Is Mexico Safe for Travel? A Solo Female Traveler’s Perspective

Millions of people travel to Mexico for vacation every year. If you are one of them or are a first-time traveler to Mexico, you might be asking yourself, is Mexico safe? This question comes up again and again because even though Mexico is a popular destination, it’s also known for its violence, crime and cartel activity.

Like many countries, Mexico has some valid safety concerns but are those concerns something that tourists should be concerned with? In this article, we’ll look at official data so you can make an informed decision about traveling to Mexico. Also, as someone that’s traveled solo to Mexico many times, I’ll share my perspective about how safe I feel when I’m there.

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Is Mexico Safe?

So, is Mexico safe? Mexico is safe if you take proper precautions, stay informed and avoid problematic areas. The majority of crime that happens in Mexico is not aimed at tourists. However, to say that Mexico is completely safe would be a total disservice to those that have disappeared or lost their lives to violence in Mexico.

By now you know I adore Mexico. I’ve been traveling there since I was 15 years old and over the last few years, I’ve traveled to Mexico alone several times. Often spending weeks at a time by myself. Most recently I was in Puerto Vallarta with my daughter and I also spent five weeks in Mexico solo, visiting Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco and Jalisco. I never felt unsafe. Not even one time.

So, why do we even have to ask the question, is Mexico safe?

Why People Ask is Mexico Safe?

It’s because for years now, the majority of drugs sold in the United States come from, or through, Mexico. This is done to satisfy drug use in this country! And it’s Mexico that has violently paid the price. The drug trade has created a world of corruption and violence in Mexico where the majority of people earn a low wage.

Lured by what the temptation of what they perceive to be easy money. They get involved with the wrong people and it doesn’t turn out well. In 2006, Mexico, with the assistance of billions of dollars from the United States, launched a war on drugs – meaning the cartels basically. And just like in any kind of war, casualties happened.

Thousands of Mexicans – politicians, students, journalists and ordianry people – trying to do the right thing by exposing corrupt individuals and political parties have died in this conflict. Sadly, since 2006 Mexico has seen more than 360,000 homicides.

Even though the overall numbers have gone down some in recent years, at times all the cartel turf wars and protests against Mexican drug policies has spilled over into popular tourist areas like Cancun and Tulum and most recently around Mazatlán in Sinaloa.

In the heavily tourist destinations, many times that violence tends to be fueled also by U.S. citizens buying drugs while on vacation in Mexico. As the cartels compete for that business, trouble erupts.

But even after all this, it’s important to remember that the majority of foreigners affected by cartel violence are minimal. In fact, as a visitor, you have about the same chance of being murdered in the United States, where gun violence continues to escalate., as you do in Mexico,

How the U.S. Government Measures Safety in Mexico

When it comes to travel safety, the go-to source for up-to-date information for planning a travel outside the U.S. is the State Department. Headed by the Secretary of State, the State Department’s mission is to protect U.S. citizens wherever they are. Even when in another country.

The State Department provides a wealth of info about countries around the world. Information like travel requirements and important travel alerts that might impact your trip can be found there. Generally, this website should be one of the first places you look when you start planning a trip outside the U.S.

Through a series of travel advisory levels, the Department of State provides guidance based on what’s actively happening in a country. Things like violence – as in the case of Mexico – or a health crisis, like disease or a pandemic, can affect the travel advisories.

The State Department uses 4 warning levels with 1 being the lowest, or safest, and level 4 the most severe, which signals a do not travel status. As of 2024, there are 6 states in Mexico that have a level 4 do not travel status. Those warnings are for the following states:

• Colima state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Guerrero state due to crime.
• Michoacan state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Sinaloa state due to crime and kidnapping
• Tamaulipas state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Zacatecas state due to crime and kidnapping

While that sounds really scary, upon closer examination, you’ll see that even though a specific state has a warning, it doesn’t necessarily mean the entire state is affected by violence. If you click on the links above (and others on the State Department’s Mexico page) you’ll notice that in almost every case, there are only a few very specific areas within a state that are affected.

