Is It Safe To Visit Mexico?
words and photography by Aysha Griffin
“Aren’t you afraid?” and “Isn’t it dangerous?” These were the consistent questions posed by friends and family upon hearing I had booked a trip to Mexico. From my standpoint, it was a matter of avoiding winter’s cold, pursuing Spanish language studies and visiting American friends in San Miguel de Allende, a picturesque colonial city located in Mexico’s central state of Guanajuato.
San Miguel de Allende, MexicoWithout any fear I flew from Albuquerque to Leon-Guanajuato Airport, via Houston, avoiding any border violence issues, and a 90-minute shuttle bus ride delivered me to this established and renowned cultural enclave of ex-pats and snowbirds. But the question of danger and safety in Mexico is not an easy or simple one to answer.
There is violence in Mexico, as everywhere. I recall an Australian friend who, landing in L.A. for his first trip to the U.S., called to ask if he should buy a gun – a reasonable question given the FBI estimate of over 200 million privately-owned firearms.
Americans – with our recent history of internal terrorism (Oklahoma City), external terrorism (September 11th), intentional public shootings (Tucson supermarket), serial murderers, drive-by shootings, rapes and other domestic violence; with handgun murders a daily occurrence in U.S. cities, and the largest prison population in the world – are hardly in a position to point fingers at the dangers abroad.
However, there is something different happening in Mexico. At the core are not just anger, political intolerance, insanity and psychopathic behavior, but money and turf war power, with illegal drugs (primarily marijuana) as the medium.
Thirty years ago, when I lived and traveled in Mexico for six months, handguns were illegal and even the police were gunless. At that time, Mexico was an extremely safe place in regard to violent crime. Corruption, usually in the form of bribes to officials, was a known, accepted and non-violent interaction. That was two generations ago and the world has changed in countless ways.
Like violence, drugs have always been a part of the human story. But it is economic policy that is driving the chaos and fear created by the narcotrafficos, who are controlled by powerful drug lord families, or “organizations”. It is akin to the days of Prohibition and the likes of Al Capone. While most of the violence is between warring gangs, innocent people can get caught in the crossfire and, recently, it is believed that the first U.S. officials and their families have been targeted and murdered. But even this is not a complete picture of the spreading lawlessness that is gripping parts of Mexico.
An estimated 28,000 people have been killed in this drug-related violence since 2006; 6,000 in Ciudad Juarez alone. According to author and journalist Charles Bowden, "There is no serious War on Drugs. Rather, there is violence, nourished by the money to be made from drugs. And there are U.S. industries whose primary lifeblood comes from fighting a war on drugs."
Fear begets fear and, with high employment and steeply rising prices of essential goods, it is understandable that many young men are drawn to the possibility of ensuring the well being of their families through enlisting in one army or another of this drug war. They have nothing else to do and there is the hope of money being made.
For the past few weeks, while comfortably residing in the friendly, culturally-rich enclave of San Miguel de Allende’s 10,000 ex-pats and snowbird visitors (in a city of about 80,000), I’ve tried to grasp the dangers and concerns, real or imagined. Here, long-time American and Canadian residents continue to feel safe from the drug war. The now regular cases of vandalism, assaults and robberies have engendered a greater degree of cautiousness and common sense measures but, overall, the smaller cities and villages in central Mexico have not seen evidence of drug war violence.
Clearly this is not the case along the border – Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Nogales, and Matamoros, in the states of Nuevo Leon, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Michoacan, and Durango. According to the U.S. State Department, “Other metropolitan areas have lower, but still serious, levels of crime. The low rates of apprehension and conviction of criminals also contribute to Mexico’s high crime rate… The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors traveling to major tourist destinations.”
Indeed, tourism is among Mexico’s top three economic generators, along with oil exports and Mexicans working abroad who send home billions of dollars each year to their families, although that has been diminishing with issues of legality and fewer jobs abroad.
Mexico, the 11th largest economy in the world and about three times the size of Texas, is a vast and complex country, therefore lumping together all places is absurd. As a tourist to major destinations, you would not likely encounter any evidence of the drug wars, and such violence is primarily between the criminal elements. Like elsewhere in the world, most people are decent, law abiding and peaceful citizens who want nothing of this madness in their communities but are, for now, helpless to counteract the organized crime and violence.
