At first glance, Mexico seems like а scary place to spend a vacation. Turn on pretty much any news outlet and there will be talking about local violence, government advisories that can scare the bejesus out of anybody, movies/series about Narcos and high-visibility cases. All these give Mexico a bad reputation and don’t inspire much confidence or a general feeling of being a safe place to visit, especially with a family.
From my extensive experience of traveling throughout Mexico, I’ve compiled a list of five tips on staying safe so that you may thoroughly enjoy your stay in this beautiful country without looking constantly over your shoulder.
The point of this article is not to scare you away from this beautiful country. My goal is to offer you a level-headed approach to avoid possible troubles and pitfalls while visiting Mexico.
I have crisscrossed Mexico numerous times in the last 10 years, covering 30+ cities and provinces, from Baja California Sur to the Mayan Riviera. I traveled and walked around cities with a $5000 camera in hand, not to mention credit cards and sometimes a serious amount of cash in my pocket. I visited Mexico City, Mazatlán, Morelia, Oaxaca, Durango, Zacatecas, Monterrey, Zapopan, Guadalajara, and many other cities. Never had any issues. I’m not encouraging you to flaunt your valuables and bling – all I’m saying is that I’ve never had an incident even when not following best practices.
Lessons from an experienced traveler in Mexico
Hasn’t all been smooth sailing
When I said I didn’t have major incidents, let me start with a disclaimer. I’ve been assaulted in Mexico and it was a nasty experience. I take some of the blame since I have a penchant for risking my tush by going places where nobody ever should go in any country, like parks where drug users gather or shady nightclubs. To answer your next question “why in the world would you do that?”…
As a travel photographer, I have this urge to “chase the shot” and wander into places that might be very risky. If you stay away from these places, you will be fine and safe.
In this post, I would like to dissect and debunk some myths about presumed Mexico’s dangers. Without further ado, let’s get started and go over the most common fears and misconceptions with regard to traveling to or around Mexico.
Common fears and misconceptions about Mexico
1. It’s a country ruled by cartels, they shoot each other in plain daylight, rob tourists with impunity, and wreak mayhem anywhere they are present.
True, Mexico is influenced by cartels to a significant degree (although those in cartels say that the real bandits are the ones in government). It is a corrupt country, and the feedback I received from people I talked to suggests that this feeling is shared by many Mexicans throughout the country.
Here is how The Washington Post briefly describes reasons for rising violence:
“There are many theories on why violence, which dropped for two years after the 2012 election of President Enrique Peña Nieto, has roared back: competition for the domain of captured kingpins; the breakdown of secret agreements between criminals and politicians; a judicial reform requiring more evidence to lock up suspected lawbreakers; the growing American demand for heroin, meth, and synthetic opiates. Whatever the primary cause, the result has been terrifying — a disintegration of order across growing swaths of this country.”
So yes, some places might be off-limits to visitors and tourists alike, Acapulco might be a good example, which was once a bustling tourist scene with a penchant for hedonism. The city was a place frequented by a horde of old-school Hollywood elite (Kennedys, Gregory Peck, Rita Hayworth) as well as current A-listers such as Pitt, Banderas, and Hayek. The list is quite long. Now it is in visible decline when it comes to foreign tourism. Although it is worth noticing that in the last couple of years, Acapulco made a comeback and it rapidly gains in popularity with hotels in Zona Diamante seeing a big influx of foreign tourism.
Besides Acapulco, it is not a great idea to spend vacation time in places like Tijuana, Nogales, or other smuggling hubs located alongside the US border, but they were never tourism destinations in the first place.
It is important to understand that violence usually happens where there are signs of instability within cartels; fractions try to muscle out other fractions and turf wars occur. At the moment of writing, there is only one place where this instability affects tourism: Acapulco.
I can almost hear your voice saying “Why in the goddamn world would you ever choose a vacation destination where pre-vacation research should include checking “cartel stability index”? WTF!?”.