More interesting to note, is that even while 6 states have a no travel status, there are 17 states – or over half of the 32 Mexican states – that have been assigned a level 2 Exercise Increased Caution. What’s left of Mexico’s 32 states are divided between level 1 or Exercise Normal Precautions and level 3 Reconsider Travel status.

That means that over half of Mexico’s states, have the same level of caution assigned to countries like United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. When was the last time you heard someone tell you not to go to Italy or Spain or read or even heard about any crime that happened there?

Is Mexico Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

With all this talk about Mexico safety, you have to ask: is Mexico safe for solo female travelers? Based on my experience – yes, I believe it is. As a frequent traveler to Mexico I’ve been shown nothing but respect from males and females in Mexico.

While it’s rather anecdotal and comes from the privilege of a traveler and someone just passing through, the fact is, I can count on one hand the times I’ve had an issue with anything in all my travels in Mexico. And I’ve been to big cities, touristy cities, very small towns and even two of the highest crime cities in Mexico.

However, I don’t take my safety lightly. To stay as safe as I can, I abide by all the laws. I’m very cautious and I practice all the usual travel safety tips.

For example: my jewelry is minimal, I don’t drink too much, I never tell anyone I’m traveling alone, I don’t buy drugs and I always use Uber or a taxi late at night unless my walk is in a heavily patrolled, well lit touristy area.

But even with good safety practices, that doesn’t mean things can’t still happen. One of the most talked about things that could happen to a female in Mexico is being on the receiving end of a spiked drink. Although, this can happen anywhere. It’s pretty well known occurrence for women (and men) in many large touristy U.S. cities like Nashville, Dallas, Austin and New York City.

To protect yourself – be smart. Never leave your drink unattended, never accept drinks from strangers and if it gives you more piece of mind, just drink beer. Beer is usually a somewhat safer bet because the bartenders in Mexico open the bottles of beer right in front of you.

Safety Concerns in Mexico

Now that we’ve established that most tourists and even solo female travelers, out of the millions that travel to Mexico won’t be affected by violent crime that doesn’t mean you are home free. Just like in many tourist destinations around the world, some popular areas in Mexico are prone to petty crime.

This is because many times travelers are an easy mark. Here’s just a few opportunities thieves might use to take advantage of tourists and tips on how to protect yourself.

Theft

When traveling in Mexico, the biggest thing you need to be concerned with is purse snatching and pickpockets. And I’m not talking about someone grabbing your bag off your arm when you are walking down the crowded street.

Although, that could happen in bigger cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara, the most likely scenario is tactics way less obvious. Here’s just a couple of the most prevalent scams thieves will use to take advantage of you in Mexico.

One of the most common situations happens when you are seated in a restaurant. Many times someone will come over to show you something or to try and sell you an item – which in itself is not unusual in Mexico.

The difference this time is that they will hand you whatever it is they want you to look at and in the time that you take to check it out, they lift your bag off the back of your chair or grab your phone that was sitting on the table. And just like that, it’s gone.

Another popular distraction method thieves use happens while you’re shopping or in a parking lot. This one is normally executed by team of two people, however, you may never see the second person.

As the first person approaches and distracts you, either by falsely claiming you have food – commonly mustard – or something else on your clothing, (at times, they will even go as far as actually putting something on your clothing) the second person swoops in and takes your bag or wallet while you are checking your clothing.

In both scenarios, the distraction is key. This shows the importance of being super vigilant and not letting your guard down anywhere. And being wary of strangers.

ATM Scams

A hotly discussed subject on message boards and in travel groups is the use ATM’s in Mexico. Since traveling with large amounts of cash is not very safe, it only stands to reason that you’ll probably need to use an ATM occasionally.

