Originally Posted by
FlyerGoldII
I am interested in visiting PV first time ever (with family) next year.
I am interested in your thoughts on safety in PV, and the surrounding regions in that state.
The most recent U.S. Department of State Mexico Travel Warning (link in post #2) says:
Jalisco: Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Lake Chapala are major cities/travel destinations in Jalisco - Defer non-essential travel to areas of the state that border the states of Michoacán and Zacatecas. The security situation along the Michoacán and Zacatecas borders continues to be unstable and gun battles between criminal groups and authorities occur. Concerns include roadblocks placed by individuals posing as police or military personnel and recent gun battles between rival criminal organizations involving automatic weapons. You should exercise caution in rural areas and when using secondary highways, particularly along the northern border of the state. Except for the areas of the state that border Michoacán, there is no advisory in effect for daytime travel within major population centers or major highways in the state of Jalisco. Intercity travel at night is not recommended. There is no recommendation against travel to Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. There is also no recommendation against travel on principal highways in Jalisco between Guadalajara including the portions that cross into the southern portions of the state of Nayarit.
P.V. itself and the coast north toward Santa Cruz and even to Bahia Matanchén, - San Blás after turning off near Las Varas, the old Spanish landing at Chacala (these two may experience varying road conditions), should be fine in the daytime. La Crúz de Huanacaxtle, Punta Mita, Bucerías to Rincón de Guayabitos have some lovely beaches and resorts and can easily be reached by the coast roads. (We used to drive down in a VW bus or 4WD FJ-40 and camp on the empty beaches, dive using a hookah unit. No resorts, just small villages, some unimproved roads, an occasional one or two star stopping off place...
Big changes since then!)
Southward to Mismaloya and on to Boca de Tomatlán should be fine too, and one could drive all the way to Manzanillo (inquire about road conditions and double your time estimates as well,) should be fine in the daytime.
I'd not be driving around at night - animals, breakdowns marked by branches or rocks (which may not be removed after the vehicle itself has left), poor drivers in unsafe vehicles (much talk these days they will be requiring driver tests before issuing driver licenses in the Capital!) and the possibility of running into malefactors.
I remember years ago an American pilot was arrested for drugs smuggling in the U.S. In an interview, he revealed how the national highway patrol would temporarily close a piece of highway and set out marker lights so he could land and have the drugs loaded into his aircraft by narcos and highway patrol officers. I'm pretty sure they'd prefer no witnesses... and I chatted with a very frightened guy who observed some "extrajudicial execution" whilst camped in the bush not far from San Blás (I recommended getting far away as fast as he could drive that same day).
Always ask for local information in addition to consulting maps, etc. and beware of leaving valuables in parked cars. The same can be said in California...