# Is Mexico still safe for cruising?



## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

My wife and I have become more and more concerned about the violence in Mexico and the fact that it is now essentially a failed state. It was a major deciding factor in our recent change in cruising plans. Originally we were going to cruise Mexico, the gulf and Caribbean and on to the Med. There were lots of factors in our change of plans, but Mexico was, at one time, an area that we looked forward to greatly. Now, I'm not so sure it's safe anymore.

Apparently the state department recomends avoiding 14 states in Mexico, including the state where PV is.

From the CNN article here: Cruise line: 22 passengers robbed in Mexican seaside resort - CNN.com

"The robbery comes two weeks after the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning to Americans to avoid all but essential travel to all or parts of 14 Mexican states, including the state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the sixth-largest city in Jalisco."

MedSailor


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

We have several friends currently (seasonally) cruising Mexico waters, primarily in the area between San Carlos and Manzinillo, some for the first time this year, others for the past several.

We've not heard of any reports of problems with the cruising crowd, and Jalisco is pretty much smack dab in the middle of that region. We spent a week a couple of years back in the Malaque/Manzinillo region and talked to several cruisers and such stories never arose. A small sample, to be sure, and current events may have changed things.

I think in general low profile cruising programs attract fewer problems. So maybe that half baked idea to trade Fairhaven in for an Oyster 62 should be put on hold!


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

I think there is no signifcant problem as long as you keep your wits about yourself. Anchoring in an isolated lagoon in one of the dangerous spots is not a good idea maybe - but it is hard to find those isolated spots anywhere. I don't follow the US travel advisories but check the Canadian ones and I have found that they are very conservative in their recommendations - as they should be. I remember their recommendations for Ecuador were concerning before we went there and I have rarely felt safer anywhere than I did there. People were incrediblely friendly and helpful and went out of their may to make sure you knew where you were going. I suspect Mexico might be similar.


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## whosedream (Mar 29, 2011)

*YES,Mexico is safe*

Yes, Mexico is safe for cruising, surfing and living.
Based on my personal experiences as well as conversations with ex-pats, locals, sailors & surfers. I have never felt in danger anywhere I have traveled in Mexico.

It's no more & no less dangerous than many large US cities and certain Caribbean areas. It seems to me that US media outlets seem to play up violence and crime in Mexico while ignoring homegrown troubles. Mexico has a lower overall crime & murder rate than USA... Hmmm 
Of course, those stats are different if your in the cartel business 

I've been commuter cruising since November in the Sea of Cortez. Previously, I had/have visited Mexico for surfing (Baja and mainland) 5 to 10 times yearly for the past several years. I have never felt in danger anywhere i have traveled in Mexico.

Don't let the spectacular coverage of a few isolated incidents deter you from cruising and enjoying Mexico.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

The DOS has placed a number of spots on the "really, there are safer places to visit" list. If you really want or need to go there, you still go. If you'd rather not worry about those kind of problems, you skip those places until things change.

It really is that simple. Places don't get on that list because of one or two isolated incidents, they get on the list because of _repeated _problems. Pickpockets, you can take reasonable precautions against. Kidnappers and cartel wars against local police, not so easy to plan for. If you have to ask how dangerous it really is...it might be easier to go someplace else this year.


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## Siamese (May 9, 2007)

I wonder what the state department says about Detroit?


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

The state department doesn't go to Detroit!


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## zeta (Dec 29, 2010)

travlineasy said:


> The state department doesn't go to Detroit!


For good reason!


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## methridg (Jan 29, 2012)

whosedream said:


> Yes, Mexico is safe for cruising, surfing and living.
> Based on my personal experiences as well as conversations with ex-pats, locals, sailors & surfers. I have never felt in danger anywhere I have traveled in Mexico.
> 
> It's no more & no less dangerous than many large US cities and certain Caribbean areas. It seems to me that US media outlets seem to play up violence and crime in Mexico while ignoring homegrown troubles. Mexico has a lower overall crime & murder rate than USA... Hmmm
> ...


Don't get me wrong, I love Mexico, and we vacation there once or twice a year. But that said, the violence in parts of Mexico is not just a story the US media is making up. It is very real, and becoming more widespread. Definitely not "isolated incidences", depending on where you are. We were in Cabo a week after a shoot-out at the Wal-Mart on the way into town. Last week 22 cruise ship passengers were robbed at gunpoint in Puerto Vallarta.

