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

easyrider

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Some people compare all areas of Mexico as if it were all the same. Mexico is ranked in the top 15 largest countries in the world. As with any large country there are some areas worse than others as far as crime is concerned. We travel to resort areas of Mexico and explore the areas each trip. Never had a problem with crime in Mexico. Below is part of a recent article from :
http://www.mexidata.info/id2980.html
_____________________________________________________________


"In addition to economic woes, Mexican tourist towns soon began facing a serious image problem due to media fallout from the so-called narco war. Worse yet, an increasing number of visitors from the US and Canada witnessed some act of violence somewhere in Mexico or heard about someone who did. The conventional wisdom in the tourism business is that for every bad rap, at least ten new tourists are lost from word-of-mouth.

Perhaps typical is a woman recently overhead in a New Mexico restaurant who told her companions that she used to travel to Mexico all the time but was avoiding the country for now. To an attentive table, she explained how the brother of a Mexican acquaintance was gunned down in a border town while eating in a restaurant — a presumed victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Many residents of Puerto Vallarta and Zihuatanejo, which have suffered little violence of late, protest they pay the price for sins committed elsewhere in their huge and diverse country. From their standpoint, it's almost as if a Mexican tourist would avoid traveling to San Francisco because of violence in Albuquerque.

"This really isn't a combat zone. We aren't in a war," Zihuatanejo resident Cortez insists. "People aren't being killed in the streets as they say."

Still, violence in many parts of the country, coupled with the now-routine travel advisories, keep grabbing the headlines in the US media."
 
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suesam

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Just returned from 4 days in Puebla, Mx visiting my son. Felt very safe the entire trip. Saw nothing even remotely scary. Ate some cow intestines and lips which about killed me but that was my sons fault!

Sue
 

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What AM I Missing

I've read through all of the posts. Here is my two cents:

The violence is mostly at the border towns and involves those involved in the drug trade.

The tourist locations are basically safe. The post regarding the Mazatlan shootings did not involve tourists.

To say there is so much violence in Mexico, so stay away from Cancun, Cabo etc is like someone saying don't go to NYC because there are gangs in LA or visa versa.

So much media hype and hysteria.
 

bjones9942

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You can bet that the cruise lines are not canceling their Mazatlan stops because of violence (as stated, no cruise line passenger has been involved in violence). More likely it is because of high port fees that they believe they can negotiate lower when passengers are stirred up about their safety. If it really was about safety, the cruise lines would pull out of many ports of call (Acapulco, Belize, Jamaica, ...).

In the end, it all comes down to making a buck.
 

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I just returned from Mayan Palace - Riviera Maya and felt very safe.. The federal police were all along the highway at all times.

Actually, felt so safe that I bought into Mayan Palace!! Can't wait to go to Cabo property in October!

:wave:
 

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DebBrown

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The tourist locations are basically safe. The post regarding the Mazatlan shootings did not involve tourists.

I'm sorry for belaboring the point but saying the shootings don't involve tourists is just wrong. The week we were in Mazatlan in January, there were 2 shootings. One at a popular shopping center and one in front on the American consulate. We were leaving on a tour just a short time after the consulate shooting and saw the boarded up building and crime scene tape.

No, a tourist was not shot. BUT, I sure didn't want to see a man's tortured body dumped on the street and executed during my vacation.

Deb
 

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Puerto Vallarta Safety Travel

Any updates on safety travel to Mexico......going in April to Puerto Vallarta
 
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T_R_Oglodyte

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Thank you for your reply. That give me a good feeling:)
I was there in February and I felt safer in the tourist areas of PV than I do walking around Pioneer Square and Seattle Center (Space Needle) in Seattle.
 

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just returned from Puerta Vallarta

We just returned from a fabulous 2 weeks in PV and NV. We took the bus from Nuevo to PV and went to the Malacon and up and down streets in PV. Friends came and drove us all around went to some very out of the way Mexican villages and to Punta de Mita and Rincon de Guayabitos. We asked how safe things were at our resort and found no problems. Many Canadian and US people that live there, would help us if we needed direction. We met many Mexican people that would help us with directions and were always so friendly. We were initially nervous about going to Mexico 4 years ago. We were really suprised at how much we loved it and the people are wonderful. So much we bought there. In all honesty at no time did we feel unsafe. We did not walk the beach in the dark and we got a cab from the restaurants in the evening. We do not go up and down unknown streets in the night and early AM. Basic common sense needs to prevail. The sad part is that there is so much bad press that it does hurt the economy in places like NV and PV. We listened to that bad press to but traded into Mexico and are we ever glad we did. There are problems here as everywhere and we do need to be wise in our decisions no matter where we go.
 

pammex

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malago.....I was in PV and NV in Jan. for 2 weeks then again in Feb. for two weeks. We also were all over the area in car as we drove fromn the Guadaljara area to there. ( about 5 hours drive). No problems just a bigger police presence noted. I am here in mexico now for that matter in Lake Chapala area. Of course like anywhere there is crime but have I seen any, no.
Enjoy your trip to PV...the only issue I would have with going there in April would be in going the week before, week of and week after Easter, biggest holidays in Mexico and the beaches will be crowded sohope you like crowds, which of course can be fun if not driving....enjoy!
 

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Just returned from 4 days in Puebla, Mx visiting my son. Felt very safe the entire trip. Saw nothing even remotely scary. Ate some cow intestines and lips which about killed me but that was my sons fault!

Sue

About 10 years ago I spent a summer studying spanish in Puebla, Mexico. And I agree that by and large it was safe but there were issues. My teacher told a story of her son having been kidnapped for ransom. Mexico, even the safer locations, is not suburban USA....
 

T_R_Oglodyte

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easyrider

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Washington State should be added as well. Yakima County has had weekly drive by shootings for the last few years. 2011 is shaping up to be on par with last year.

No problems in the southern Baja region on our last trip to Cabo. We were all over at all hours.
 
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PigsDad

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I guess we should add Florida to the list of places that TUGgers should avoid.
Washington State should be added as well.
Actually, if we use the same scare tactics used by the media and the uninformed, we should be advising everyone to avoid the whole USA because of these incidents in certain parts of the country. :rolleyes:

Kurt
 

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Thank you for the article link. :) We will be traveling to the Grand Mayan Riviera Maya this June. I can't remember how many negative comments I hear from people when they hear where we are going. We usually go once a year to the Riviera Maya and if we could stay for a month we would. So many things to do that we never get bored of this area.

Isn't most of the negativity directed toward the Grupo Mayan resorts and not the Riviera Maya? We have spent many many weeks at the Grand Mayan - Riviera Maya on exchanges. We have been all over Mexico but the Grand Mayan - Riviera Maya is our favorite resort of all and we love the cultural attractions in the area like Xcaret.
 

easyrider

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Very nice and very true article.

deleted personal arguments w/another poster

The negativity about a vacation in Mexico starts in the media and ends with misconceptions that create doubt or fear in a travelers mind causing anxiety about traveling anywhere in Mexico.

The negative posts on the Grand Mayans are for the most part about attending a presentation or buying a week from the developer.
 
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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.
 

pittle

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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.

AWESOME!!!!!:cheer:
 

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