Time and time again I’ve read of issues with ATM’s not functioning correctly, machines not dispensing the amount of money requested and even fake ATM’s. To keep yourself and your money safe in Mexico, don’t use any third party or sketchy looking ATM’s found in convenience stores or other places. Use only well known bank ATM’s.

Also, if you happen to be at an ATM with other people around, never accept help. There is a bait and switch scam where thieves swap out your bank card for a a different bank card without you even realizing. To be safe and extra careful, if you have any issues at all while using an ATM, it’s best to just cancel the transaction and try again or try another machine altogether.

Police Shakedowns

Yet another hotly debated subject by travelers in Mexico, on message boards and in forums is the opportunistic nature of law enforcement who abuse their authority by stopping travelers for made-up traffic infractions. Then, playing on the fear of a visitor, who many times don’t speak Spanish, they will ask for money just to make it all go away.

Plain and simple, this is a bribe. Many policemen pad their pockets with this kind of behavior. Now the hotly debated part of this is should you pay or not. Many people say paying only contributes to this kind of behavior. While others argue it’s just part of visiting Mexico.

If you find yourself in this situation, whether or not you decide to pay – and understandably, you may not want to push it if they threaten jail time, want to keep your license, etc. – is up to you. You can stand your ground and ask to be taken to the nearest police station to pay the “fine” or even inquire about speaking with a supervisor.

I’ve read of plenty encounters where once people demanded to be taken to the station, the policeman backed down. And some people just want it over with so they pay. No situation will be 100 percent the same but being aware of these scenarios and somewhat how to handle it makes you feel safer.

Southerner Says: Just for reference, I’ve never been approached by a policeman for a bribe. And I’ve visited Mexico dozens of times, walked miles, day and night, and driven in Baja and the Yucatan Peninsula. This can happen anywhere in Mexico but seems to be more prevalent around Cancun and Tulum.

Protests in Mexico

Mexico is a country that likes to exercise its freedom – or lack thereof – by protesting and marching against, well, a lot of things. Just in the last few months there have been protests in Mexico City against the country’s electoral commission.

Protests erupted in Oaxaca over the installation of industrial parks and a bus of French tourists were taken over. More recently, more than 10,000 participants protesting violations of their rights as Indigenous peoples, blocked roads and closed Chichén Itzá archaeological site to visitors.

While most of these protests and marches are peaceful, it’s still not something you want to get mixed up in. Demonstrations can be unpredictable and at times, turn violent. Also, if the government decides to step in stop these activities then you could inadvertently be hurt or arrested just by being there.

The best way to avoid such things is to stay informed and skip those hot zones all together. It’s a good idea to always have a backup plan. Mexico has 32 states and you can easily rearrange your travels to another state if there’s an ongoing problem.

The likelihood of having a protest or march affect your vacation is slim but it’s always best to be prepared. Googling your destination, checking the State Department’s website for alerts and even asking at your hotel about any potential issues in the area is the key to avoiding these situations.

Travel Safety Tips for Mexico

Implementing a few simple travel safety tips can go a long way in helping you stay safe when traveling in Mexico and anywhere in the world. Here are a few of the most helpful tips for safe travel in Mexico.

1. Have the Proper Paperwork

One very important way to stay safe in Mexico is by respecting the laws of the country and having all the required paperwork. This means whether you are flying into the country or crossing the border by car.

Mexico requires a valid passport and even though there’s no visa requirement for United States or Canadian citizens to enter Mexico for stays under 180 days, you will be issued a Formulario Migratoria Múltiple, or FMM, This document is a tourist card required for all travelers into Mexico.

When flying into Mexico, the fee for the FMM is included in the price your plane ticket. The flight attendant generally passes out the form before landing. You then give the form to the immigration officer upon arrival to Mexico and they stamp your passport.

Although it’s not super common, you could be asked to show your travel documents at any time when traveling in Mexico. Having the correct paperwork can keep you out of some serious trouble as Mexico has started cracking down on undocumented travelers.

