Sherry J. Says:
Would love to hear more about Mexico’s Riviera Maya and whether that area is safe. I have heard the entire country is unsafe.
IL Mexico Correspondent Bel Woodhouse Says:
Hi Sherry,
Having lived in the Riviera Maya for nearly six years, I can say from personal experience that the Riviera Maya is a safe area. I’m a single lady and I walk everywhere. Not once have I had a problem, been hassled by anybody, or felt unsafe
The Riviera Maya is the crowning jewel of Mexico’s tourism industry so they take care of their visitors and expats. After all, if people start to feel unsafe then tourists don’t come and the entire region runs on tourism.
A good way of comparing the safety level of a region is to look at the U.S. State Department’s travel advisories. These tend to err on the side of caution, but using some comparison can give a clearer picture.
The State Department advisory for the Riviera Maya’s state of Quintana Roo is Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.
Sounds scary, right? But that’s the same advisory level it has for France, Spain, Italy, and a bunch of other European tourist destinations. And nobody says to avoid Europe because it’s unsafe.
That’s not to say there’s no crime in Mexico. But Mexico’s most dangerous and violent crimes are related to organized criminal activities such as selling and distributing drugs.
As long as you steer clear of that, your chances of being involved in a crime in the Riviera Maya are similar to anywhere in Europe, or back home.
I even feel safe traveling alone through my part of Mexico.
I love to explore the Yucatan and take local transport every time I travel. And I’ve never felt unsafe. In fact, I’ve met some of the loveliest people while traveling in the collectivos (a local minivan) or local bus lines (I’ve tried them all). Not only that, most drivers will drop you right where you need to go if you let them know.
For example, when traveling down to Tulum, the collectivo driver dropped me right outside the hotel I was going to. Not once, but five days in a row. These were varioushotels I was reviewing for work, so every day was a different place. This is very common.
As for safety in crowded areas and crime rates in tourist destinations, I’ve never had a problem there either. There are four kinds of police in every major town along the Riviera Maya—Municipal Police (local), State Police, Federal Police (whole of Mexico) and in this region, the Yucatan, we even have a specialized police branch just for tourists. Policia Turistica officers sole purpose is to help all of the gringos (tourists or expats from other countries).
I love living here and feel safe everywhere I go as a single woman.
Got a Question?
Send your thoughts to mailbag@internationalliving.com. We’ll post and respond to as many of your emails as we can right here in the e-letter.