Cancun has been a trendy destination for almost 30 years, but is it still safe for travel? It keeps increasing its popularity not only because of the crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches, but because it is a central hub for world-class travel. Here you can enjoy the best restaurants, five-star hotels, natural attractions, and of course, the Mayan ruins. 

But the question remains: Is Cancun safe for travel? This will probably be the first question you will get when you starting telling your friends and family about visiting Cancun. The funny thing is, this usually comes from someone that has never traveled to Mexico or maybe even left their home. So we decided to create this blog post to shed some light on this matter and share some helpful tips to avoid getting disappointed on your first time to Cancun. 

 

Some Important Facts

First of all, there are approximately 500 hotels and resorts in the Riviera Maya, employing over 1 million people residing between the Tulum and Cancun area. Every single year, companies invest billions of dollars in building new hotels, resorts, theme parks to drive more tourism. Famous theme park creator Xcaret alone employs over 5000 residents, and that’s not even counting their recent inaugurated Xcaret Hotel with over 900 rooms.

This should give you a pretty good idea of how much people are invested in keeping Cancun safe for travel and to keep travelers coming. Citizens, business owners, the government, and yes, even criminals, all unite forces to meet this end. The truth is, it is in everyone’s best interest to keep it that way. 

But just like every large city, it is crucial to understand that it is not the same staying in the beautiful Hotel District than staying in Downtown Cancun or even the remote boroughs outside the tourism zone. And that is where it all gets confused. The reality is, 99% of the crimes or incidents you hear on the news, typically happen far away from the tourism district, and it is mostly due to the lack of law enforcement and surveillance, in the margined areas. So a word of advice: stay on the pretty side, there is definitely more for you to enjoy there. 

Now for our list of “3 most common issues tourists face when visiting Cancun”, we asked our clients about what kind of situations would they had preferred to know about before coming to Cancun, which probably would have avoided them some suffering and disappointment. 

 

Avoid deals that are too good to be true

From the moment you start planning your vacations to Cancun and begin searching online for hotels, car rentals, tours, etc., you’ll start to see paid ads follow you to many websites. It has become very common for many companies to promote deals that are too good to be true that often can result in a bitter experience upon arriving at Cancun.

For example, the most common one is the famous “1 dollar a day car rental.” We have heard numerous stories from our customers about how they booked a car online and paid only 1 dollar per day. Still, when they show up to pick the car up, it turns out that after airport fees, taxes, gas, and insurance, the bill immediately skyrocketed.

Or sometimes, these deals come with strings attached, such as being obligated to attend to a timeshare presentation, hidden fees, or ridiculous restrictions that force you to upgrade your rental. 99% of the time, our guests end up disappointed and upset, and that is no way to start a vacation in paradise. 

So the best recommendation is: when a deal looks too good to be true, it usually is. If you need help vetting any kind of deal before pulling the trigger, we are here to help. Please do not hesitate to give us a call and we will be more than happy to verify the information for you. We are not kidding, and we want you to have a good experience. 

 

Don’t stress over Zika

In the last ten years, there has been an outbreak of diseases carried by mosquitos that have affected several parts of the world. Some of these diseases include Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria, just to name a few. Zika virus has been the latest outbreak that has come to the world’s attention since Fall 2015 when problems related to the virus first appeared in Brazil. The virus spread throughout the Americas and quickly became a cause for people to rethink their travel plans to Mexico. Zika virus has been found in over 20 countries, including parts of the United States.

Since 2016, the Mexican government has been taking measures to stop the spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses with campaigns to eliminate or treat the areas where mosquitos breed. The first confirmed cases of Zika in Mexico were detected in 2015; in 2016, the number of cases reached a peak with 550 cases. Since 2016 the numbers had drastically dropped to fewer than a hundred cases in 2017, and less than 30 cases in 2018. 

Although the Zika virus has not been entirely eradicated in Mexico, it is no longer considered a significant threat in the Cancun area. However, we still recommend you to follow these three tips to avoid contracting any type of mosquito-borne disease during your vacation:

• Stay at hotels or resorts near developed cities, for example, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.
• Bring mosquito repellant (experts recommend using repellant with Deet as the active ingredient), and reapply frequently.
• Take vitamin B1. Believe it or not, vitamin B1 has proven in numerous studies to help prevent insect bites.

 

Use your common sense

When people travel, they often forget their common sense at home. It ‘s like there is a switch in their brains that automatically goes from “on” to “Vacation mode”. The key to a relaxing vacation is to enjoy; however, it is essential to stay alert. Cancun is a city with over 1 million inhabitants! That is over 4 times as many people living in the Salt Lake City area. Think about it! Would it be completely safe to walk alone on the streets of South Salt Lake in the middle of the night? No one can predict what would happen but there is a high chance that it won’t be a nice experience. The truth is, bad things can happen anywhere in the world, especially if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Unfortunately, when something bad happens in Mexico, news flies fast throughout the United States, sometimes even faster than out here in Mexico. In 2018 several incidents happened near the vicinity of Cancun and the Riviera Maya, some that may have even involved tourists. The headlines immediately bash Cancun’s image creating paranoia for future travelers.

However, according to the United States Department of State, 91% of the time a US citizen has been directly affected in a registered incident, has happened at late hours of the night, and involved illicit activities. At this moment the US Department of State has no travel restrictions to Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the Riviera Maya. For detailed and updated information visit the US Department of State website.

 

Conclusion – Is Cancun safe for travel?

In conclusion, Cancun is in general safe for travel. In 2018 the destination received more than 6 million visitors from all over the world. As bad or unsafe as the “media” can make it sound, there is a reason why people keep coming back! And you will only find out until you experience it for yourself…

As a Japanese proverb says: “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.”

Find out more about what to do around Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula.