Safety is relative, and the newsmedia often shows Mexico as dangerous. However, Mexico is safe to visit. There are a number of resources to consult and safety practices you can use to keep you staying safe in Mexico.
I recommend visiting the U.S. State Department to see what they recommend as their advice does change. In 2024, Mexico is rated Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. This is the same rating as dozens of other countries, including Germany, Italy, and France. This leads me to consider Mexico to be safe. But, like anywhere in the world (including the United States), there are areas that are safer and areas that are riskier. I traveled the Yucatan Peninsula, whose economy relies on tourism. It is in the Mexican government’s interest to keep tourists safe. Therefore, I had no hesitation regarding safety for my destination.
The U.S. State Department’s website is a valuable resource in your travel planning toolkit because it includes any alerts with explanation for the security alert. These alerts are for specific areas, and include actions you should take, such as monitoring local media. The Safety and Security tab on the U.S. State Department’s website provides even more details about specific kinds of crimes that are more problematic at your destination. I review these alerts for any country I am visiting before I travel.
Do You Need to Stay in a Resort to Stay Safe?
We did not stay in a resort. Based on our personal experience, no, you do not need to stay in a resort to stay safe. A resort may make you feel safer, but that does not mean you actually are safer. I never felt unsafe in Mexico. I am pretty sure the gas station attendance in Tulum overcharged us for fuel, but I never felt we were in physical danger.
How to Stay Safe in Mexico and Beyond
You should consider registering with the U.S. State Department’s Smart Travereler Enrollment Program (or STEP). This way the the nearest U.S. Embassy can help you in the case of emergency. If there is a natural disaster or civil unrest, for example, the U.S. Embassy knows that there are U.S. citizens potentially effected and can help evacuate you and your family.
How to Stay Safe in Your Hotel Room
Obviously, use the locks on you door and don’t let anyone inside your room. For extra security, you can use a portable door lock and door stoppers. I have encountered a range of door locks in my travels, so bringing along my own provides extra peace of mind.
Bring a portable carbon monoxide detector. Before our trip, several tourisits had died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Mexico and elsewhere. The detector is small and has the added bonus of reporting the temperature and humidy level of your room. I tested the detector in advance of our trip for added peace of mind.
Your room may or may not have a hotel safe and that safe may not be big enough to hold everything. On a recent trip to Columbus, Ohio, my laptop would not fit in the hotel safe — so this is a potential issue in the United States, too. I have never had anything stolen from my hotel room. Never. However, I am now traveling with luggage locks for all bags and some stainless steel cable so that I can lock at least one back to something that can’t easily be moved in my hotel room — like plumbing pipes in the bathroom.
How to Stay Safe in Public
Follow basic safety tips as anywhere else: stick with others, watch your drinks, and be aware of your surroundings.
Keep your money and valuables close to you and not all in one place. Don’t keep your money in a bag on your back or in a purse with an open top and don’t keep your phone in your back pocket. Keep these valuables on your front in a bag that is hidden or hard to get off of you without you knowing — a hip pack, a neck wallet, or a travel belt.
You can bring a luggage lock and stainless steel cable with you as you explore your destination. This way, you can lock your bag to your table to deter would be theives from grabbing and taking off with your bag. I’ve read that others will lock their belongings to something stable like a metal fence while at the beach so that they can leave their bag altogether. The lock and cable will not prevent someone from cutting open your bag, but should deter people who are looking to grab your stuff and run.
If you want a bag with greater security, PacSafe has a lot of fans for their anti-theft designs. They have a range of products including bags that prevent would-be theives from cutting open your bag.
Travel Safely
This article is not an exhaustive list of tips for staying safe in Mexico or anywhere else. You should do additional research because safety guidelines and criminal tactics do change overtime. Further, safety is also subjective. What I need to do to feel safe is not the same as what someone else might need to do to feel safe. One last item that helps me feel safe when traveling is travel insurance. I always purchase travel insurance for any trip outside of the United States.
Read More About Our Cancun Road Trip
10-Day Mexico Roadtrip from Cancun
12 Must Haves for Your Trip to Cancun
5 Hotels for Your Cancun Road Trip
How I Flew My Family to Cancun for Free*
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