How to Stay Safe in Mexico

Safety is relative, and the news media often shows Mexico as dangerous. However, like most places (including the United States), some areas of Mexico are safer to visit than others. This article provides resources and tips on how to stay safe in Mexico.

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Resources for Assessing Safety

There are a number of resources to consult and safety practices you can use to keep you staying safe in Mexico.

A map of Mexican states with travel warnings — Travel Warnings for Mexico by the U.S. State Department (2024)

I recommend visiting the U.S. State Department to see what they recommend as their advice does change. In July 2024, Mexico is rated Level 3: Reconsider Travel. However, there are some Mexican states that the U.S. State Department recommends not visiting, others where you should exercise increased caution, and others where you should practice normal precautions.

Our Cancun road trip involved visiting two states: Yucatan and Quintana Roo. Cancun, Akumal, and Tulum are in Quintana Roo. Merida and Uxmal are in Yucatan. The U.S. State Department recommends exercising normal precaution in Yucatan and increased caution in Quintana Roo.

Ovearll, Yucatan Peninsula’s economy is reliant on tourism. It is in the Mexican government’s interest to keep tourists safe. Therefore, I had no hesitation regarding safety for my destination. However, it does look like the drug cartels are no longer leaving tourists alone either.

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 in Mexico?

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.

Register with the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

You should consider registering with the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (or STEP). This way the the U.S. State Department can help locate you in the case of emergency. If there is a natural disaster or civil unrest, for example, the U.S. State Department knows that there are U.S. citizens potentially effected and may be able to help evacuate you and your family. Once enrolled, you will recieve email notifications of any issues that may impact your travel for your destination.

How to Stay Safe in Your Hotel Room

A carbon monoxide detector, door stopper, luggage lock, and portable door lock — Some possible security and safety supplies for a trip: a carbon monoxide detector, door stopper, luggage lock, and portable door lock

There are extra precautions you can take in your hotel room to increase your safety. 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.

I always bring a portable carbon monoxide detector. Before our trip, several tourists 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 and is rechargeable. 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 bag to something that can’t easily be moved from my hotel room — like plumbing pipes in the bathroom. You can also buy a small travel safe for money and passports.

✅Safety Packing List to Help You Stay Safe in Mexico

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.

A backpack secured with stainless steel cables and travel locks to a table — Stainless Steel Cables and Travel Locks Can Help Keep Your Valuables Secure

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 buried in the ground 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.

How to Stay Safe in Mexico

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 medical insurance. I always purchase travel medical insurance for my adventures.