Check out Borderland Beat. Not safe for the squeamish.


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

I am no expert on Mexico but it seems that most of this advice concerns the western coast. The Yucatan is a different place (the eastern side.) There have been a couple of piracy incidents in the last couple of months - boats being shadowed by what appeared to be Mexican Navy vessels that disappeared when the on-shore support people of several cruiser nets contacted the Mexican Navy. If you travel around on shore away from downtown Cancun expect to see truckloads of Mexican Army personnel - all armed and not very friendly (my sense is they are under a lot of pressure, its not about you.) Like anywhere there are safe places (Isla Mujeres being one.) Lots of boats around, again, previous advice. Don't go off to deserted places and anchor. Talk to the locals about what is safe and what is not. Federal Officials - customs, immigration, etc. are very pleasant and helpful. If you are heading south to Belize check for where you can clear out of Mexico. There are no real good choices. From a sailing standpoint the current in the Yucatan Channel is a constant problem if you are heading south. It is true but not well publicized that the State Department has removed all Peace Corps volunteers from Honduras and Guatemala. Yet my sense is that the Honduran Islands are still about as safe as they ever were.

Hope this helps.


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

Wow guys. Picking on Detroit! Are you all serious? Among other things the biggest difference between Detroit and Mexico is that in Detroit law enforcement and the judicial system is not intimidated/owned by organized crime. I'm not from Detroit but travel there a lot on business. There are some areas I'm not comfortable in when in Detroit but at no time did I think that law enforcement would not assist me. BTW- Bayview Yacht Club is not in the best of areas of Detroit and there many members who drive through the getto to hang out there regularly. If you think Mexico is as safe, I dare anyone to drive their new Escalade down to the San Carlos Yacht Club from Arizona some afternoon/evening. I'll drive one to the Bayview Yacht Club from Ohio anytime.


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## zeta (Dec 29, 2010)

Sanduskysailor said:


> If you think Mexico is as safe, I dare anyone to drive their new Escalade down to the San Carlos Yacht Club from Arizona some afternoon/evening. I'll drive one to the Bayview Yacht Club from Ohio anytime.


Total hyperbole, I drive to San Carlos!


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

If you want to get a glimpse of Detroit, check out Tru-TV's Hardcore Pawn, which is located in Detroit's 8-Mile. I, personally, have not been there in more than 40 years, and I don't think I would venture inside the city limits.

That said, I have a good friend and fellow entertainer who resides in Cozumel, Mexico. He has been there for more than 35 years and originally from northern New Jersey. I asked him if it was safe for me to visit while on my 7-month sojourn to the south. He told me a lot has changed since the hurricane devastated the island, tourism is way down, especially in the current economy, and crime seems to be escalating at a horrendous rate. He pretty much said even a short visit, at least in his part of the country, was not a safe thing to do under the current circumstances.

All the best,

Gary


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## RatHatDiver (Jul 8, 2011)

*Re: YES,Mexico is safe*



whosedream said:


> Yes, Mexico is safe for cruising, surfing and living.
> Based on my personal experiences as well as conversations with ex-pats, locals, sailors & surfers. I have never felt in danger anywhere I have traveled in Mexico.
> 
> It's no more & no less dangerous than many large US cities and certain Caribbean areas. It seems to me that US media outlets seem to play up violence and crime in Mexico while ignoring homegrown troubles. Mexico has a lower overall crime & murder rate than USA... Hmmm
> ...


Plus 2 on that. I would walk threw the streets of any border town before I would walk around in my old home town Oakland, CA


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## jvfocha (Feb 16, 2005)

We cruised the west coast of Mexico from 07-09 and felt safe the entire time. We even had an article in Lat. 38 about how a port captain and his wife drove us 40 miles to a bank after we ran low on money. The violence in Mexico is almost always drug related, unlike here where it is often random. The local news has a report almost every other night here on a new murder. Not far from our house they are looking for 30+ bodies in some wells from a pair of serial killers.

Like anywhere you can get in trouble if your in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the Sea of Cortez is stunning and shouldn't be missed. We never locked our boat while sleeping and were never concerned about our safety. I wouldn't worry about a rare shooting in Cabo, that's a daily occurrence here in most large and medium cities. You can be sure if cruisers start to be a target we would be the first to leave. I was more concerned about our safety the last time we anchored in San Francisco than we ever were in Mexico. We heard gunshots that night and the next morning the news said it was a fatal shooting not far from us 

If you use common sense you should have a wonderful and safe time. We know nothing about the east coast.

