Mexico Travel Warning -Playa del Carmen

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I went PDC last year and loved it. I just couldn't get over how beautiful the water is, the prettiest blue I've ever seen. I stayed at an all-inclusive resort, went out on a 16' catamaran by myself every day for a couple of hours. It was like magic. I did a day trip to Tulum and then went snorkeling in Cenotes Dos Ojos. Rode the ferry across to Cozumel and spent the day. They say Cozumel is the safest place because being an island, it's hard for a crook to get away quick and clean. I'd go back in a second. There is so much to do and I only scratched the surface. I'm going drive to visit my mom in Illinois in a few days, now that has me concerned.
 
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Senator said:
Exactly. I wonder why they do not tell you about the tainted alcohol they serve, or the deaths in the pool....

I would not go to Mexico on a dare. My mother used to live in Chapala, now the US State Department says to stay away. I traveled Mexico fairly extensively in public buses, taxis and private cars.



Mexico is one half step above Columbia and maybe a few steps below Egypt and other middle eastern countries.

It's probably safe to visit Mexico, until it isn't.
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I traveled to MX extensively for business. Here's my approach. Apply a risk matrix of probability (P) and consequences (C). Use a scale of 1-5. If my matrix exceeded 10, I changed my travel plans.

So, I'm leaving one dangerous country (that I know) and going to another dangerous country that I don't know. P just moved from 1 to 2. In the case in question, an attractive young women - P just increased to 2.5. Let's add in some drinking (P3) and perhaps accepting unknown drinks from strangers (P is now a solid 4). Now, add the pool and you see where this goes.

In all cases, the consequences is a 4 or 5. So, in a catastrophic matrix, this scenario is 20 - 25. High probability of serious injury or death.:eek:
 
Senator said:
Hawaii has them too...
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Too hot/humid and sooooo far away from us East Coasters. I'll dodge the cartel bullets while the juice from the fresh mangoes runs down my chin.
 
Senator said:
And the more interesting fact is that 98% of those 23,000 homicides are unsolved.

Mexico is a lawless land. The police cannot protect you if there is an issue. There is nothing in Mexico that the USA doesn't have
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Reminds me of Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues":


If you’re lookin’ to get silly

You better go back to from where you came

Because the cops don’t need you

And man they expect the same​

-ERD50
 
We lived there 2 different times in 2011-12 and again in 2013-15. We drove from Dallas to PDC via Laredo and down the center of the country. The last 2 years, lived near Parc la Ceiba on the town side of the highway near Juarez. We walked the dog at night with many in the neighborhood and never, never felt unsafe. We did steer clear of north side of town, say north of 38 or Av CTM...a little more sketchy up there.

We weren't party peeps, so we never went to 5th at night...there are a lot of drug sales on 5th and in taxis so just stay clear of these and it's perfectly fine. Much violence in Mexico is very targeted and many times territory related (so I've heard).

If you want a sleepier town to visit, go to Puerto Morelos or Tulum. We were in PDC and PM just a few months ago with the kiddos and GD and really enjoyed it. DW just went alone for a week to hang with the girls in both towns too...she returned without scars or flesh wounds.

Truly no more unsafe than here in Dallas and I wouldn't do anything there that I wouldn't do here. We just had a fella get his booty kicked by a bunch of thugs on the DART rail just for asking one of them not to smoke on the train...be more afraid of home!

Cops are somewhat corrupt but if you don't act like a tourist breaking the law, they will not bother you. My worst run in was a parking ticket and a seatbelt violation in 2.5 years. We also traveled to Merida, all down the coast into Belize, Queretaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque and never had a problem, all driving through the country.

If you want some awesome food, have a Taco Loco at El Fagon on Constituyentes or a pizza at Don Chendo just around the corner...or some Tacos del Chef with a smoothie at Nativo. Lots of gems down there for food...
 
