Is Mexico Safe for Travel in 2025?

Are you planning a trip to Mexico but still feeling a bit uneasy about safety? You’re not alone. If you watch the news and listen to media it’s easy to have this picture Mexico as a cartel-filled “wild west”. Not exactly what you want on your beach or city vacation. But actually there’s a lot more to the story.

The truth is, just like many other countries, including the United States, Mexico has some valid safety concerns. But should tourists be worried about about those concerns? In this article, we’ll take a look at the official data about safety in Mexico and I’m also sharing my thoughts as a female who frequently travels to Mexico solo.

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Is Mexico Safe for Travel?

I fell in love with Mexico and Mexico City when I was 15 years old. Since that first visit, I’ve been to more than half of the Mexican states. I’ve spent weeks driving all over the Yucatan Peninsula and Baja Sur by myself. I’ve walked across the border, traveled on buses, experienced an earthquake, sang karaoke in Spanish and visited two of the most problematic cities Mexico.

I’ve stayed for weeks in Puerto Vallarta and would move there tomorrow. I love La Paz and Merida, the colonial cities and all the Pueblos Magicos. Even Tijuana has a special place in my heart. After traveling all over Mexico, I can positively say that I believe Mexico is generally safe for travel as long as you stay informed, avoid problematic areas and use the same precautions you would use anywhere.

Mexico Safety Concerns

Why does Mexico have issues with safety? It’s because the majority of drugs sold in the United States come from, or through, Mexico. Drug cartels compete for business, fight over territory and create corruption in a country where the majority of people earn a low wage. Many people become involved in the drug trade either unwillingly or in search of what appears to be a better life.

In 2006 conditions in Mexico got so bad that the Mexican government launched a war on drugs. And just like in any war, casualties happened. Thousands of Mexicans – politicians, students, journalists and ordinary people died, or disappeared, in that conflict. Since then Mexico has amassed more than 360,000 homicides.

The good news is that the overall murder numbers have gone down in recent years. Although, at times, crime, corruption and cartel turf wars spill over into popular tourist areas like Mazatlán and Tulum. Most recently Cabo San Lucas has seen a wave of crime and fire bombings as cartels compete for the business of U.S. citizens buying drugs.

However, 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, (2 mass events this week as I update this article) as you do in Mexico.

Mexico is a country that thrives on tourism. Cartels generally stay away from tourists and most popular vacation spots because they don’t want the attention of the Mexican government or the United States government. They realize where their money comes from. Mess with tourism too much or close the border over petty disputes and that affects their livelihood.

What Does the U.S. Government Say About Mexico?

When it comes to personal safety, the go-to source for up-to-date information about travel outside the United States is the U.S. State Department. Headed by the Secretary of State, the State Department’s mission is to protect U.S. citizens wherever they are on the planet.

With helpful information like visa requirements, vaccine recommendations and travel alerts for all countries, the State Department’s website should be one of the first places you turn to for advice when planning a trip outside the U.S.

Through a series of four travel advisory levels, with level 1 being the lowest, or safest, and level 4 the most severe, signaling a do not travel status, the State Department offers guidance and warns travelers about the current situation in a country. Violence, as in the case of Mexico, a health crisis and civil unrest all impact the advisory level.

Currently, out of Mexico’s thirty-two states two are listed as level 1 or Exercise Normal Precautions, seventeen are assigned a level 2 Exercise Increased Caution and seven are a level 3 Reconsider Travel status. The last six that have level 4 do not travel are:

• 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 the do not travel warnings sounds scary, upon closer examination of the data, you’ll notice that even if a specific state has a level 4 warning, the entire state may not be affected by violence. Clicking on the links above (and others links on the State Department’s Mexico page) you’ll see that in almost every case there are only a few specific areas within a state that are really affected.

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 even read or heard about crime that happened there like you hear about Mexico?

Is Mexico Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

What about female travelers? Is Mexico safe for solo female travelers? Based on my experience, yes, I think it is. As someone who’s been all over I’ve been shown nothing but respect from males and females in Mexico. Even though my experience is anecdotal and comes from the privilege of 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.

But I don’t take my safety lightly. To protect myself as best I can, I follow all the laws, I’m very cautious and I implement plenty of 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.

Even with good safety practices things can still happen. One of the most common situations solo females face is being on the receiving end of a drink laced with other substances or drugs. Although, this can happen anywhere and is a pretty common occurrence for women (and men) in many large touristy U.S. cities like Nashville, Dallas, Austin and New York City, that doesn’t make it any less serious.