And I would agree. But the point is, all you have to know is that 90% of Mexico is stable and the rest of the territory are places you would never go to anyway. For instance, if you visit Rio de Janeiro, why on Earth would want to visit a favela alone? The only research you need to do is the regular one – hotel prices, places to visit, etc.
A good example of a safe place (yet ‘owned’ by narcos) would be Sinaloa’s capital, Mazatlan. The Land of El Chapo Guzman, the (now imprisoned) head of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. It is one of the safest places in Mexico for tourism, a popular retirement destination for both Canadians and Americans, a condo paradise for AirBnB owners, and a vacation getaway for the North American middle and upper class.
I went to Mazatlan three times, lived in the heart of the city with the local population surrounding me, walked the streets at night with an expensive camera in hand, hung around street food stands at midnight, and most importantly, felt safe.
As one of the locals eloquently put it – “Carteles meten solo con cartels” (Cartels mess only with cartels”). They are not interested in tourists. The same logic applies to other world destinations. You wouldn’t cancel your trip to Chicago due to the increase in gang violence. You just wouldn’t visit places where it occurs.
You wouldn’t skip New York even though you might skip visiting Harlem. You wouldn’t miss out on incredible diving resorts in Guatemala only because Guatemala City is known for violent crime. The list goes on and on. I see no point in scapegoating Mexico in this sense. You just have to follow common-sense precautions and stay alert in places that require it. I will touch base on these a bit later.
2. But the government says otherwise! Have you seen what government travel advisories are saying?
I get it, I had exactly the same reaction the first time I saw the US Travel Advisory. My first reaction consisted mostly of two words – “what?” and “never!”.
Let’s take a look at what the US Government has to say, I will quote the most ‘impressive’ parts of this document. The section below can be summed up in a short sentence: “Turn around and never cross the Mexican border”. Quoting:
I have been to Guerrero State, Michoacan State, Sinaloa State, Baja California State, Chihuahua State, Cholula State, Durango, Guanajuato State, Mexico state, Morelos State, Nayarit State and Zacatecas State. And as you can see, truthfully yours survived it to tell the story.
The “Country Summary” section in US travel advisory was equally impressive while providing its fair share of scare-mongering:
“Country Summary: Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.”
Being a Canadian, I naturally looked at the Canadian Travel Advisory as well and found equally depressing information:
“Violent crimes, including homicides, kidnappings, carjacking and extortions continue to increase year-after-year, nationwide in Mexico, even in popular tourist destinations. Criminal groups, including drug cartels, are very active. Clashes between cartels or gangs over territory, drugs and smuggling routes are common, resulting in a high level of violence. Criminal activity is high nationwide, including in touristic states and cities. In some parts of the country, military, navy and federal police forces have been deployed to combat organized crime and improve security conditions. They maintain a visible presence by patrolling the streets, setting up roadblocks and conducting random vehicle checks.”
At least the Canadian advisory mentioned something that gave me some idea as to why the violence described can be a bit different from the reality on the ground:
“While most incidents appear to be gang-related, innocent bystanders may be injured or killed. You may be in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of violent crime.”
Not exactly encouraging news for the first-time traveler, but at least it gives an idea that the violence described was limited in its scope and pertinent rather to gang wars than to everyday life.
Still, as you could have probably guessed, I was thoroughly unimpressed with what I read. For my first trip, I booked a pretty expensive hotel in Mexico City “just to avoid trouble”. I was scared and paranoid before going there for the first time.
The reality on the ground was different. Mexico City Zocalo (the main part of the historic city center) felt very safe, day or night. I was able to enjoy the city and all its tourist attractions without any issues. People on the streets were helpful and welcoming (it does help that I speak a bit of Spanish). On my first trip I traveled around the country using intercity buses, which were extremely comfortable, safe and modern. It took me a while though to get used to the idea that there is no need to look around the shoulder every second and be fearful most of the time.
