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Mexico Safety & City Guides for Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, Playa del Carmen, Acapulco, Mazatlan, Cancun, Zihuatenejo/Ixtapa

Tropical lady

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Siesta is correct.
In addition, the robbery took place while the tour was walking in an isolated area. The robber was an opportunist, not a bandit breaking open the bus doors. I loved the pic of the robber while in action that someone took as it was happening. It still is an unfortunate situation but it needs to be put into perspective. No walking tours in the mountains for me.
 

Maple_Leaf

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Map of Mexican Travel Advisories

The CBC has a map up on their website summarising the US, UK and Canadian travel advisories for Mexico on a state-by-state basis. You can hover your cursor over each state for more details. It looks like Los Cabos, Cancun, Mayan Riviera, Yucatan and San Miguel de Allende are still reasonably safe places for tourists.
 

T_R_Oglodyte

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There is a big difference between Mexico and America. Do you think America would allow themselves to be held hostage by huge drug cartels?

I think we would not stand for it and we would demand a huge police and even a military intervention! I know there is a problem with gangs in America but not on the scale of Drug Cartels in Mexico. Our police presence is much better and I think we have less corruption in the police departments and hopefully less in our Government..

This statement is not true. In the US we don't have much of a problem with drug cartels and gangs hold communities hostage, provided the communities are poor minority neighborhoods and the gangs limit their mayhem to those neighborhoods.

We are certainly not moving police and even military forces to reestablish control of neighborhoods in the US where there has been a complete breakdown in local policing.
 

buceo

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The CBC has a map up on their website summarising the US, UK and Canadian travel advisories for Mexico on a state-by-state basis. You can hover your cursor over each state for more details. It looks like Los Cabos, Cancun, Mayan Riviera, Yucatan and San Miguel de Allende are still reasonably safe places for tourists.

Thanks for the map. Looks like the UK and Canada are in agreement with only border warnings, the US is the sole stand out with so many others.
 

easyrider

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easyrider

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bccash63

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Karen G

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Once owned these: FirstFairway@Walden X 2; Lawai Beach; ManhattanClub; PuebloBonitoRose; 4 South Africa--now timeshare-free
I am so sad to see Mazatlan on this list. Wanted to try on eof the Pueblo Bonita resorts next yr:shrug: dawn
You can still try one of the Pueblo Bonitos in Cabo. There are three there.
 

Passepartout

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We and many thousands of others were in Mazatlan last week. We took an 'Art Walk' on the First Friday of the month. (goes every 1st Fri. this year) Most gallery owners are ex-pats who live in the historic center and feel quite safe.

The resorts are very aware of the State Dep't advisories and are quietly making their resorts 'destinations' so that visitors don't have to leave and go out into the city. A shame, because 99.99% of the residents are very welcoming of foreigners.

The above referenced crime could have occurred in any city anywhere in America or the world. Some petty thief slams a victim upside the head, grabs his wallet and dashes. That it happened outside the gate of Riu which itself is in a less-than-fully-developed area away from the 'Golden Zone' about 5 miles says much about the authorities and security in the neighborhood.

We wish the victim well and godspeed to a full recovery.

The original Pueblo Bonito (Mazatlan) is in the center of the Golden Zone, and the PB Emerald Bay could be considered a full service destination.

Jim Ricks
 

ocean401

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Latest Mexico ignorance is that all over the news are headlines that in Acapulco 10 people were beheaded and 12 police officers were ambushed and killed. Once you read the article you see that it wasn't in Acapulco but in the town of Teloloapan which is described by these reporters as "north of Acapulco" or "between Acapulco and Mexico City." Telolapan is 3 hours away (170 miles) from Acapulco. Its insane they can get away with such misleading headlines/reports.

It seems like Mexico news stories are all written by morons.
 

beach.bar.bob

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Latest Mexico ignorance is that all over the news are headlines that in Acapulco 10 people were beheaded and 12 police officers were ambushed and killed. Once you read the article you see that it wasn't in Acapulco but in the town of Teloloapan which is described by these reporters as "north of Acapulco" or "between Acapulco and Mexico City." Telolapan is 3 hours away (170 miles) from Acapulco. Its insane they can get away with such misleading headlines/reports.

It seems like Mexico news stories are all written by morons.

Related New York Times Article March 19, 2012:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/w...g-beheadings-12-officers-slain-in-mexico.html

bbb
 

pammex

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=38AFaiNfXOU
Interview with Pamela Fuller at Casa velas

Do not let media hype make you so fearful you will not leave the country of USA. First it will be Mexico where next.....I travel all over this country, go to Mazatlan every year , nevver had a problem, went last year first time despite all kinds of warnings to Acapulco. never saw anything bad.....yes I saw police, yes I saw military, remember there military does not fight outside Mexico so they do go about the country, have to do something. Drug cartels are not after tourists. The thing with the cruise ship and jungle walking thing was an isolated incident that could have happened anywhere , though it reeks set up from the get go...common sense, and awareness and you will be fine here.

I live here 24/7, I travel to PV and NV all the time by car, travel all over Mexico by car...never an issue. PV & NV could not be safer tourist destinations in my opinion....so relax, shut off the TV and media and just go and have fun. Hey The Presidents daughter is in Oaxaca, which is supposedly having problems, how would that happen, she would be a target more than anyone, like us timeshare slouches, no drug cartel is interested in us...We have crime like everywhere else...period.... are they after tourists nope, ...come on SOB and enjoy...Meet you for a drink! :hi:
 

Maple_Leaf

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Security Tips for Mexico

From a security consultant in Mexico City. Most of these tips make sense no matter where you travel, however, they are tailored for Mexico based on the patterns of crime there against tourists.
 