To protect yourself, especially when traveling alone, you should always be situationally aware of what’s going on around you. Never leave your drink unattended and don’t accept drinks from strangers. If your gut tells you something is off then listen to it

Valid Safety Concerns in Mexico

Since millions of people traveling to Mexico won’t be affected by violent crime that doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. Just like in many places around the world, some tourist destinations in Mexico are more prone to petty crime and theft.

Mainly because travelers are an easy mark. Travelers get distracted. They’re out of their element. They look at maps, they leave bags unattended, they take lots of photos and many times they don’t pay attention to what’s happening around them. All of that adds up plenty of opportunities to be taken advantage of.

And while the majority of people in Mexico are honest and hard working – I personally have not encountered any situation where I felt someone was trying to steal from me – thieves will use whatever opportunity they can to steal. Knowing a few of the tourist scams and situations they use in Mexico can help you be on guard.

Petty Theft

The biggest safety concern for travelers in Mexico is petty theft. While it’s a possibility to have a bag or purse snatched in a busy area or on public transportation in a large city like Mexico City or Guadalajara, the more common scenario in tourist areas is more subtle and easy to overlook.

It usually starts while seated in a restaurant. Since travelers to Mexico are accustomed to being approached by vendors selling handmade items the difference this time is while you’re distractedly looking at the items, they’ll lift your bag off the back of your chair or reach into your purse for your wallet or phone. Just like that, it’s gone before you realize it.

To protect yourself and your belongings, it’s best to use cross-body style bags or fanny packs. Always keep bags zipped and don’t hang them on chairs or anywhere someone could easily snatch them. As far as your phone goes, leave it in your bag or on your person when you aren’t using it. Never leave it lying on the table.

Another method thieves use is the “helpful’ method. This generally happens while shopping or in a parking lot. A person will approach and distract you by falsely claiming you have food, or something, – mustard is a common substance – on your clothing. At times, they will even go as far as actually putting something on your clothing. While you are distracted and they help you clean up, a second person swoops in and takes your bag or wallet.

As you can see, in both scenarios, distraction is the key. These situations highlights the importance of being vigilant – but not paranoid – and not letting your guard down. Also, being a bit wary of strangers or people you don’t know so well asking for help, or offering help, is good practice too.

ATM Scams

Another 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 always safe, it only stands to reason that you’ll probably need to use an ATM occasionally while traveling.

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. Keep your money safe in Mexico and 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 and have an issue, 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 it. If you have any problems at all while using an ATM, it’s best to cancel the transaction and try another machine altogether.

Police Shakedowns

Yet another hotly debated subject by travelers in Mexico, is the opportunistic nature of law enforcement who abuse their authority by stopping travelers for made-up traffic infractions. Then, they play on the fear of a visitor, who, at many times don’t speak Spanish. The officer then will ask for money to make the problem go away.

Plain and simple, this is a bribe. Many policemen pad their pockets with this kind of behavior. 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 when 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 this scam and somewhat how to handle it will make you feel safer.

Southerner Says: Just for reference, I’ve never been approached by a policeman for a bribe. This can happen anywhere in Mexico but seems to be more prevalent around Cancun. Playa del Carmen 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 unwanted 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 anywhere in the world. Here are a few of the most helpful tips for staying safe in Mexico.

1. Have the Proper Paperwork

One of the most important ways to stay safe in Mexico is by complying 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 or on foot.

Mexico requires a valid passport and even though there is no visa requirement for United States or Canadian citizens entering Mexico for stays under 180 days, registering for a tourist card or a Formulario Migratoria Múltiple, aka a FMM, is required for ALL travelers coming into Mexico.

When flying into Mexico, the FMM fee (approximately $40 USD) is included in your plane ticket. Previously, you might remember that flight attendants would distribute a form for travelers to fill out, which was then handed to the immigration officer upon arrival. Then, you were required to hold onto that piece of paper until you left the country.

Now, everything is (mostly) done electronically. Once you arrive to immigration, an officer will stamp your passport and register your entry into the system. There’s no form to hold onto. Just a stamp in your passport. However, some airports use automated electronic kiosks. If you find yourself in this situation, then your passport will not be stamped and instead you’ll receive a printed ticket as proof of entry to be turned in when exiting the country.

Although it’s not super common, when you’re out and about, at any time you could be asked to show your travel documents. Having your passport and 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 a bit 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 overly 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.

5. 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 Staying Safe While Traveling in Mexico

In conclusion, even though safety remains a concern for travelers and residents in Mexico and there are plenty of places and cities that are safe for tourists. It’s very 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 protecting themselves. Ultimately, everyone has to decide what they feel safe doing. Hopefully, this article will prove useful in helping you stay safe in Mexico.