To answer your next question – “So, are the government advisories false? I can’t believe they would lie like this!”… Nope, they are not lying. Not at all. They just describe a life that has no direct and statistically significant correlation to what tourists are expected to experience. Also, there is nothing new about government bureaucrats trying to cover their asses. “At-least-we-told-you-not-to-go-there” logic probably can save a lot of litigation and unpleasant questions.
You can also ask “how about this… there is a crapload of killings, just look at the stats!” The answer is the same. It’s either places that you would never visit anyway or gang-related violence somewhere on the outskirts.
3. Deal! I will go, but I will stick only to 4 and 5-star hotels and stay away from Mexicans as far away as possible
That feels pretty lonely, doesn’t it?
I’m not saying you should necessarily mix with locals and enrich your cultural experiences. I’m saying that confining your vacation to trips between your room, all-you-can-eat-buffet, hotel bar and a beach out of fear of going out has no reasonable justification. Although each to their own as there are plenty of tourists that would be just more than happy to be beach and hotel potatoes and such a vacation would be a huge success for them.
4. Common-sense tips and precautions to follow while in Mexico
- Pickpocketing happens most often in crowded places and places frequented by tourists. This includes popular tourist destinations and attractions. Be aware of your environment. And before you bash Mexico City for a pickpocketing pandemic, take a look at the most pickpocketed cities in the world. All are located in utterly civilized Europe with the top place going to Barcelona.
- Don’t hail taxis on the streets in Mexico City.
Use Uber/Lyft or taxis parked in front of your hotel.
Even though I did it more than once, it seems to be a valid concern about taxi drivers being in cohorts with perpetrators. I got the same feedback from one local mother in Leon who always advises her daughter to take ride-sharing cars when coming back home late in the evening. - Don’t flaunt your valuables.
As mentioned earlier, I happily shot images and video on the streets with expensive equipment that totals $10,000. Nothing ever happened. Yet I didn’t have a choice, the nature of what I do requires my valuables to be visible. Unlike me, you have a choice, and not showcasing your valuables seems just a common-sense approach that I would recommend following. - Avoid places where “bad things” might happen – sketchy neighborhoods, dodgy pubs and nightclubs, empty street underpasses, etc. Use your intuition.
- Don’t hike alone in deserted places
- Have digital copies of all your documents.
Don’t carry all credit/debit cards with you. Leave most of them in your hotel and stash them in the safe. Most good hotels have safes in the rooms. - Use trusted ATMs, preferably in closed environments – banks, malls, etc.
- Forget about carrying valuables in back pockets.
- If you’re wearing a backpack, make sure zippers are in their lowest position, so they aren’t opened easily. When riding with a backpack in crowded public transport, opt to hold it in your hands.
- When using intercity buses to travel, choose companies that offer first-class or executive-class transportation. These buses only travel on toll roads that are more secure. Mexican first-class and executive-class buses are very cheap, modern, and comfortable.
5. There is another factor that can get you into trouble – GOS (Gringo Overconfidence Syndrome)
I’m guilty as charged. I was overconfident and learned the hard way that I can still be an easy target. Here is how the thought process works for overconfident people like me: “I’m 6’5 tall (198cm), muscular build, I look (and often act) fairly dominant, and I’m white Canadian. Nobody would want or even attempt to mess with me or go against me. That’s just not going to happen!”.
This mistake almost cost me my expensive camera, my valuables, all my money and could have caused injuries and inability to return back to my country. You can read about it here. Feeling invincible will always bring your guard down – especially in situations where everything screams “don’t fucking do that!”.
CONCLUSION
Honestly, there is nothing much to conclude here besides stating a couple of simple things. Mexico tourist destinations are safe for travel and exploring if you follow common sense and basic precautions. The same common sense you would apply when visiting any other destinations around the world.
Ten un viajo seguro!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is based on our knowledge and experience, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. We do not accept any responsibility for any consequences that may arise from the use of this information.