2. Be Situationally Aware

I’ve touched on this already but I cannot say it enough that the most important thing you can do to stay safe when traveling to Mexico, or anywhere, is always be situationally aware. That means paying close attention to what’s happening around you.

It doesn’t mean you have to walk around all paranoid. It just means not getting distracted enough that you miss a cue or an indication that something unsafe is going down. One way to stay alert is by not drinking too much and not doing drugs.

Learn to listen to your gut. If you have a feeling that something isn’t quite right and your inner voice it telling you that, then it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

3. Purchase Travel Insurance

Having proper travel insurance might not keep you safe but it can help in the case of emergency or if you need medical assistance. Which in later years has kind of become a scam of its own in some places – mainly touristy areas – in Mexico.

There are more and more reports of travelers, with health emergencies, being held until a huge medical bill is either paid upfront, or an exorbitant deposit given, before treatment will be rendered.

Now, I’m not opposed to anyone making a living and charging people for services rendered. But when those life saving services come with conditions, that’s bordering on a scam in my opinion. One way to avoid that happening is having travel insurance.

Travel insurance companies come with way more benefits than just paying the hospital or ER bills. The travel insurance companies are there to help and many times, they already have hospitals and doctors they work with.

Plus, they have trained insurance professional that will help locate the appropriate facilities and providers for you. Additionally, they may even negotiate on your behalf so they you can avoid the aforementioned scenarios with upfront payments and deposits.

Before you travel, you should also check your current insurance coverage to see if they offer international coverage. Some policies, like Blue Cross Blue Shield, have worldwide networks and offer plans that pay even when you are out of the country.

For actual travel insurance, companies like Allianz and World Nomads are good choices and cater to long-term travelers and digital nomads. Alternatively, visit TravelInsurance.com to research a variety of travel insurance plans with coverage aimed to casual travelers.

4. Visit the Safest City in Mexico

If you still have concerns about traveling to Mexico but have a strong desire to explore south of the border, there are ways to alleviate your anxiety. One way is to carefully choose your destination by planning a trip to the most secure area in Mexico.

What is the safest place in Mexico? Mérida, the capital of Yucatan State, is widely regarded as the safest place in Mexico. In fact, Yucatan is one of two states on the U.S. Department of State’s list designated as Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling states. Campeche is the other state at that same level.

CEO World Magazine recently rated Mérida as the 21st safest city in the world, beating out every U.S. city. Madison, Wisconsin came in at 61 and was the first U.S. city to appear on the list. For context, my hometown of Atlanta was 289 out of a list of 334. To say that I feel safer in Mexico is absolutely true.

Mérida was one of the cities I visited last year and I felt extremely safe and comfortable there. Even though it’s a big city, I found the people to be very friendly and welcoming. Something you don’t see every day in bigger capital cities.

Enroll in STEP

Remember how I said that the State Department wants to keep you safe no matter where you are? Well, one way you can help them do that is by enrolling in STEP when you travel out of the country. STEP stands for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Plan.

The program is a free service offered by the State Department that encourages U.S. citizens, and nationals, to register their travel plans with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Once you enroll and inform them of your plans, you’ll receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in the destination country.

Enrolling also helps the U.S. Embassy contact you in case of an emergency, whether it’s a natural disaster, civil unrest or even a family emergency back home. In that kind of scenario, your family and friends would get in touch with the Embassy and they in turn would try to contact you. Think of this program as just another added layer of safety when you are traveling.

Final Thoughts About is Mexico Safe?

In conclusion, while safety remains a concern for travelers and residents in Mexico and there are plenty of places and cities that remain safe for tourists. It’s really important to stay informed about the current situation, use common sense, and take necessary precautions to avoid becoming a victim of any kind of crime. Even petty crime.

By being vigilant and staying aware of potential risks, travelers can still enjoy everything Mexico has to offer while staying safe. Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves what they feel safe doing. I hope this article has been useful in helping you decide is Mexico safe. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

See you on the road!