Many first time visitors to Playa often ask us . . . Is it Safe?
Our immediate answer is Yes! We actually feel more comfortable walking around our Playa neighborhood at night than our neighborhood back in Texas. I (Laurie) have made several trips to Playa solo and always feel safe. We love to have our daughter there with us as well as her friends.
Having said this, however, we do tell our friends and guests that nothing in this life is a sure bet, and travel anywhere requires common sense, as does everyday life back home. Playa del Carmen is not an idyllic paradise where you can ignore all the rules your mother taught you. Regardless of whether we are in Mexico or Texas, we don't leave our valuables unattended, wander down dark unfamiliar streets, flash our wallets full of cash around, etc. We also are not into buying drugs and stay away from any illegal activity. If you want to find trouble anywhere, including Playa, you certainly can.
There has been lots of talk in the papers in the U.S. about the drug cartels and the violence surrounding them in certain areas of Mexico. We have not seen any evidence of this in Playa del Carmen. To us, people telling us not to visit Playa is like someone saying that they wouldn't travel to Houston because of all the murders recently in Detroit. We've looked at the numbers, and there is shockingly more violent crime in our "peaceful" city of Beaumont, Texas than in the much larger city of Playa. There have been more than 5 murders in Beaumont just in the last 2 months since writing this, but they are located in the so-called bad parts of town that we don't frequent, so most people don't worry about them or feel that they affect their daily life. That's how we feel about the violence in certain areas of Mexico. We do not bury our heads in the sand. There are places in Mexico that are not safe to visit. We are certainly not planning a trip to the border towns any time soon, for example. But travel to our beloved Playa del Carmen isn't even in the same category. This website lists the stats and other information about a wide variety of travel destinations - both in Mexico and the United States. http://howsafeismexico.com/
In the end, everyone must make their own decisions regarding what they are comfortable with and where they want to travel for vacation. We hope you will choose to come and see why so many people return to Playa del Carmen to visit year after year!
Here are a few safety tips from a recent article that I read on this subject. These are good suggestions to follow for travel to any destination:
Having said this, however, we do tell our friends and guests that nothing in this life is a sure bet, and travel anywhere requires common sense, as does everyday life back home. Playa del Carmen is not an idyllic paradise where you can ignore all the rules your mother taught you. Regardless of whether we are in Mexico or Texas, we don't leave our valuables unattended, wander down dark unfamiliar streets, flash our wallets full of cash around, etc. We also are not into buying drugs and stay away from any illegal activity. If you want to find trouble anywhere, including Playa, you certainly can.
There has been lots of talk in the papers in the U.S. about the drug cartels and the violence surrounding them in certain areas of Mexico. We have not seen any evidence of this in Playa del Carmen. To us, people telling us not to visit Playa is like someone saying that they wouldn't travel to Houston because of all the murders recently in Detroit. We've looked at the numbers, and there is shockingly more violent crime in our "peaceful" city of Beaumont, Texas than in the much larger city of Playa. There have been more than 5 murders in Beaumont just in the last 2 months since writing this, but they are located in the so-called bad parts of town that we don't frequent, so most people don't worry about them or feel that they affect their daily life. That's how we feel about the violence in certain areas of Mexico. We do not bury our heads in the sand. There are places in Mexico that are not safe to visit. We are certainly not planning a trip to the border towns any time soon, for example. But travel to our beloved Playa del Carmen isn't even in the same category. This website lists the stats and other information about a wide variety of travel destinations - both in Mexico and the United States. http://howsafeismexico.com/
In the end, everyone must make their own decisions regarding what they are comfortable with and where they want to travel for vacation. We hope you will choose to come and see why so many people return to Playa del Carmen to visit year after year!
Here are a few safety tips from a recent article that I read on this subject. These are good suggestions to follow for travel to any destination:
- Research your destination. The US State Department's web site has information about Mexico as well as current information regarding safety issues for travelers. Pay close attention to the specific regions where crime is on the increase, but don't paint an entire country with too broad of a brush.
- As you are packing, think twice about the valuables that you take with you. Flashing lots of expensive jewelry isn't a good idea anywhere.
- Scan your passport and travel documents and email them to yourself. This way, they are always accessible to you by email if they become lost.
- Take your bank or credit card's international phone number with you and keep it separate from the cards themselves.
- Leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home, but don't share details with strangers.
- Lock your passport and excess cash and credit cards in a safe in your room (we supply a programmable safe in our condo). Carry only what you need for the day with you.
- Choose ATMs located within a bank facility, and not those in the street or a store.
- Exercise caution in crowds where pickpockets are more likely to be.
- Don't leave your purse or camera unattended in a public place.
- Don't drink alcohol in excess, leaving yourself open to making poor judgements regarding strangers and becoming an easy "mark".
