My husband and I stayed in Playa del Carmen for a week in January 2011 and never felt unsafe at any time. The issues with the drug cartels are mainly happening in northern Mexico near the US border and in areas where there are battles for power between competing gangs, mostly hundreds of miles away from Riviera Maya. There is currently nothing like this happening in the Playa - Cancun - Riviera Maya region.

If you Google something like "is it safe to travel to Cancun" you'll get lots of results with facts that may be able to convince your grandparents. I hope they change their mind.

The problems in Mexico are NO WHERE NEAT the Riviera Maya area. In fact, on the news last night they showed a map and said the tourist areas near Cancun are not effected by any of the "drug violence'.

That should say no where NEAR.

I don't know where you are reading "horror stories" and "the Mexican drug cartesls kidnapping tourists for ransom money" in Cancun or the Mayan Riviera. I have never read a single news story where this has happened in that area.

Seriously, people need to look at a map as already suggested. Don't hang around border towns, don't go to Monterrey or Juarez. There have been NO problems in the tourist destinations like Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta. None. Nada.

I'm one who thinks there are occasional problems wherever you go so saying there have been none doesn't sound realistic to me. Ex: I live in a nice, little rural town in Oregon and a mentally ill man shot 2 of his neighbors to death last spring.

That said, we've made 2 trips to the Yucatán in the last 7 months and have been happy, healthy, and safe. You can read about them and see my photos at the link below. Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

hopefulist~ I didn't say nothing ever happens (because I agree bad stuff can and does sometimes). I was replying specifically to the statement about drug cartels kidnapping tourists for ransom. I have never heard of that on the Mayan Riviera.

Well, not all tourist towns are unscathed. Mazatlan, for one, has more than its share of this stuff going on.

But, yes, the Yucatan is not effected.

suze - Since you said, "There have been NO problems in the tourist destinations like Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta. None. Nada." you can see why I'd think you meant there have been NO problems.

I think there are certain risks inherent in all travel. Where the disparity between the locals' wages and tourists' economic status is great there will be crimes of opportunity so it's good to be careful.

As for the terrifying reports, I agree that a map is in order. It's a little like saying, "Don't visit Oregon because there are areas of Washington DC where the crime rate is high".

I'm sorry I was not clear. I thought I was answering the OP's question about tourists supposedly getting kidnapped by the drug cartel & that there were no reported problems of THAT sort.

I just got back from a weeks vaca with my fam in Riviera Maya. We went on excursions to Tulum, Playa Del Carmen, Coba without any issues. We did not rent a car. No problems whatsoever. No different than going to Southern California where I grew up.

We went in early May, walked a lot in Playa del Carmen, rode the colectivos from Playa del Carmen to Akumal & Tulum & back, the ADO bus to Coba, no problems.

Sorry to hijack your post but where in PDC is the wedding. My daughter is trying to plan her wedding for Oct and is having a terrible time. She's written to several 4-5 star resorts and they have not responded. She's tried several local travel agencies and gotten minimal info . . . she is very frustrated.

How has your brother's planning gone?

You can email me if you want, behrens@unt.edu.

Thanks,
Sandy (in Denton)

We go to the area around once a year and have done so for the past 12 years or so. We were last there in March 2010 and didn't notice any differences in safety issues from past trips. As others mentioned the drug issues really haven't impacted the Cancun/Riviera Maya area. Just be smart when traveling. We're returning in August with our kids - if I didn't feel it was safe, I definitely wouldn't bring the kids to the area.

Hi...My husband and I are in are mid 50's, and have been to the Mayan Riviera twice and are booking to go again in Jan. We travel to Playa Del Carmen by collectivo,which are local mini-vans that pick up tourists and residents as well. We have NEVER felt afraid for our safety! The Mexican people are warm and welcoming. I think learning some basic Spanish is not only polite but helps Travelling anywhere has its dangers,you just need to use your street smarts. I also never wear my good jewelry nor do we flash money around. We also like to take excursions booked through our travel supplier. These are just precautions we've decided to take, though I have read some people hike, bike and rent cars to see the sites with no problems. The 2 resorts we've stayed, Barcelo and Grand Palladium have security at the entrances, I believe most resorts have this. I would google the dangerous parts of Mexico and note these on a map to show your Grandparents. That way they'll see how far away this occurs from the Mayan area.
On a side note...I highly recommend the Barcelo resort over the Palladium

To sandy_b
I tried to e:mail you, but it won't go through.
Hopefully its ok with Fodor's that I give you a link this way.

http://www.weddingmexico.com/riviera-maya-weddings/hotel_wedding_packages/barcelo_maya_beach_resort.asp

Sorry if this is a old dead thread. I've been looking into going to Puerto Vallarta next year and keep hearing about whether or not there is violence in tourist areas. I remember seeing this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8566557.stm

and

http://latindispatch.com/2011/01/10/51-dead-in-mexicos-drug-violence-15-beheaded-in-acapulco/

They don't seem to be targeting tourists, and even though the articles say Resort or Tourist Town, it doesn't seem to be happening in the places most tourists would find themselves when following common sense.

The definite claim of "no problems of that sort" by sue is incorrect. The website I visited befor this one was of the United Kingdoms' ( some still call it England ) foreign service warns of just this type of problems in the Cancun area.
Sorry suze. I will take the word of the UK foreign service and thier reports from thier embasy befor I take yours.
Reading between the lines. I would go. I would not tell anyone that there is no report of the problems of the type being discused here in the Yucatan, because that is false.

I find that traveler advisories from both the US and UK tend to exaggerate the problems. If you read all of them you would never leave your house.

Mom0509- If you read those links you posted, it happened in Acapulco (which is most definitely not Puerto Vallarta) and was in fact drug/police related. To date there has not been violence of this type in PV. The FEW bad stories I know of, and yes there are usual one every year or two, were along the lines of an individual death under suspicious circumstances (falling from a balcony, fighting off someone who was trying to rob you at the ATM, drownings are actually the most common).

J_DuncanMcGregor, That is of course your choice. Though I'll venture to say I've spent more time in Puerto Vallarta than the "UK Foreign Service" has. I've been going there for a couple decades and have yet to have a problem or hear of anyone having a problem as a tourist doing tourist things.

<I would not tell anyone that there is no report of the problems of the type being discused here in the Yucatan, because that is false.> You might want to post some specific examples to to show this is false?

Iluvmexico,

We have stayed at the Barcelo twice and am now considering the Palladium for a change. If you don't mind my asking, what about the Palladium did you not like versus Barcelo?

suze, you are right, not in PV. I was just finding examples of recent articles about violence in "tourist" destinations in Mexico. That was the closest I could find. Anyway, I'm not worried. Obviously the biggest dangers are drowning and maybe driving.

Acapulco isn't really the "tourist" destination it used to be, or at least not for foreign tourists, more for Mexican people. Just ask a question (or search) about it on this forum and you'll see what I mean.

<Obviously the biggest dangers are drowning and maybe driving.>

Actually in Vallarta do be careful as a pedestrian. People on foot do NOT have the right-of-way. You need to be careful crossing the street. Seriously.

Um, there is almost no chance that a drug cartel will kidnap your grandparents from a resort in Playa del Carmen.