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DH & I love to travel and we don't shy away from destinations that may be considered "off the beaten path." However, we feel like there are destinations that offer similar benefits to Mexico without the risks (Caribbean, Hawaii, many South Pacific islands). Maybe nothing would happen in Mexico, but we'd rather reduce our chances of having a problem. Most of these alternate destinations are more expensive than Mexico, but they also don't have the same level of poverty, vendors on the beach, aggressive timeshare salesmen, etc. YMMV
 
Scuba said:
DH & I love to travel and we don't shy away from destinations that may be considered "off the beaten path." However, we feel like there are destinations that offer similar benefits to Mexico without the risks (Caribbean, Hawaii, many South Pacific islands). Maybe nothing would happen in Mexico, but we'd rather reduce our chances of having a problem. Most of these alternate destinations are more expensive than Mexico, but they also don't have the same level of poverty, vendors on the beach, aggressive timeshare salesmen, etc. YMMV
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Well in truth you can't even be sure nothing will "happen" to you in your own home town.We love Mexico and favor a small family run resort located right on the beach in PDC. The family running it are lovely and unfailingly generous and kind. It feels more then safe and it goes against me to not support them economically because some parts of Mexico have drug problems.
 
Surewhitey said:
We lived there 2 different times in 2011-12 and again in 2013-15. We drove from Dallas to PDC via Laredo and down the center of the country. The last 2 years, lived near Parc la Ceiba on the town side of the highway near Juarez. We walked the dog at night with many in the neighborhood and never, never felt unsafe. We did steer clear of north side of town, say north of 38 or Av CTM...a little more sketchy up there.

We weren't party peeps, so we never went to 5th at night...there are a lot of drug sales on 5th and in taxis so just stay clear of these and it's perfectly fine. Much violence in Mexico is very targeted and many times territory related (so I've heard).

If you want a sleepier town to visit, go to Puerto Morelos or Tulum. We were in PDC and PM just a few months ago with the kiddos and GD and really enjoyed it. DW just went alone for a week to hang with the girls in both towns too...she returned without scars or flesh wounds.

Truly no more unsafe than here in Dallas and I wouldn't do anything there that I wouldn't do here. We just had a fella get his booty kicked by a bunch of thugs on the DART rail just for asking one of them not to smoke on the train...be more afraid of home!

Cops are somewhat corrupt but if you don't act like a tourist breaking the law, they will not bother you. My worst run in was a parking ticket and a seatbelt violation in 2.5 years. We also traveled to Merida, all down the coast into Belize, Queretaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque and never had a problem, all driving through the country.

If you want some awesome food, have a Taco Loco at El Fagon on Constituyentes or a pizza at Don Chendo just around the corner...or some Tacos del Chef with a smoothie at Nativo. Lots of gems down there for food...
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+1 on Puerto Morelos IMO the best kept secret between Cancun and Tulum. As far as Tulum I found it overflowing with aggressive pitch people, shopkeepers that will drag you by the arm into their shops and just be relentless..not my cup of tea.
 
Not counting our 10-day visit in 2008, we spent most of 2012-2015 in Mexico, with side visits to Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Never owned or rented a car, traveled by taxi or bus. Have been from Guadalajara to Cancun and back by bus. Have stayed in hotels/motels in dozens of towns. Have eaten at roadside carts and fancy restaurants in all those places as well.

When we first visited in the Guadalajara area there had been some recent rise in cartel activity. You would see an occasional federale vehicle on the highway, usually with a machine gunner up top.

In all that time I never felt unsafe, in spite of multiple 'travel warnings' from State. We never saw a fight or yelling argument.

In the two years we have just finished living in Austin there have been multiple conflicts right out in front of our building. Yelling and circling a car at 3am, scuffles where someone was nearly pushed off a balcony below us. A young man moaning, lying in the grass as paramedics attempted to treat his bloody abdomen (knife wound?) All of this visible/audible from our balcony. There are nightly sirens as we live near both a hospital and police station. And we live right next to one of the most expensive parts of town!

This is how you learn to take travel warnings with a grain of salt...
 
ivinsfan said:
+1 on Puerto Morelos IMO the best kept secret between Cancun and Tulum.
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I don't think it's much of a secret anymore (unfortunately), but we really enjoy Isla Mujeres, which is a short ferry ride (about 30 minutes) from Cancun. It's much smaller than Cozumel and in the off season (when we travel there) the crowds aren't too bad. However, in the last few years, we have noticed a decent increase in day visitors...probably because of the high speed (and once an hour) ferry ride from Cancun. Nonetheless, a fun little island.
 