We are preparing to return to Mexico and further this fall.


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## inshallamiami (Jan 2, 2004)

svzephyr44 said:


> I am no expert on Mexico but it seems that most of this advice concerns the western coast. The Yucatan is a different place (the eastern side.) There have been a couple of piracy incidents in the last couple of months - boats being shadowed by what appeared to be Mexican Navy vessels that disappeared when the on-shore support people of several cruiser nets contacted the Mexican Navy. If you travel around on shore away from downtown Cancun expect to see truckloads of Mexican Army personnel - all armed and not very friendly (my sense is they are under a lot of pressure, its not about you.) Like anywhere there are safe places (Isla Mujeres being one.) Lots of boats around, again, previous advice. Don't go off to deserted places and anchor. Talk to the locals about what is safe and what is not. Federal Officials - customs, immigration, etc. are very pleasant and helpful. If you are heading south to Belize check for where you can clear out of Mexico. There are no real good choices. From a sailing standpoint the current in the Yucatan Channel is a constant problem if you are heading south. It is true but not well publicized that the State Department has removed all Peace Corps volunteers from Honduras and Guatemala. Yet my sense is that the Honduran Islands are still about as safe as they ever were.
> 
> Hope this helps.


Ok, where DO you check out of Mexico if you are heading to belize? Used to be Xcalak but no more. I hoped to mosey down the Mexican coast, stopping in Bahia ascencion and Bahia espirtu sancto(?) But not sure where to officially check out short of returning to Isla Mujeres. On someone's blog I read that they DIDN'T check out of Mexico, just kinda "showed up" in San Pedro. Not my first choice.

Any ideas?


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

inshallamiami said:


> Ok, where DO you check out of Mexico if you are heading to belize? Used to be Xcalak but no more. I hoped to mosey down the Mexican coast, stopping in Bahia ascencion and Bahia espirtu sancto(?) But not sure where to officially check out short of returning to Isla Mujeres. On someone's blog I read that they DIDN'T check out of Mexico, just kinda "showed up" in San Pedro. Not my first choice.
> 
> Any ideas?


Yes, it is not longer possible to check out at Xcalak. In addition (I think this is common knowledge) as of 1 year ago the Xcalak Port Captain was dying of cancer. She was very helpful to the four cruising boats that had arrived at Xcalak trying to check out to find that we could not - she had our passports run back up the coast - I forget the name of the town but it is a cruise ship port about 50 - 75 miles north. What most cruisers do is check out up north and then sail for a couple of days checked out of Mexico. I don't know what happens if you are stopped but apparently the Mexican Navy/Coast Guard leaves cruising boats alone (except for the recently reported potential piracy incidents I mentioned above.


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## flyingwelshman (Aug 5, 2007)

*An interesting article*

on the comparative safety of destinations of Canadian travelers: Reality Check: How dangerous is Mexico for Canadian tourists?

According to StasCan (Statistics Canada), Mainland China and Jamaica are higher risk than Mexico. I was surprised to see Japan and Australiaconfused following closely behind!


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Makes a sailor wonder where the U.S. stands in those ratings?

Gary


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## flyingwelshman (Aug 5, 2007)

travlineasy said:


> Makes a sailor wonder where the U.S. stands in those ratings?
> 
> Gary


According to the article the US is very low on the ratings.

A Violence Rate (combined murder and assault) of 0.088 per 100,000 visitors (averaged over 11 years - 2000 to 2010), compared with the highest violence rate (Mainland China) of 7.759.

I was surprised to see Australia so high at 2.475.


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## vitalspark (Sep 27, 2017)

MedSailor said:


> My wife and I have become more and more concerned about the violence in Mexico and the fact that it is now essentially a failed state. It was a major deciding factor in our recent change in cruising plans. Originally we were going to cruise Mexico, the gulf and Caribbean and on to the Med. There were lots of factors in our change of plans, but Mexico was, at one time, an area that we looked forward to greatly. Now, I'm not so sure it's safe anymore.
> 
> Apparently the state department recomends avoiding 14 states in Mexico, including the state where PV is.
> 
> ...


These warnings are way overblown - We cruised the entire length of the Pacific Coastline from CA to the bottom of Mexico this year (2017) with absolutely zero worries. The most you have to fret about is loosing unsecured deck gear at a shady anchorage, but we were just fine and loved our entire journey.


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