What parts of Mexico are safe / dangerous for tourists? Safety, Danger, Security
Feb 26, 2015, 3:29 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2015
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I think all the tourist areas are safe. Example Cancun tourist area is one of the safest tourist areas in Latin America, but if you go to the downtown of Cancun, things get different and you are in highly dangerous neighbourhood.
Biggest problem in tourist area are the scam artists. Good guide to read to avoid this: www.wikiadult.org/wiki/Staying_safe
Overall I still thing people are too afraid to go to Mexico and dangers against regular tourists are minimal as long you follow the basic precautions.
I would personally definitely avoid Tijuana and Mexico City.
Biggest problem in tourist area are the scam artists. Good guide to read to avoid this: www.wikiadult.org/wiki/Staying_safe
Overall I still thing people are too afraid to go to Mexico and dangers against regular tourists are minimal as long you follow the basic precautions.
I would personally definitely avoid Tijuana and Mexico City.
Feb 27, 2015, 1:36 am
#17
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Feb 28, 2015, 8:35 am
#19
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
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Mexico City is too interesting - and delicious - not to visit. Tijuana was fine too (and I dug the jai alai building), but next time I'll have to head down to Rosarito for more fish tacos...
Feb 28, 2015, 10:00 am
#20
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I get very annoyed at what appears to be incessant "stay away from Mexico" comments. Certainly Mexico has its problems - but its no different than other country.
Chicago is currently the murder capital of the US both in terms of sheer numbers and per capita; public safety apparatus in Detroit is all but non-existent (response times measured in hours for felonies and 3-alarm blazes); a common impression around the world is that every person in America has a few guns and the streets are paved with bullets.
Does the US have corrupt federal and local law enforcement? Absolutely - Sentaor Ted Stevens people will be happy to give you chapter and verse; as would the hundreds of people convicted of crimes based on corrupt FBI "science" and of course, we have the conversation with the minority communities on how they feel about local policing....
But go over to the USA forum and do a search on what parts of america are unsafe for tourists and one will come there are only 2 threads that mention Chicago and safety. No one mentions drug problems in the mid-west and appalachia, the medical problems in Disneyland, etc.
Every place has "bad" neighborhoods and local institutional and national systemic problems. I am glad to see some comments here questioning and pushing back with prudence and reason. Just wish there was more of it.
Chicago is currently the murder capital of the US both in terms of sheer numbers and per capita; public safety apparatus in Detroit is all but non-existent (response times measured in hours for felonies and 3-alarm blazes); a common impression around the world is that every person in America has a few guns and the streets are paved with bullets.
Does the US have corrupt federal and local law enforcement? Absolutely - Sentaor Ted Stevens people will be happy to give you chapter and verse; as would the hundreds of people convicted of crimes based on corrupt FBI "science" and of course, we have the conversation with the minority communities on how they feel about local policing....
But go over to the USA forum and do a search on what parts of america are unsafe for tourists and one will come there are only 2 threads that mention Chicago and safety. No one mentions drug problems in the mid-west and appalachia, the medical problems in Disneyland, etc.
Every place has "bad" neighborhoods and local institutional and national systemic problems. I am glad to see some comments here questioning and pushing back with prudence and reason. Just wish there was more of it.
Feb 28, 2015, 4:41 pm
#21
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Not exactly. E.g. I've been in Chicago recently, and there are neighborhoods I'd avoid (ditto in several other areas, including Washington, DC), but not entire states or regions, or avoid driving major interstate highways at night. In México, I'd certainly avoid the Monterey-Laredo, Iguala-Acapulco, etc. Highways at night, and there are regions and states I avoid as well.
Parts of Mexico are genuine combat zones between drug cartels and the Navy / Marines, among drug cartels, between drug cartels and "fuerzas de autodefensa" etc. and it would be both risky and unsmart not to recognize that.
In the U.S., for example, we don't have the town's mayor's wife complain she doesn't want her speech interfered with by protestors, resulting in the mayor ordering police to "handle it". This results in police intercepting and shooting up a bus with student teachers going to protest discrimination, then detaining 43 student teachers and turning them over to the local drugs and crime cartel to have them killed and their bodies disposed of. Link to BBC article.
