How can we help?

Puentes Yucatán is a community platform for expats, immigrants, and locals in Mérida, Progreso, and surrounding areas. We help you connect with neighbors, discover trusted businesses, volunteer with vetted nonprofits, and participate in community events — all without advertising or sponsored content.

"Puentes" is the Spanish word for "Bridges." We chose this name because our mission is to build bridges — between expats and locals, between newcomers and long-time residents, between people who want to help and the nonprofits that need them. Whether you search for Puentes Yucatán or Bridges Yucatán, you'll find us. We're bridging communities across language, culture, and borders in Mérida, Progreso, and beyond.

Click "Join" in the top navigation bar and fill out the registration form with your name, email, and password. You can also sign in with Google. Once registered, you can immediately browse the directory, view events, and explore nonprofits.

Currently the platform interface is in English, but community members post in both English and Spanish. We plan to add full Spanish-language support in the future. All content — forum posts, business listings, event descriptions — can be written in either language.

Navigate to the Events page, find the event you're interested in, and click "Going," "Maybe," or "Can't Go." You'll receive a confirmation email with the event details. You can change your RSVP status at any time.

We offer three tiers: Free (browse directory, view events and nonprofits), Puente ($9.99/month — post reviews, join forums, RSVP to events, log volunteer hours, earn badges), and Founding Member ($99 one-time lifetime access with all Puente benefits plus an exclusive Founding Member badge).

Unlike platforms that rely on advertising and sponsored content, we are 100% membership-funded. This means our business directory recommendations are genuine, our forums are free from promoted posts, and our nonprofit listings are based on vetting — not who pays the most. Your membership directly supports the community.

Yes, Puente memberships can be cancelled at any time from your Membership page. You'll retain access until the end of your current billing period. Founding Member memberships are one-time payments and never expire.

Yes! We occasionally offer promo codes for discounted memberships. You can enter a promo code during checkout on Stripe's payment page. Follow our community forums and events for announcements about special offers.

Businesses can be submitted by any community member. Once submitted, our team reviews the listing for accuracy. Approved businesses appear in the directory and can be reviewed by Puente members. We do not accept payment for listings or placement — every listing is equal.

If your business is already listed, you can claim it for free by navigating to the listing page and clicking "Claim This Business." You'll fill out a short verification form confirming your ownership. Our team reviews claims and approves them, giving you the ability to update your listing details.

We believe recommendations should be based on genuine community experiences, not who pays the most. By staying ad-free, every business in our directory is treated equally. Reviews come from real community members, and search results are never influenced by payments.

Click "Submit a Business" on the Business Directory page. Fill out the business name, category, neighborhood, description, and contact details. Our team will review the submission and approve it if it meets our guidelines. Submitting a listing is completely free.

Our forums cover a wide range of topics relevant to life in Yucatán: recommendations, housing, healthcare, legal questions, social meetups, local news, buying and selling, and more. Each forum group has its own focus. Please follow our Community Standards when posting.

If you see content that violates our Community Standards — spam, harassment, misinformation, or illegal activity — you can report it by contacting our support team through the Help Center. Our moderators review reports and take action within 24 hours on business days.

Yes, you can edit or delete your own posts at any time. Look for the edit and delete icons on your post. Edited posts will show an "edited" indicator. Moderators and admins can also remove posts that violate Community Standards.

The Volunteer Hub connects you with vetted nonprofits in the Yucatán region. As a Puente member, you can browse nonprofits, log volunteer hours, and track your contributions. Your hours earn points and unlock badges that showcase your community involvement.

You earn badges automatically as you reach milestones: your first volunteer log, 10 hours, 50 hours, 100 hours, and more. Badges appear on your profile and show the community your dedication. Each milestone also earns you points on the community leaderboard.

Click "Submit a Nonprofit" on the Nonprofits page. Provide the organization's name, cause areas, description, and contact info. Our team vets each submission to ensure the nonprofit is legitimate and active before approving it for the directory.

We take privacy seriously. Your email and personal details are never shared with third parties. We use secure HTTPS connections, hashed passwords, and follow industry best practices for data protection. Read our full Privacy Policy for details.

Our Community Standards outline expected behavior: be respectful, no spam or self-promotion in forums, no harassment or hate speech, and no sharing of others' private information. Violations can result in content removal or account suspension. Read the full standards on our Community Standards page.