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Mexico's safest destinations
Crime in Mexico has kept travelers away from some parts of the country that are riddled with the results of drug cartel operations. Everything from murder to mass graves and the acts of brutal drug lords has caused the U.S. Department of State to issue warnings against travel south of the border. Still, there are a number of places deemed safe by a variety of sources that are worth a look if not a trip to visit.Our first five safe places to visit come from the San Francisco Chronicle's Five Safest Places in Mexico. At only 1.1 deaths per 100,000, the agricultural state of Tlaxcala is rated as Mexico's safest state followed by the Yucatán at 1.3 that has a well-developed tourist infrastructure and thousands of archaeological sites.
Up next is Puebla at 1.85 with 2,600 historic buildings, a wealth of archaeological sites, and virtually nonstop festivals originating in five distinct pre-hispanic cultures ahead of the small state of Querétaro with just 2.02 deaths per 100,000. Best-known for its role in ending Spanish rule, the state also claims three of Mexico's major wineries and maintains a Cheese and Wine Museum.
Gallery: 10 safe places to visit in Mexico
Renewed Baja California Sur, sfgate tells us, was the first flash point when President Calderón upset the drug cartels' equilibrium and has been barely touched by drug violence. Adventure travelers will find hiking, kayaking, surfing and windsurfing, zip-lines, cave paintings and hot springs here.
Tapping Lonely Planet for more safe places to visit in Mexico we find Mexico City, now cleaned up to be a 'Disney version' of its former gritty self, Todos Santos where "well-heeled New Mexico artists, organic farmers and even some Hollywood types have snapped up property and put down roots" and San Miguel de Allende where regular festivals, fireworks and parades dominate the local scene.
"If it's resorts you want," says Lonely Planet, Huatulco is a rare success story in recent resort development. This former fishing village has become the Oaxacan beach resort of choice lately, benefiting from its gentle development plan that keeps much of the 12 miles of sandy shoreline completely unspoiled and the town under six-stories high."
Finally, rapidly growing Playa Del Carmen comes in to round out our list of ten safe places to visit in Mexico. More than a day trip for cruise passengers, visitors come from all over the world in what looks to be a very safe destination, just one of the many we found in Mexico.
"If it's resorts you want," says Lonely Planet, Huatulco is a rare success story in recent resort development. This former fishing village has become the Oaxacan beach resort of choice lately, benefiting from its gentle development plan that keeps much of the 12 miles of sandy shoreline completely unspoiled and the town under six-stories high."
Finally, rapidly growing Playa Del Carmen comes in to round out our list of ten safe places to visit in Mexico. More than a day trip for cruise passengers, visitors come from all over the world in what looks to be a very safe destination, just one of the many we found in Mexico.
Flickr photo by RussBowling
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Hiking, Surfing, Festivals and Events, Mexico, Travel Health, Central America, Travel Security
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 9)
Cal Jan 22nd 2012 5:05PM
Weed really isn't the product that is driving the Cartels.
One thing is certain; USA use and demand for drugs is what is fueling the crime on the border.
miguel Jan 22nd 2012 8:29PM
we don't need to close the border, what we need to do is stop the demand or consumption here in the U.S. The U.S. is the most responsible for what is happening in Mexico. Mexico is just in the middle between the bigger drug producing countries in South America and the final drug users in the U.S. We do need to stop the flow of arms to Mexico, who do you think is responsible??? THE UNITED STATES!!!
Jules Jan 22nd 2012 4:31PM
Are you kidding me? There is NO SAFE PLACE in MEXICO. Greater than 70% of the country is overrun by drug cartels. If you are SMART, don't go to Mexico.
Heather Robles Jan 22nd 2012 10:16PM
If you have never been here do not judge this counrty! I am from the U.S. and have lived in Mexico for almost 6 months, in Cholula Puebla named the 3rd safest place in Mexico. Not all parts of Mexico are bad just the border towns to the U.S. which has made this problem for both sides.
Elsa Jan 22nd 2012 4:38PM
I was at a birthday party last night in beautiful Zihuatanejo, with all kinds of foreigners, US, Canada, Europe, etc. Unless you believe all the bad publicity and haven't tried it, you are definitely missing a beautiful time in this lovely country, where I feel safe and happy, as do all the happy partygoers last night, most of whom live here 8 months out of the year.
Dave Jan 22nd 2012 4:54PM
There are more American residents now in the City of Cuernavaca outside Mexico City then Mexican citizens! It is very safe in Cuernavaca! I think many here just do not know the facts.
Gerri Jan 22nd 2012 6:06PM
There are many safe places in the US to go, a places where for the most part are enforceable, concrete laws. Mexicans do what they want, even the police are shady and criminals, Doctors are criminals...read my post....
gary Jan 23rd 2012 3:48PM
elsa is right. ixtapa is safe. i spend 4 mo a year there and owen a condo. the people are great .
JAMES Jan 22nd 2012 4:40PM
Yes Mexico has a lot of safe places, the ones that give it a bad image are a few cities only, Mexico is not about ruins and drug cartels, so it sounds dumb when someone says that iraq is safer or anywhere in the world.
