About three weeks ago several travelers said Mexico was completly safe except around the high crime drug areas. I differed with them but they would not back down. Today the Wall Street Journel reports on the State Dept. high and modest safety risk areas for Americans in Mexico. Extreme caution areas include Aculpulco, Mazattan, etc. Resort Areas with strong "posted warnings" included but not limited to include Cancun, Tulum, Puerta, Vallarta (the one I sighted), Baja (South CA) and 6 others. I am not sure what the criteria the State Dept. used but knowing they want to maintain positve relations with Mexico they did not issue this information without significant data to support their finding I would assume.
What I learned from this is I am probably advised to go to a compound like resort and not wander, especially at night, without someone from the hotel staff.
Caution in Mexico
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Okay, you do that then. Have fun with that!
I just bought a plane ticket for Puerto Vallarta. I will be traveling solo, staying in an apartment downtown, wandering around, at all hours of the day and night.
Your post is ill-informed as best. Just wrong at worst.
(((I am not sure what the criteria the State Dept)))
You just might want to check that out. They offer warnings regarding travel in.....wait for it.....that dangerous CANADA!!
Just stay home. Please I beg you, don't go to Mexico.
I would like to see a link to the "warning" specifically for Puerto Vallarta. I read daily on several internet forums with people who live permanetly as well as current visitors in PV. This is the one and only place I've seen a "warning" mentioned.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5665.html
At the bottom listing per location:
"Jalisco Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta are the major cities/travel destinations in Jalisco -see map (PDF, 286 kb) to identify their exact locations: You should defer non-essential travel to areas of the state that border the states of Michoacán and Zacatecas. You should also exercise caution when traveling at night outside of cities in the remaining portions of this state. 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 TCOs involving automatic weapons."
Thank you Dayenu.
My point exactly.
While Puerto Vallarta IS in the state of Jalisco, it is not near where any of the problem situations have occurred. There are no incidents to date within the city of PV (which more closely borders the state of Nayarit, not Michoacan or Zacatecas).
I wonder if Mexico issued a warning against traveling near the Empire State Building in light of the recent shootings.
My apologies. I rere-read the article. ONLY THYE FIRST TWO LOCATIONS HAVE ADVISOIES>
SORRY!!!!!
I love these folks that post these "Warnings".
In 26 years of Mexican travel I have yet to see an act of violence committed by a Mexican.
However I've seen a number by drunken tourists.
People need to get a map, then read it, and then understand it.
Been going to Mexico since 2000 and booked for December. You will never see me in the state of New York again though.
I live 3 hours from Juarez, MX, Acuna and the Rio Grande. I live closer to border towns with drug and criminal problems than any tourist area of Mexico. Therefore, I always believe everything that the news media has to say about everything. Please. (rolling eyes)
Stewbear, No kidding. While I do not underestimate the serious situation among certain groups in certain places in the country, worst I've seen in 20+ trips is hangovers, sunburns, or maybe someone managed to get their camera or wallet stolen.
Hey, let's not trash New York in order to make a point! I haven't been mugged since 1991
I guess those of who travel to Cancun and Tulum every other year should defer to those experts who read stuff on the Internet and avoid those places in the future.