Crime in Mexico - How safe?
 

We've been to Mexico several times now and haven't ever experienced even the hint of "crime" anywhere. We have often walked at nite, taken taxis & buses, used ATM's many times and have never had a problem. Have not even "felt unsafe". When I recently went to the US Passport website to check the status of my passport application, I read some of the travel advisories for Mexico and ... Wow! (http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/c...s/cis_970.html)

If I'd read this before my very first trip to Mex, I'd probably not gone.

So my question ... have any of you ever had a problem in Mexico with crime? The website declares that the bigger cities seem to have most of the trouble, but also mentions PV, which is where we're going 12/31 - 1/14. I'm assuming that PV is going to be as safe as Cancun and Cabo were ... true?

Honestly I have never read a government advisory but in ~15 trips to Puerto Vallarta I have never personally experienced crime of any type nor heard of anyone else who had.

Well OK I think one day someone's wallet was stolen that was laying on his beach towel and the tourist police came to check things out.

I'm curious what they say about PV but not enough to go read the warnings -LOL!

Way safer than any comparable cities/pueblos in the US except maybe at the border crossings.
The US cannot "protect" it's borders, so the US Fed Gov blames Mexico, lol.
M

Like any city anywhere in the world. Keep your money out of sight, don't walk in dark streets late at night. Just be as careful as you would be at home. Yes, we were pickpocketed. We had let our guard down because PV is so safe and comfortable. This is not a common occurrence. We still feel safe, just more observant. These people squirted mustard on my husband, then proceeded to "help" wipe it off and they were too persistant. We should have told them no and walked off. You are going at a great time of the year. Keep your wallets in button down pockets. There are Tourist Police on the Malecon --Dressed in White and easily recognizable and helpful English speaking persons. Have a great time.

The advisories published by various government's are understated - and the problems they report are indeed happening and serious. Anyone who discounts them as inaccurate does a disservice to travelers. Heed the advise given, and . . . have a great vacation!

Well I have heard of a couple of incidents of purse snatching, also rooms being broken into and cameras/money stolen in rental accomadation {not the big hotels}.

Met a couple in Acapulco who were robbed on the street at night.

Most of what goes on in Cabo is related to the Police illegally extracting money from the tourist on trumped up phoney charges.

I like to follow the drug news. Most of the violence in the border towns.

Hear is a good web page you may want to edit, copy and paste.

http://www.mapinc.org/find?GAC=n-mx&...o&YY1=1998

I lived several years in Mexico, and have had many incidents. Once I was wainting in my car, in a line of cars in Viaducto and some guy who supposedly collected money for the red cross came up to me. When i gave him some change he took out a knife and asked me to give him all i had. It was quite scary! I also got robbed by gypsies, even though you rarely see any there! And the third one was in the center of the city, when I went to buy a guitar. On my way out of the store there were two guys who took my guitar and everything else i had. This happened right in front of a fat policeman who obviously knew what was going on but most likely received a "comission" for letting this happen. You are lucky that nothing has happened, but you always have to be careful. It IS a dangerous city, some colonias more than others.

I wouln't dicount the warning issued at all. That said I have traveled throughout Mexico and never had a problem anywhere over the last 15 years, although I always try to be careful. I have spent the bulk of the time in Oaxaca City and that seems safe for its size. I think Mexico City is fascinating, but when there, I am extra careful.

I follow the usual big city practice and the specific to Mexico advice about avoiding street taxis and have not had a problem.

Friends who foolishly jammed their way onto a crowded subway at notorious Hidalgo station despite all the warnings had their wallets lifted.

According to UN stats, Mexico has a murder rate over three times that of the USA, and 50% higher robbery rates.

However, just as in USA tourist areas, I would suspect that crime rates in tourist areas of Mexico are no where near that high.

Capt Mike , well we were a year ago in a well known hotel, belonging to a US Chain in downtown, in front of elZocalo, and someone broke in several rooms, a big hole was cut of where the safe card system goes. They stole mostly from Europeans, we were lucky and did not lost much. But the room was a mess. I have never seen anything like this before.

I have travelled thorugh Mexico a few times and always felt safe.
P. Vallarta is one of the places where I could walk the streets alone and I feld good.
Use your commonsense as in every city/country

Has anyone heard about the European couple who were machete murdered near Tulum (Mayan Riviera) recently? We're returning to Playa and Akumal next month and were shocked to hear of these murders. I've travelled by myself to Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize without ever an incident, tho I am very careful. And it is nice to have a husband along now!

Mexico does have a serious crime problem in some areas, and I think Mexico City has gotten pretty bad.

I have been to Puerto Vallarta and think that city is pretty safe, and certainly most areas where I assume you are likely to be. If you want as safe as Cancun, I think you are fine (I think the Cancun area has had some bad crime problems recently within the past year or two).

I did read about the two European tourists murdered near Tulum and found by the side of the road recently. I think it was two women traveling together or at least staying together, although I might be wrong about that. I just probably wouldn't wander around places alone, etc, which maybe they were doing, where not a lot of people are around (by alone, I mean even if it was the two of them together).

The articles I read were a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend - mid-20's. I believe the woman was from Spain and the boyfriend from Italy. If you do a google search, you'll be able to find a handful of articles.

that's the one I read about, also, as I remember they were from two different countries. I probably thought one of the names sounded like a female name or something. The article didn't cite their gender per se, as I recall.

I first saw a post about the couple that was "hacked to death" in the Yucatan on Trip Advisor. I have since done some google searches and found out very little. It is very scary to have that happen there. I have traveled in the Yucatan often and had always felt very safe. Does anyone have any more information on the attack?

OK folks,
Just act like you are armed!
We live here and travel everywhere.
Relax.
M

I did a search on locogringo.com and the consensis there was that the man and woman killed were not tourists and that the killer was someone known to them. Their bodies were found on the road between Tulum and Coba. This was not a robbery as money was found on the bodies. Perhaps a jilted lover.