of the RISE Flagship Program for the RISE Experiential Journey (EJ) trip to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Partnering with Etnica Travel, RISE’s annual Experiential Journey (EJ) was an opportunity to explore what it means to travel in a way that is Responsible, Impactful, Sustainable, and Ethical.

During the week-long trip, RISE Travel Institute participants visited four community-led tourism initiatives showcasing the rich traditions, culture, history, and vibrancy of local and Indigenous communities. We also learned about the important and beautiful biodiversity of the region.

RISE travelers got to see the benefits firsthand of sustainable, community-based tourism (CBT). If done correctly, CBT can provide sustainable tourism income, conservation, and preservation of precious ecosystems and cultures to communities that are often left off the typical tourism map while affording travelers with some of the richest, most memorable experiences of a trip.

Chuburná

On the second day in the Yucatán, we set off to the tranquil fishing village of Chuburná located roughly 40 minutes south of Mérida near the town of Progreso, the Yucatán’s main port and the launching off point to the stunning yet relatively unknown (to tourists) Isla Columpios.

This rich mangrove ecosystem and group of small islands and sand banks on the coast were formed after the devastation of Hurricane Gilberto in 1986. The hurricane wiped out all the infrastructure and it took the community over 15 years to rebuild and recover, working with community leaders and local government to develop sustainable fishing practices and community-based tourism.

Today, the area is managed by four groups of fishermen and community leaders who work together as a cooperative to manage this rich ecosystem and ecotourism project. The cooperative ensures loyal competition among the fisherman including price regulation and effective conservation and management of this delicate ecosystem.

Leaving the port

Two Days in Mérida, Mexico: The Heart of the Maya Yucatán

Those who follow my blog know how much I value sustainable and responsible travel. For the past 14 years, I have worked hard to share stories that highlight ways that travelers can travel responsibly and have worked with many different organizations that work to educate, inspire, and advocate for sustainable travel. One such organization is RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit organization with the mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education.

Founded by Dr. Vincie Ho, RISE works to educate travelers, tourism professionals, and college students about critical issues regarding responsible, impactful, sustainable, and ethical travel through their online courses and their Flagship Certificate program. I have worked with RISE Travel Institute as a volunteer for the past few years and am empowered by the incredible work this volunteer-led organization is doing to make an impact.

This past February, I joined students and alumni of the RISE Flagship Program joined RISE Travel Institute for the RISE Experiential Journey (EJ) trip to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Partnering with Etnica Travel, RISE’s annual Experiential Journey (EJ) was an opportunity to explore what it means to travel in a way that is Responsible, Impactful, Sustainable, and Ethical. The framework of the trip was curated by Etnica Travel and designed with the mission of RISE in mind.  During the week-long visit to the Yucatán, we experienced firsthand the rich local and indigenous culture far beyond the beaches and resorts of Cancún, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen. It was an incredible trip on so many levels where each one of us learned a great deal about the value, importance, and impact that can be made through Responsible, Impactful, Sustainable, and Ethical (RISE) travel.

Members of our group in Mérida during a city tour.

Danny Perez, the founder of Dharma Expeditions, is on a mission to bring sustainable tourism to threatened indigenous Ranchero Californio communities off the tourist map in Los Cabos by providing cactus cooking classes for travelers

Local tour guide Danny Perez was out rock climbing one day along the outskirts of the vast UNESCO-protected Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve when he stumbled upon something special. There in the middle of the desert in one of Baja’s most beautiful but least explored places outside of Los Cabos, he found El Barranco, a traditional rancho (ranch) where the Ranchero Californio people continue to live and farm their land in one of the harshest environments in Mexico as their indigenous ancestors have for centuries.

Stunned, Danny stopped to chat with the owners and learned that today there are only 102 ranchos left in all of Los Cabos. As an experienced adventure tour guide in Los Cabos for 15 years, Perez hatched the idea to launch Dharma Expeditions, his grassroots tourism program.

“The beginnings were very humble” Danny confessed. “I basically had to build everything from scratch. The kitchen, the wood-burning stove (which is made from a recycled oil drum), and the bathroom for guests. It has all been a labor of love in the hope that my tours help keep this amazing community and culture alive” Danny concluded.

Four years later, his program works with five ranchos in the area bringing tourists for a one-of-a-kind indigenous nopales cactus taco cooking class. Not only does Danny connect travelers with a rare glimpse into indigenous life and culture, but the tours also provide income for the rancho families in the hope of keeping their community, culture, and heritage alive. Dharma is one of the only outfitters who work with the rarely visited Ranchero California communities in Los Cabos.

The rancheros’ traditional way of life and culture is being threatened by climate change, mass tourism, over-development, and commercialization of Los Cabos. In the past year alone, tourism and housing prices have exploded making Los Cabos the most expensive destination in all of Mexico and pushing the local community out. A new resort is also being built right outside of El Barranco’s property line threatening to push them out. “This is part of the reason why I launched our cactus cooking tours,” said Danny. “I am worried that the ranchero community will soon be gone”.

Rita Garcia and her daughter at the family ranch