It would be really beyond stupidity for a tourist to go into the interior of Guerrero (and several other states) given the irrefutable facts about violence in Mexico - or to ignore the (originally U.S. trained Ejército) Zetas' control of drugs routes and much crime from Tamaulipas and through Guatemala, El Salvadór and Honduras.
It's also pretty ignorant to say all of Mexico is like that, or unsafe for visitors. That's why we host this thread here. I was raised in Mexico, have friends and family there and visit often. I've traveled widely there - driving, bus, hitch-hiking, etc. into nearly all corners and can say there are many places we're comfortable, others where we restrict our movements by time and location and others we would not go (some, places I love and would like to return to).
That's where we'll leave this. Further political discussion about crime and corruption in México (or the USA) that doesn't strictly relate to travel in México needs to occur in OMNI/PR.
Moderator hat on / Luciendo mi sombrero de moderadór
Parts of Mexico are genuine combat zones between drug cartels and the Navy / Marines, among drug cartels, between drug cartels and "fuerzas de autodefensa" etc. and it would be both risky and unsmart not to recognize that.
In the U.S., for example, we don't have the town's mayor's wife complain she doesn't want her speech interfered with by protestors, resulting in the mayor ordering police to "handle it". This results in police intercepting and shooting up a bus with student teachers going to protest discrimination, then detaining 43 student teachers and turning them over to the local drugs and crime cartel to have them killed and their bodies disposed of. Link to BBC article.
It would be really beyond stupidity for a tourist to go into the interior of Guerrero (and several other states) given the irrefutable facts about violence in Mexico - or to ignore the (originally U.S. trained Ejército) Zetas' control of drugs routes and much crime from Tamaulipas and through Guatemala, El Salvadór and Honduras.
It's also pretty ignorant to say all of Mexico is like that, or unsafe for visitors. That's why we host this thread here. I was raised in Mexico, have friends and family there and visit often. I've traveled widely there - driving, bus, hitch-hiking, etc. into nearly all corners and can say there are many places we're comfortable, others where we restrict our movements by time and location and others we would not go (some, places I love and would like to return to).
That's where we'll leave this. Further political discussion about crime and corruption in México (or the USA) that doesn't strictly relate to travel in México needs to occur in OMNI/PR.
Moderator hat on / Luciendo mi sombrero de moderadór
Last edited by JDiver; Feb 28, 2015 at 4:52 pm
Mar 1, 2015, 11:13 am
#22
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In January, I spent nearly a week in Guanajuato with a side trip to San Miguel de Allende. I never felt unsafe the whole time. (as an aside, I thought Guanajuato was simply fabulous to visit!)
A year or two ago, I spent a week in Mexico City. I felt mostly safe there as well, though it is different. There is a lot of security in that city. In shopping malls, I saw security guards with automatic weapons. Also in town, either national or local police walking around with automatic weapons. But Mexico City has so much to offer to a tourist.
A year or two ago, I spent a week in Mexico City. I felt mostly safe there as well, though it is different. There is a lot of security in that city. In shopping malls, I saw security guards with automatic weapons. Also in town, either national or local police walking around with automatic weapons. But Mexico City has so much to offer to a tourist.
Mar 1, 2015, 4:47 pm
#23
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In January, I spent nearly a week in Guanajuato with a side trip to San Miguel de Allende. I never felt unsafe the whole time. (as an aside, I thought Guanajuato was simply fabulous to visit!)
A year or two ago, I spent a week in Mexico City. I felt mostly safe there as well, though it is different. There is a lot of security in that city. In shopping malls, I saw security guards with automatic weapons. Also in town, either national or local police walking around with automatic weapons. But Mexico City has so much to offer to a tourist.
A year or two ago, I spent a week in Mexico City. I felt mostly safe there as well, though it is different. There is a lot of security in that city. In shopping malls, I saw security guards with automatic weapons. Also in town, either national or local police walking around with automatic weapons. But Mexico City has so much to offer to a tourist.
And Mexico City is huge and very variable, from historical areas to highly upscale zones to areas of massive slums. Well worth a visit or two or three
, but as most large cities there are areas you probably don't want to visit.
Mar 4, 2015, 10:20 pm
#25
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Good news; things are looking up.
BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-31731842
These were the worst of the worst. The "Zetas" have established a vicious drugs cartel ranging from norther Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvadór and into Honduras.
A number of relatives live in Tamaulipas state, and I used to visit (and work irrigation on the farm) as a youth. You couldn't convince me to go on a visit to my relies in Tamaulipas.