Gerri Jan 22nd 2012 6:38PM
Read my post James, perhaps Iraq is not safer, I agree, but so many Americans think of Mexico as an "innocent" country to visit. I think that any positive adverstisement has to come from the resorts and the resorts KNOW that the country is unsafe. We were DRUGGED at Dreams Cancun. I did not finish the ONE drink that "they" tried to drug us with, to this day we think there was a scam to drug us and then rob us, but I did not succomb, because I did not finish the drink. Do you know what the resort did with the drug my husband vomited up? They put it in their safe and did not send it with us to the hospital to be analyzed. Security took pictures, but in the end the resort did not do the right thing.
Jules Jan 22nd 2012 5:09PM
I agree with all of the above, but Dave. My father lived in El Paso for 40 years before dying. I have been to Mexico several times, & all I can tell you is that it is a corrupt country. STAY OUT of MEXICO. It isn't like it was when I was a child. To say it is safe is simply BS. They said cruise ships were safe too, tell it to the 40 lost lives on the recent mishap off the coast of Italy. I wonder how much $ was paid by Mexico Tourism to print this BS article trying to convince US citizens to blow their money there. The country is full of theives, prostitutes, drug cartels, and a lot of the police there are 'on the take' as well. My dad spent a month in jail over there simply for being an American; my Mexican step mother had to pay a Mexican attorney to get my dad out. All my father had on when he was released was his underwear. They took everything else. What did he do? Nothing. A Mexican citizen hit my father's car and because my father was an American, they took my father to jail so they could milk another American out of every buck they could get.
Barb Jan 22nd 2012 4:46PM
For everyone who is saying OMG Mexico is sooo dangerous,,,I have to ask...have you ever gone there? have you ever researched what is really happening outside the US Mexico border? The statistics show that the most deadly violence is happening in northern Mexico close to the U.S. border where smuggling occurs, and in the states where marijuana and heroin are produced.
•The state with the lowest murder rate is Yucatán, the Gulf of Mexico state known for its beaches and Mayan ruins. Its murder rate of 2 per 100,000 was comparable to Wyoming and Montana.
•Washington, D.C.'s murder rate is nearly quadruple that of the Mexican capital, Mexico City. Washington's murder rate was 31.4 per 100,000 people in 2008; Mexico City's rate in 2009 was 8.
Would you advise people never to go to Washington DC?
Gerri Jan 22nd 2012 6:34PM
Went to Cancun, read my posts, NOT SAFE!
Jerry Jan 22nd 2012 4:51PM
Cozumel, a small island South of the Yucatan Peninsula, is one of the safests places to vacation. I've lived on the island for 3 years and have been coming for over 25 years. It's a small island. Criminals have no where to hide, as they cannot drive away. They must fly or take a boat. Plus, the small population does not breed drug cartel activity. The island boasts the second largest coral reef system in the world. It is consistantly voted the #1 scuba diving destination worldwide amongst scuba divers. The white sand beaches are unmatched. The food is spectacular. It's a shame the safe places in Mexico get such unfair media coverage. It hurts their economy and the crime statistics will match up favorably with similar populated cities in the US.
Gerri Jan 22nd 2012 6:36PM
Cruised into Cozumel, did not feel very good about the 18 year old or so American girls getting into taxis totally drunk, did not trust they would get to where they were going safely.
Cal Jan 22nd 2012 5:05PM
As a person who has gone to Mexico hundreds of times in the past 35 years (wife was born in Mexicali), I can tell you that I WILL NOT cross the border again any time soon. I was pulled over 500 feet from where I entered the road from my hotel at 1 am as I was going to get my wife from her mom's house. The uniformed cop in a marked police car told me that my fine was $300. I speak a bit of Spanish and told him, "let' go to the police station". He promptly pulled his gun and pulled the hammer back. I took all of my money from my money clip (probably $500) and handed it to him and promptly went back to my hotel and called my wife and told her to take a taxi.
Juarez is 6 miles from my house in El Paso and I wouldn't go down there for any reason. I imagine Tijuana is also out-of-control.
Peru and Columbia warned Mexico 10 years ago that they were in danger of losing their governments if the Cartels ever got hold. Every border crossing town is completely infiltrated by the drug trafficing industry. You can spot the mayors, police and government folks that have cooperated, the are the one's still alive.
John Howell Jan 22nd 2012 5:01PM
YES, I would advise people never to go do Washington, DC. It is a bad place full of bad people.
Cal Jan 22nd 2012 5:05PM
Well stated. D.C. (inside of the beltway) used to have the highest murder rated in the USA, even surpassing S. Chicago and S. Detroit.
Jules Jan 22nd 2012 5:09PM
I wonder how much Mexico Tourist Bureau paid to have this article printed? My father was jailed there for NOTHING. Had an accident with a Mexican and because he was an American he was put in jail and milked for every penney he had. All he had on when he left their jail was his underwear. Stay out of Mexico. Over 70% of the country is corrupt. You got a less than 50% chance of not having problems there.
Dave Jan 22nd 2012 5:09PM
Don't let the visual of the police in Mexico City make you feel safe. Most are corrupt. Don't you dare ever get into a VW Cab at the airport ...or you could say bye bye to the USA forever. have a friend or trusted person pick you up. Never wander off into a cute old time city street. If Mexico was so damn safe and wonderful, then why is half the country fleeing or tryng to cross our border? When you travel there, dress way down. No bling. No watches. No expensive clothes. Make the theives think you have nothing so they move on to the next guy. Ok, theres your free lesson. I realize a bunch of idiots will chime in and tell me I'm full of it but I don;t give a rats ass. I speak the truth. Go ahead, test what I said.