Robbietravels

Two couples have a trip planned ( and paid for) flying LAX to Mexico City then driver takes us to San Miguel de Allende for 4 nights. Driver takes us back from San Miguel to Mexico City and we fly to Puerto Vallarta, rent a car and stay in Sayulita for four days. Trip is 10 days beginning March 25. Normally, we ignor overblown information about dangers, tourist killings, civil unrest, etc.(we've traveled in Sra Lanka, Myanmar and many other places the State Dept. warns against) but this time we need some feedback from locals and recent visitors.

suze

There are no "dangers, tourist killings, civil unrest" in the Puerto Vallarta area. Not now. Not ever.

James_Wilson

There are really no dangerous issues in Puerto Vallarta. It is perfectly safe and the local governments, state and federal authorities and military are doing everything to keep it that way. I just took a day trip to Sayulita the other day on the public transportation bus and had zero issues.

Junejuly

When I was living in Guadalajara, I was told that the state of Jalisco was one of the safest places in all of Mexico because it's where "the druglords raise their kids, and they don't want the violence in their backyard". I don't know if this was urban legend or not (never met a druglord, don't know of anyone who has, so heaven knows where that"information" came from!), but my friends who are still living in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta have not reported any increase in violence. I think it's mostly in Mexico city, and along the borders (US/Guatamala). We absolutely loved our trip in Nov. 2009 - we stayed in the next town north of Sayulita (San Pancho) and liked it even more.

Junejuly

That is to say, we liked San Pancho more than Sayulita (in case the above didn't make sense).

Stewbear

The biggest danger is that you will not want to leave!

tenthumbs

You will face the same dangers you would face in New York City, San Francisco, London, Munich, Toronto..........use common sense and you should be fine.

baldone

I'm in SMA at this time and have been for 2 months. It is true that recently there have been 2 murders of Americans and a suspected 3rd, but there are conflicting reports on the latter. One of killings may have been due to drinking and some sort of argument; not that that excuses it. The other appears to have been associated with the robbery of an older single gentleman. Rumors abound on the motives of all 3. That said, I feel safer here than I did when I was in Miami or Kansas City. Don't wander around liquored up in the dark after 1 a.m. and don't fan yourself with 500 peso bills and you'll be fine.

tenthumbs

baldone~are you suggesting...........COMMON SENSE??!?

baldone

Almost sounds that way, doesn't it?