Omar Trevino Morales, leader of the notorious Zetas drugs cartel in Mexico, has been captured by security forces.
He was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday in the city of Monterrey in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, police said.
He is believed to have run the Zetas cartel since the capture of his brother, Miguel Angel, in 2013.
The arrest comes days after Mexican police captured another suspected drug lord, Servando "La Tuta" Gomez.
Servando Gomez was the leader of the Knights Templar cartel in Michoacan state.
Omar Trevino Morales, known as Z-42 and believed to be 40 or 41 years old, is wanted in the US and Mexico on charges of drug trafficking, kidnap and murder.
He was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday in the city of Monterrey in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, police said.
He is believed to have run the Zetas cartel since the capture of his brother, Miguel Angel, in 2013.
The arrest comes days after Mexican police captured another suspected drug lord, Servando "La Tuta" Gomez.
Servando Gomez was the leader of the Knights Templar cartel in Michoacan state.
Omar Trevino Morales, known as Z-42 and believed to be 40 or 41 years old, is wanted in the US and Mexico on charges of drug trafficking, kidnap and murder.
These were the worst of the worst. The "Zetas" have established a vicious drugs cartel ranging from norther Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvadór and into Honduras.
A number of relatives live in Tamaulipas state, and I used to visit (and work irrigation on the farm) as a youth. You couldn't convince me to go on a visit to my relies in Tamaulipas.
Last edited by JDiver; Mar 4, 2015 at 10:33 pm
Mar 6, 2015, 9:07 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Currently in DF and will happily report that I haven't been assaulted or murdered yet.
Seriously, DF has a horrible reputation that I truly don't understand. OK, it's big, chaotic, loud, often dirty, and it's got areas that you probably shouldn't be in. But it's fascinating, the food is delicious and reasonably priced, there's an insane amount of history and culture to explore... and frankly I've felt far more in danger even in so-called "nice" parts of DC than I do in DF.
Anyway, I'll enjoy the lack of foreign tourists while I'm here.
Seriously, DF has a horrible reputation that I truly don't understand. OK, it's big, chaotic, loud, often dirty, and it's got areas that you probably shouldn't be in. But it's fascinating, the food is delicious and reasonably priced, there's an insane amount of history and culture to explore... and frankly I've felt far more in danger even in so-called "nice" parts of DC than I do in DF.
Anyway, I'll enjoy the lack of foreign tourists while I'm here.
Mar 6, 2015, 9:54 pm
#27
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Currently in DF and will happily report that I haven't been assaulted or murdered yet.
Seriously, DF has a horrible reputation that I truly don't understand. OK, it's big, chaotic, loud, often dirty, and it's got areas that you probably shouldn't be in. But it's fascinating, the food is delicious and reasonably priced, there's an insane amount of history and culture to explore... and frankly I've felt far more in danger even in so-called "nice" parts of DC than I do in DF.
Anyway, I'll enjoy the lack of foreign tourists while I'm here.
Seriously, DF has a horrible reputation that I truly don't understand. OK, it's big, chaotic, loud, often dirty, and it's got areas that you probably shouldn't be in. But it's fascinating, the food is delicious and reasonably priced, there's an insane amount of history and culture to explore... and frankly I've felt far more in danger even in so-called "nice" parts of DC than I do in DF.
Anyway, I'll enjoy the lack of foreign tourists while I'm here.
In the many times I've been in the D.F. over six decades, I've never been robbed, assaulted or had a crime committed against me. (I have been hassled by traffic cops wanting petty bribes a few times.) OTOH, I don't hang out in Tepito...
Mar 23, 2015, 3:38 pm
#29
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Mar 23, 2015, 4:15 pm
#30
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Indeed! I especially like the architecture on that side of town. A lot of office buildings, but with flair like in Miami - nothing like the architecture here in Washington DC area which is nice (classical/neo-classical) for the government building but boring as heck for the rest of the area. A lot of great looking houses there, too, if you meander through the side streets (although many are hard to see behind the gates).
The mall at Sante Fe has great shopping (particuarly with the current exchange rates) and there are great views over the city if you can get into some of buildings and see through the smog.
The mall at Sante Fe has great shopping (particuarly with the current exchange rates) and there are great views over the city if you can get into some of buildings and see through the smog.