For example, a young man living in San Miguel Allende told me that his parents, in Mexico’s second largest city of Monterrey, have increased security measures. They stopped going out at night, instead entertaining friends at home in their upper-middle class suburb. They, and many of their neighbors, have traded late-model SUVs for less conspicuous cars. Even so, there have been incidents of large trucks, commandeered by narcotrafficos, that block streets, ransack stores, sometimes take hostages for ransom, and otherwise terrorize residents.
As military efforts have resulted in nothing but escalated violence, the Mexican government is seriously considering decriminalization and legalization for marijuana. However, like many logical solutions, there are enormous economic and political factors at play and the future of such initiatives remains uncertain.
Is it safe to visit the resorts and popular tourists destinations, like Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, Playa del Carmen, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato? Probably as safe as it has ever been. The decent, kind-hearted Mexicans, who know the value of tourism, welcome you.
My advice? Avoid driving anywhere near the borders and never drive at night; stay in tourist-populated areas; do not count on police protection (I am told they can be targets themselves, or related to the bad guys); steer clear of any demonstrations or dubious situations; do not carry large sums of money and always have change in local currency for taxi rides and small purchases; be aware of your surroundings, as you should no matter where; and continue to visit and enjoy the diverse scenery, culture, food, climate and genuine hospitality of Mexico.
Aysha Griffin is a travel writer, editor and business/relationship coach currently residing in and blogging about San Miguel de Allende, Mexico at www.InhabitYourDreams.com.
Traveling to Mexico?
Save up to 80% on cheap flights at FlightHub.com.
Find Mexico timeshare rentals and resales at SellMyTimeshareNOW .
12 Comments | Aysha Griffin | Email Article | Share Article | Print Article | Permalink tagged Mexico, travel safety 
Reader Comments (12)
My husband went to the Sierra Madre mountains just about a year ago -- using Durango as a jumping off point -- and I feel like I was completely lucky to have him back alive. He was on a scientific research trip and while he was there the entire region was collapsing into a state of anarchy. He ran into the same thing in the state of Chihuahua several months earlier. I have not doubt that the Mexican government is working overtime to keep tourist areas as safe as possible. As for the rest of the country, I think they're going through spasms of social upheaval that will take some time to work themselves out.
I think it is a really good article, full of common sense, it expresses really well what is happening in the country.
Terrific article. Common sense is the rule here, and your tone is perfect. Thank you!
Great article......thanks for gi
iving a rational point of view. Yes, the world is full of violence. Yes, we are all living in a different light of security, etc. www.FaceLiftMexico.com founded in 1994 has sent thousands of patients to San Miguel de Allende for cosmetic surgery . We have a private 4 star post -op recovery CLUB , called Casa Marino. Right now, we have 4 patients at the CLUB. None of them worried about traveling because of the drug problems. Just use an intelligent amount of caution that you would use in any city in the world.
The editors received an email from Jan Baross: I just advised my cousins who are coming to visit for 2 weeks to bring lots of pesos so they won't have to use the ATMs, but that means in Mexico City. You can't leave the money in the hotel and they have to walk around with it on their money belts. That is what I do. What do you think of my advice. Depend on their visa cards more and bring less pesos?
I changed $300 dollars into pesos through my bank before leaving the states, so as to arrive with local currency. There are online sites that specialize in currency exchange and will express mail the pesos (or other currency) directly to your home via Fedex. I would advise a Visa card for purchases and a bank debit with a 4-digit PIN for ATM use, so there are no additional credit card charges. As for using ATMs, there have been several cases of fraud/theft reported in San Miguel de Allende from people using ATMs, but I think the numbers are relatively very low and do not necessitate paranoia about it. Also, remember – whenever you travel – to make copies of all your credit/debit cards (front and back) and your passport, and keep them in a separate place. A key to traveling safely and easefully is to travel light and keep track of everything. Finally, I suggest leaving expensive jewelry at home and wearing a small purse across the chest – not just on the shoulder or in hand, as they are easily snatched that way.
I hope you and the cousins have a great time! – Aysha
The article though beautiful seems outdated in its advice to travelers.
I travel frequently by car and am feeling less safe by the month in many of the cities she discusses. Every two months I have a new road trip story involving the military. Every day is a new day with the cartel, one cannot speculate in such broad terms as to a "safe area" and "unsafe area" as these areas change daily. San Miguel, and the surrounding areas have its share of issues though most residents do insulate themselves well the territory is not yet sorted out.