By all means stay home and don't venture abroad anyplace more exotic than Canada!

Just joking of course, but here at Lake Chapala where we've lived full-time for close to 4 years it's very difficult to find rentals, restaurants are busier now during what is supposed to be "low" season than during high season in previous years and not a day goes by without seeing a post on our local web boards asking for help moving down. Without getting excessively political, let's just say that events in the country just north of us here have a lot of people fleeing who probably didn't have Mexico in their sights a year ago.

Going to all-inclusive resorts, here or anywhere else, is a way to travel to a foreign country without actually experiencing it, and drinking cocktails made from nameless "well" alcohol is a bad idea everywhere.

As for crime, absolutely it is true that Mexico has serious problems and there are plenty of areas - border towns in particular but others as well - with especially serious problems. On a day-to-day basis though for the million plus expats who live in the country - mostly in areas like Lake Chapala, San Miguel de Allende, etc. and who don't engage in behavior down here they wouldn't engage in back home (i.e. drunken carousing, flaunting their wealth, doing drugs) life is far safer here than in any major U.S. city. Petty theft and property crime are ongoing threats, but unlike N.O.B. (that's "north of the border" in expat talk) only the police and narcos have firearms.

Travel in this country outside of the coastal tourist traps (Playa del Carmen being right at the top of that list) and you'll find unbelievably hard-working, welcoming and (generally) honest people who, amazingly, are still very welcoming to visitors and residents from the U.S. due to long since realizing that people and politicians are very different.

In addition to having the largest expat retirement community in the world here at Lake Chapala we have a steady stream of economic and (especially) health care refugees who either live here full-time or snowbird seasonally and get their dental work done at 10% of U.S. prices, see their American-trained doctor for $22 or bring aging spouses or parents to live in nursing homes in this near-perfect climate at monthly costs of $1200-1400 for top-of-the-line care. Crime is a real danger, but so is being unable to afford basic medical care or going bankrupt back home vs. living a joyful middle-class retirement on SS income alone down here.
 
I love those state department warnings! Keep the people away. It is getting too crowded.
 
kcowan said:
I love those state department warnings! Keep the people away. It is getting too crowded.
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I assume that you are referring to how crowded it was this past high season in PV. I made several trips there this past spring and could not believe the chaos at the airport.
 
I am sure most of Mexico is safe, most of the time. Most people getting killed are criminals that society is better off without. Just like here in the USA. In Mexico, they add a few politicians and Judges to the hit list.

It just that if you have an issue in Mexico, you are on your own. Do not count on the Mexican cops to help, nor solve, your crime. The US State Department or embassy cannot do much help either.

At least here in the USA, you can file a report and the cops can comfort you in the English language. There are many victims groups you can go to to feel good about it. The crime still might not get solved, but you feel better about it. Our murder solve rate is closer to 50% in most cities. Not the 2% like in Mexico.

There is a reason people are fleeing Mexico.
 
Senator said:
There is a reason people are fleeing Mexico.
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I'm sure there is, but you have not pointed it out. How many times have you been and where did you stay? I've been researching Mexico for 5 years with intentions of riding my motorcycle down there . What I have been told from friends who live and visit there, mex is safe. People leave there for a BETTER LIFE. That's the reason I left North
Carolina!
 
kitesurfer2 said:
I've been researching Mexico for 5 years with intentions of riding my motorcycle down there . What I have been told from friends who live and visit there, mex is safe. People leave there for a BETTER LIFE. That's the reason I left North
Carolina!
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Driving one's motorcycle through a country is much different than someone visiting there in (perhaps mostly?) tourist places. And even from someone who has 'lived there', their route/plans may vary greatly compared to someone riding the "Mexican Route 66" by themselves.
 
I am sure the Mexican resorts are somewhat safer but then again the USA resorts are far safer than cities in the USA. How many people have been kidnapped or beheaded at Disney World?
 
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