Did you know Cancun is safe to travel and have a good time

Cancun ranked number 6 in tourist destinations in 2018 according to the UNWTO, making it the best destination spot in Latin America for the 10th year in a row.

A lot of things have been said about Cancun and its Safety over the past few years, worrying travelers like you and me, to think about visiting this amazing city, despite all this talk, is still the favorite vacation spot for Spring Breakers, Families, couples, and groups, and you know why ? Because of the people there, the service, the food, the culture, and above all, because it's not dangerous unless you look for it. And over 6 million visitors a year, can vouch for that.

Some of these statements are misleading due to the fact that certain events that had happened over in the Caribbean have been isolated tragedies, that are unlikely to occur in your hotel or the main Cancun strip.

Regarding the current string of homicides, 98 % of them have been Cartel related, and not in any means with a direct relation with tourist, You have 4 times more probabilities of being murder in the City of New York than in Mexico as a country.

Most of the times the headlines in the news reflect the terrible things that happen only and do not focus on the good stuff, that when brought into a balance, is always a more significant number.

Police for tourists

Policias resguardando las playas de Cancun

Cancun hotel zone, is one of the safest places to be at, the whole 14 miles that comprehends it, has been and will continue to be one of the places where travelers can be secure at all time, for starters because there are 5 different types of security personnel in Cancun, you can find:

Hotel Security, although they are not armed, they are prepared for different kinds of contingencies, and since they work and live off the tourists, it doesn't matter you're not a guest at their hotel, they are always willing to give a hand if needed, Cancun is a city that depends entirely on the visitors, so the priority is to keep it that way.

Local Police, these law enforcement employees, will safeguard your person at all times, you can see them cruising in their patrol cars, trucks, or even riding in bicycles in downtown if at any point you feel unsafe, you should approach them.

State Police or Federal police, they can be seen making regular trips through the kukulkan avenue and downtown in blue trucks, always taking care of the security and overall safety of everyone, not just tourist.

La Marina Cuidando a los turistas en las playas de Cancun

Navy personnel, since Cancun is part island and part port, the navy is the branch of the military that is stationed here, you can see the soldiers in their classic white outfits patrolling the most popular and crowded beaches, and the shopping mall, bringing the delictive activities down to zero.

Army personnel, monitors and patrols the highways between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Having checkpoints at strategic locations.

The Government has installed security cameras on the outside of shopping malls, and piers for additional, and it's also bringing in more police dogs to detect unusual behaviors, this is why the environmental sanitation TAX is essential, because part of those funds are going to be directed in providing more tools and better wages to the officers.

Additional to all this, on major holidays, the efforts to keep the peace doubles, dates like Easter, summer break, Thanksgiving and Christmas, more personnel are trained to bring down the crime rate.

What areas of Cancun are dangerous?

La Marina recorriendo las playas de Cancun

As major cities, you can find areas far away from Downtown, or in this case the hotel Zone, that can have a bad reputation and some delictive activities, these neighborhoods are in the outskirts of Cancun and miles away from your place of spending the night, foreigners usually not venture that far away, the most they reach are Mercado 28, and another shopping mall called Plazas Outlet, both still far away from the zones we considered dangerous.

What about the warnings?

The US government issues a chart of precautions for his travelers outside of the states, that rates them 1 to 4, being 1 usual precaution, and 4 a do not travel warning. Cancun and its nearby places rate 2, meaning that the visitors must Exercise caution when traveling.other countries with level 2 include France, Spain, and Germany.


Here's the full chart :

  • 1.-Take usual considerations when wandering around alone.
  • 2.-Be aware of your surroundings and security, you can stroll with a couple or small groups of friends.
  • 3.-Reconsider your trip, travel under some risks, because it is dangerous, always leave the hotel in large groups.
  • 4.-Do not Travel; basically, there is a high level of violence.

Mexico as a country has an overall rating of 2, even tho some states have a 3 rating, but none of those near Cancun. Overall in the best countries list, Mexico is 35 out of 80.

There are no travel bans for employees of the US government branches to Cancun.

Facts

34 cities in the US had a higher Crime index rate than Cancun in 2018 to name a few we have New York City, Atlanta, Orlando, Oakland, and at number 11 Detroit, MI, and cities that have tourist all year long, they have Honolulu, HI, Las Vegas and Miami ; from Canada, only 10 cities are above Cancun : Halifax, Kelowna, Winnipeg and Surrey as the top.

How Safe is to :

Leave the resort

Saliendo del Hotel a las Calles de Cancun

Very safe, either you want to walk by the beach, or by the boardwalk that runs all the zone, you won't get mugged, just beware, there's a lot of salespeople and you might get hustled, you'll always find people walking the strip, although there's more transit during nighttime ( because the sun is down ); If you're leaving on a tour, make sure you buy it with transportation included, that way, they picked you up at the lobby, and return you there also.

Drive a rental

Yes, you can take the comfort of driving a rent-a-car, please read the small print on the lease, and take care of it as it was yours, agencies are very strict with damages to the units, the US and Canada drivers license are valid in Mexico, but you need to read the driving rules in Mexico, you don't want to get a fine while on vacations.

Los Camiones en Cancun

Use public transportation

The use of buses in the hotel strip is very safe, it's only 1 dollar per person, the units are well-taken care off, most of them even have A/C and wifi, a certain number are wheelchair accessible, they go all the way to market 28, or Outlets shopping mall, just be sure you're well directed, so you can take the bus back to your hotel.

Swim in the beach

All of Cancun beaches are swimmable, from time to time the waves are harder, be sure you follow the instructions, as always there will be flags outside indicating if you can swim or not. RED, it's a No, Black is also a no, Yellow, is minor current, Purple, is that jellyfish or other marine life is present. The orange flag means high winds.


Recommendations :

  • When having a rental car, don't leave valuables in sight, avoid being carjacked.
  • When going places, don't show off all the cash you have or dress flashy. Or else you might get mugged.
  • Avoid going to areas outside the usual tourist spots ( within the city ).
  • Drink responsibly, remember alcohol can impair your judgment.
  • Don't involve yourself in illicit activities.
  • Enroll to STEP ( the State Department smart traveler enrollment program)- for US citizens let know their embassy and can assist if needed.

That being said, Cancun will continue to be a trouble-free place for years to come, as their whole economy depends on tourists visiting the hotels, and everybody wants to keep it that way, for your pleasure of this Caribbean paradise.

We expect to see you soon in the Solaris Hotels in Cancun, your Home away from home.




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