It is the lucrative meth and cocaine trades that are making it difficult and dangerous to travel in Mexico. The trade routes are over run by the cartels and gone are the days of simple non violent marijuana trafficking.
I would not make a blanket statement of perceived safety to any unsuspecting traveler, do your own homework before you travel.
Start with the google search of "Mexican Cartel Maps" and stay out of the trade routes when driving. I love living in San Miguel de Allende!
I love traveling by car in Mexico and will continue to do so in an educated and informed way, Know before you go.
After 30 years living in Mexico, I find Aysha Griffin take on whats happening in Mexico fair..I have traveled all over Mexico by bus, train,subway and car as a single gringa women and NEVER had any problems anywhere. What I find interesting is the last paragraph on how to avoid unsavory encounters these being golden rules for any travelers. I find it scarier traveling in the USA then in Mexico, so I guess feeling safe is relative.
For those interested in a comprehensive view of drug war-related activity in Mexico, I recommend a map issued by the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10681249.
Hi, Aysha, I was at your mini-workshop in SMA and thought you did a nice job filling in for the sceduled presenter who was a no show.
You gave readers many fine points in your article but I have to take issue with a couple. I agree with Jen when she said that coke and meth (all those other designer drugs lumped in here as well) are bigger than marijuana.
Also, even if marijuana is legalized, the cartels have now become involved in other serious crime that will not go away with legalization. Extortion, protection money, kidnapping have become common occurances in many parts of Mexico. With the loss of tourism because of the increased cartel crime that has been sensationalized by the foreign press, it's harder and harder for shop owners to stay in business. This causes even more poverty and increases in such crimes as robbery. And generates a climate of fear.
This is a way simplified observation for such a complex country and convoluted problem, we're not writing books here. And to date, it has not significantly touched the foreign population.
My husband and I came to Mexico first in 1972 and traveled here extensively before coming to live full-time in 1999. We settled in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. Do I feel like it's time to move? No. Would other people we know like to move? You can bet many do, but they can't. No visas.
Mexico is a fascinating and wonderful country. Too bad such a small percent of its population can negatively affect the rest.
Well done Aysha, a very interesting article, whilst Mexico at present is not on my travel itinery, much of your article holds true wherever you are.
As a West Australian living in Perth we also have drug related violence, social misfits and other problems which seem to go with modern communities and seems to be on the increase in most big cities. Unfortunately I do not have a cure for this, certainly in a number of cities unemployment is a big problem which does lead to gangs and drug violence. In Perth, however, that should not be the case as we have less than 5% unemployment.
Don Mazzucchelli
Perth Western Australia
Good, detailed overview, though I agree with some other commenters about marijuana not being nearly the issue that harder drugs are, for many reasons: bulkier to ship, not as lucrative for that bulk, and there's already plenty of superior product grown in the U.S. and Canada. Plus stoned narcos are nearly as dangerous as ones addicted to harder drugs. As that BBC report linked above stated, "A US state department report estimated that as much as 90% of all cocaine consumed in the US comes via Mexico."
I live in Guanajuato City, in the same state as San Miguel, and travel around Mexico a lot. I definitely feel far safer here than I have in any place I've lived in the U.S. And I feel safer still when I'm in the Yucatan.
Rachel, two friends just visited who rode motorcycles from the U.S. through the regions your husband was in and it was far from "a state of anarchy"! They avoided the known border trouble cities, of course, but the rest was fine.
Tim L., You are right and I stand corrected about "hard drugs" being the main issue, not marijuana, for the reasons you state. Sadly, every time someone in the U.S. deals or uses cocaine or heroin, they are contributing to the drug-related violence in Mexico. However, I must disagree that "stoned narcos are nearly as dangerous as ones addicted to harder drugs" if indeed you are referring to pot smokers, since marijuana is known to be a pacifying drug and the only thing that makes it associated with violence is when huge sums of money are involved due to its illegality.
Many expats have echoed your sentiment of "I definitely feel far safer here than I have in any place I've lived in the U.S." A couple I know here in San Miguel de Allende, who just drove to San Antonio, TX and back, reported: "Totally simple both ways. Not much traffic, and we were only ones crossing the border yesterday. Plenty of patrols, but no fear and absolutely clear all the way through." There is clearly a sensationalized quality to U.S. media reports, and a growing backlash from expats and the Mexico tourism industry.
Thanks to all for your thoughtful comments! – Aysha Griffin, www.InhabitYourDreams.com