Cancun oil spill

How safe is travel in Mexico?

Cancun is Safe & Beautiful!

With the recent warnings issued by the U.S. State Department about the violence in Mexico, it is understandable that many tourists are wondering: “Is it safe to travel to Mexico?”, “Is Cancun safe?”, and similar questions regarding the safety of coming to Mexico. We’d like to help calm these concerns, and remind you that the recent waves of violence are all taking place in border towns such as Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana, etc. NOT in the beautiful paradise that is Cancun!

An extract from an article by Carol Pucci of The Seattle Times:

“It all depends on where you’re going.

As a new travel warning by the U.S. State Department points out, the areas of concern are not the beach resorts or historical cities most Americans visit, but rather the border towns, specifically Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros.

Too often in the past, these types of government alerts have taken a broad-brush approach, simply advising against travel to a country as a whole. What’s different about this warning, issued Sunday following the shooting in Ciudad Juárez of three people with ties to the American consulate, is its level of detail, and the way it rightly targets only towns where drug-related violence has been rampant.

This could have something to do with the fact that Mexico’s tourism economy is fragile, and the U.S. government doesn’t want to do anything that might damage it, but let’s hope it also has something to do with a new, more responsible approach to travel warnings in general.

As the State Department points out, millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year, and this isn’t likely to change. Nearly a million Americans live in various parts of the country, enjoying the benefits of an inexpensive retirement and low-cost medical care.

I just returned from seven days in Mazatlan and Sayulita, a surfing and beach town near Puerto Vallarta popular with many from Seattle and Portland. I experienced nothing out of the ordinary, except perhaps, fewer tourists than usual. Restaurants were lively and filled with Americans and Canadians who were there seemed to be enjoying their vacations with no hassles or problems.

The Mexican people, of course, are concerned about what’s happening in their country. They’re worried that the violence could spread, and worried about its effects on their own sense of well-being, tourism and the general economy. It was interesting to observe a military “show of force,” one evening in Sayulita when a truck with armed soldiers did a once-around the town square while bystanders ate ice cream and typed on laptops.

The bottom line: If you’re planning a vacation soon to Mexico, by all means go, but heed the State Department’s advice and use common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where drug dealing might occur.”

You can read the full article HERE

You can also checkout this graph showing the total crimes per capita by country, which clearly shows Mexico way below other countries, including the USA. Mexico is ranked at #39. Graph courtesy of my dear friend Kelly! (Thanks Kel!)

And finally, you can also read our post about the safety of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and surrounding areas, complete with tourist testimonials!

Don’t take it from us, take it from other tourists that have come and enjoyed this beautiful country!

Come enjoy this paradise!

We hope to see you soon! Have a safe & fun vacation!