I have not been to Mexico in many years, and we are going down to Playa del Carmen for a wedding this week-end.

I wonder if anyone can tell me if the drinking water at hotels--we are going to the Royal Playa del Carmen---is fine for drinking w/o any concern for problems. Or do people buy bottled water?

I don't mean to be naive but I became very ill in Mexico when I was a teen-ager and I just would like some assurance that this is not anything to worry about.

The resorts in the area claim to have purified water and most even mention the process, whether by reverse osmosis, etc.

However, we still drink bottled water there. It could just be a habit, but bottled water is cheap enough so that you don't give it a second thought.

Stock up on arrival and forget it!

Thanks for the good advice.

I was also just thinking of things like coffee, iced tea, and ice water on the table at meals at the hotels, and *especially* ice in the drinks. I like Margaritas, on the rocks. Anyone else have any problems (or lack thereof!) to share.

The Royal is a great resort and they will provide you with as much bottled water as you want..no need to buy it as it is an all inclusive resort. The ice in the drinks is fine and the water they pour you at bars and their restaurants is fine. I wouldn't drink the tap water...just the bottled water in the room. You will be fine with the coffee, ice tea, etc. The Royal is a top of the line resort and they would not stay that way if their water made their guests sick.

I drink bottled water in Mexico. To me it just seems an easy precaution. I agree ice in bars and water served in restaurants is OK.

Thank you for the detailed info re: the water in the hotel where we will be staying, schmeri. And thank you too, suze. Now I can stop thinking about it!

Hi..I just got back from Playa Del Carmen area. We stayed at the Iberostar Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive. I sometimes drank bottled water, but often had water at the restaurants or bars without ANY problem, including ice in drinks everywhere. We also drank water and had drinks with ice outside the resort, in Playa Del Carmen and at Xplor and also when we swam with the dolphins. We ate and drank at all those places with no issues. There were 3 of us. It doesnt hurt to drink bottled water, but if you forget, or its not available where you are, I am not sure I would be very concerned.

I have been sick in Mexico on a number of occasions (but I've spent quite a bit of time there). Once you have been horribly sick from food or water (it's always hard to figure out what exactly got you) a little caution goes a long way to insure a happy vacation. I think it's great that many people have never had a bad experience, but I don't think that makes it good advice to say it's OK not to be 'very concerned' about it.

I am w/you on this one, suze.

Altho I was born here and have lived here in the US all my life, on my mother's side I am Mexican (Pennsylvanian on my father's side )As a teen-ager I would spend summers in Mexico City w/my cousins. We took mild distress for granted, however, one time I was *really* sick. Luckily one of my uncles is an MD and he gave me the very strong antibiotic used at the time to treat typhoid fever. Ever since then, I am cautious.

To use a more recent example, a member of my family here in the US was recently in Cancun and had dinner at a restaurant in town. She came back to the US and was quite ill and had to be treated w/antibiotics as well.

These kinds of problems are certainly not limited to Mexico but being cautious prudent.

Being cautious IS prudent.

Take precautions as indicated, but be sensible and consider your surroundings.

I agree with the beverages with water and ice. We don't drink iced tea, but do drink hot beverages such as coffee in the morning.

Have a margarita!

But don't drink the water....

It doesn't make sense, but it's always worked for us.

Under no circumstance assume that the ice or water in restaurants is safe. Even you hotel is a toss up. Also, bottled water is not a guarantee. Get a brand you know from a store you know. Filter or boil your water and make your own ice. If you are going to party at a bar do not use mixed drinks or ice. Drink beer or wine. Soda from a bottle or can should be fine. Do not drink soda served in a glass. It might be just fine but then again.....

Funny thread to be topped…..for my part, the update from this wedding 3 years ago, is that bottled water was available everywhere all over the resort and that is what we drank. No problems at all in that regard, No problems w/any food, either. We ate fresh fruit, cannot remember about lettuce, but we did eat raw tomatoes. BUT, don't get me started on how I feel about all-inclusive resorts as a result of this experience….a big thumbs down, IMO.

I disagree with mikl, especially about the ice in restaurants.

I do choose to drink bottled water when traveling in the Yucatan, even brush my teeth with bottled water. But, I've never had the least bit of problem with ice.

In very small restaurants off the beaten bath, I've encountered places that didn't have purified ice. They simply didn't service drinks with ice. Just bottled beer and bottled soda (with a straw).

Thousands and thousands of people travel to the Yucatan every year. Most will have drinks with ice. Most won't get sick, and those that do almost certainly didn't get sick from the ice. Especially not in a tourist town.

I have lived in Playa for the past 8 years and own a condo there. I travel back and forth. In all those years and in all the out of the way places I eat, I have been sick once. I do not eat on 5th Ave but in local places around town. Water, beer and soda are served in bottles/cans. I enjoy the fresh fruit drinks and have those often which are freshly prepared as well as the awesome smoothies at DAC on 30th Ave. I do not boil my water at home to make ice but do use bottled water to make it at home. I drink bottled water at home and use it for my coffee but wash my vegetables, etc. in the sink. I think more rural areas have different concerns than we have here. Schmerl is correct in that if everyone got sick at the resorts no one would go back.
One of my favorite restaurants in Playa is an Italian place that previously was in the family home. They had converted the driveway and front yard to the restaurant with the kitchen serving guests outside. The food is amazing, fresh and homemade. They just moved across the street to a more central location but this is a place that most locals knew but lots of tourists would never venture in.

I also categorically disagree with MIKL. Not Thousands, millions of tourist travel to this area annually. Tourism in the state of Q. Roo accoutns for a disproportionately large part of the entire Mexican GDP; they will not risk it by allowing tourists to get sick. Tap water in hotels, ice, coffee, tea, etc., are all safe. In particular, most of the upper end resorts and hotels actually have water that exceeds the standard of most US cities. True, bottled water can be obtained cheaply and adds to peace of mind, and possibly tastes better, but no special precautions are necessary.

Now a days, even the Mexicans drink bottled water, certainly for the price, convenience but also because it is safe. When in my condo in playa, we brush our teeth with the tap water and no one has ever been sick, ever...
Still, better safe than sorry, if you doubt, then just refrain.