This compared to an average of 25.7 % of Mexicans who felt that other states were safe. According to these statistics, the state of Yucatan is safer than New York City.įurthermore, Mexico’s National Institute for Geography and Statistics’ 2017 survey of public safety perception revealed that 72.8 % of Yucatecans perceived the Yucatan as being a safe state. In contrast, the USA’s national homicide figure in 2017 was 5 per 100,000 inhabitants whereas the city of New York recorded 3.4 homicides for every 100,000 people during the same year. This is a significant national difference. The national homicide rate in Mexico was 20.5 per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 2.12 homicides for every 100,000 inhabitants in the state of Yucatan. Interestingly, if you look back to 2017, there were 116 murders reported in London compared to 290 in New York and 46 in the state of Yucatan.įurthermore, the federal body responsible for Statistics and Indicators calculates that, in 2017, the state of Yucatan homicide rate was 10 times lower than the national average in Mexico. Making national and international comparisons about the levels of violence helped us to put things into context before we travelled to Mexico.Īccording to 2018 figures, London’s homicide rates were beginning to rise above those of New York City. The Yucatan peninsula is formed of comparatively safe states.Īccording to 2019 statistics, there were 36 homicides in the state of Yucatan, 82 in the state of Campeche and 796 in the state of Quintana Roo (source: SNSP statistics via Business Insider). However, it is important to recall that different regions of Mexico experience higher levels of violence. So, yes Mexico can be dangerous, but you can minimise risks by following your government’s advice, being vigilant and exercising common sense. Research the Yucatan Peninsula Thoroughly Check out the travel advisory for the Yucatan peninsula before you visit. However, the US travel advisory pages about Mexico have comprehensive advice about each region. The Yucatan peninsula is some distance away from these regions and is described by some as a ‘safe haven’ away from turf wars in other parts of Mexico. The US travel ban implemented in January 2018 was widely reported and relates to the following 5 Mexican states owing to drug cartel activity and violent crime: Sinaloa, Colima, Michoacan, Guerrero and Tamaulipas. In our experience, there was a reassuring high police presence along the Riviera Maya, especially in Puerto Morelos.
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The UK government reports that ‘the Mexican government makes effort to protect major tourist destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta and these areas have mostly not seen the levels of drug-related violence and crime experienced elsewhere’. It is important to remember that the Yucatan peninsula is a major tourist region. UK government advice about visiting the main tourist destinations (including those in the Yucatan peninsula) is ‘to monitor local advice, remain vigilant and follow advice of the local authorities’. However, they advise that drug-related violence in Mexico has risen over recent years but ‘the violence is concentrated in specific areas, and some regions are completely spared’ ( ). The UK’s foreign travel page ( ) has excellent advice about ‘Is Mexico safe?’ It reports that 576,971 British nationals visited Mexico in 2017 and most visits were trouble-free. These are constantly updated in light of regional developments. When seeking up-to-date information about a country’s safety, it is vital that you first check out your government’s travel advisory pages.
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Tulum-Sea-View Consult your Government’s Travel Advice Pages