Colorado Belle

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I've been living in PV since October. I'm a woman,senior citizen, well-traveled.
I live in Amapas, up a big hill from the romantic zone of Puerto Vallarta. I walk all the time, alone, and even at night (until 11pm when I usually take a taxi). I don't feel threatened, nervous in the least. I certainly feel as safe as living in my ski resort town in Colorado.

I was here and followed the news re the Carnival cruise robbery. The facts are these:
There was only 1 robber and only a few people were actually robbed. The picture that was taken enabled the police to identify the robber who had been involved in another attempted robbery in Mismaloya Beach area. In that incident, the victim was a bodyguard of the mayor and had a gun and clip in his car. When the robbers found the clip,they demanded that the victim show them the gun. (Gun ownership is illegal in Mexico btw). So the victim pulled the gun from under his seat and shot and killed one of the 3 robbers. The solo robber of the Carnival group was one of the 2 who got away. But the police were looking for him when:

It seems that it was well understood that this type of crime was very bad for the tourist economy. The body of the robber was found by the police in a ditch, shot dead. Vigilante justice? Sure. And I hope they got the right guy and he was a carreer criminal and not just some poor inept idiot. Whatever else, I doubt any tour buses will be robbed in the near or distant future.
 

bankr63

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I agree. One case that should be added is that Jamaica is really, really unsafe for tourists, yet they blithly head for Jamaica while saying they would never, never go to Mexico.

Ain't that the truth! I have travelled to both; Jamaica once as a fearless mid-twenty something, and Mexico several times as a much more seasoned and savvy traveller. I was scared shi(r)tless several times in our 2 weeks in Jamaica, but have never yet felt uncomfortable in MX. Now youth made me take more chances in Jamaica; I am bit too old for midnight raves now:rolleyes: but we still try to get off the beaten path and see the "real" country where we can.
 

Archie583

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Just came back from Puerto Vallarta after spending 4 months in the area.
Very safe, no problems at all. People are very friendly and helpful. So good that we even bought a condo in old town.

Just arrived home after being in Puerto Vallarta for 4 months. Spent much of the time furnishing our new condo which is beautiful. We walk out the door and we are on Bassilo Bido or just 3 blocks from the beach. We feel very safe in fact more safe than Flint, Michigan which is our home. Lot of sidewalk construction going on, should be done by December.
 

siesta

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from the article

"For example, the gateway to Disney World, Orlando, saw 7.5 murders per 100,000 residents in 2010 according to the FBI; this is higher than Cancun or Puerto Vallarta, with rates of 1.83 and 5.9 respectively, per a Stanford University report"
 

MuranoJo

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Thanks for posting that. In fact, I forwarded the link on to a few of our friends who are nervous about traveling to MX again.
 

CarolF

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Lonely Planet Writer Compares Safety in Mexico and U.S.
Here is a link to the story.

What an interesting article, thanks for posting.

Not really on topic but I thought this article was interesting too, particularly the actual chart giving comparisons around the world of traffic accidents, violence and suicide.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/04/daily-chart-14

America stands out for having the highest mortality rate. It has a particularly high rate of traffic deaths, despite laws that ban drinking until 21. Where America is truly exceptional, however, is in its violence. At 8.9 per 100,000 population, the rate of violent death (such as from homicide or accidental shooting) is 18 times higher than in Britain. For young American men the risk is much higher. The death rate from homicide for 20-24 year olds is a staggering 28 per 100,000 population.
 
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Doing some brief analysis i concluide the following acording to a few articles read:

Us Deaths in 2011 by firearm:

10.2 deaths per 100,000 @ 311,000,000 people in the US = 31,772 deaths in the US by firearms in 2011

Mexico Deaths in 2011 by firearm:

12,000 deaths total with a population of 113,211,011 people shows a rate of 9.43 deaths per 100,000.

Doing simple math, chances are higher to be killed in US than in Mexico. I am not saying that Mexico is safer than US. I think that it needs to be used common sense when traveling any foreign place. However, I think it is safe to travel to tourist destinations such as Cancun, Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo and Rocky Point since the protection of tourism is higher in those places.

I live in Mexico and can honestly tell you that if you have nothing to do with organized crime you have nothing to worry about.

References:
http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/01/the-geography-of-gun-deaths/69354/
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/04/24/injuries-and-deaths-from-firea/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/14/mexico-drug-war-murders-map
 
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Phydeaux

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Yes, it's just you.

Unless someone is planning to vacation in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. :rolleyes:

The majority of travelers don't, however. They travel to the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Riviera Maya areas. These are roughly 1,600 miles from the state of Tamaulipas, the state with travel advisory. Or, over 700 miles to Puerto Vallarta, another popular vacation destination.

So if there was a travel advisory for Las Vegas, would you be warning your neighbors about it in Miamisburg, Ohio? :wave:
 
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Timeshare Von

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I have had a personal moratorium against travel into any area in Mexico for at least five years. This most recent advisory is serious and it would seem Americans wherever in their country, could be at risk.

<<deleted inflammatory comment that I cannot substantiate>>
 
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