Is Mexico Safe to Visit? Travel Advisories, Cancun, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City and Tap Water

Somewhere between the airport arrivals hall and the first taco stand, almost every traveler asks the same thing: is it really fine to be here? The honest answer is that Mexico is a country of very different regions, and millions of visitors enjoy the beach resorts and the big colonial and capital cities every year while a handful of states are ones to stay away from. What follows sorts the places by what the official advisory actually says.

Is Mexico safe to visit right now?

Mexico can be visited with increased caution, which is how the U.S. State Department rates the country as a whole, citing terrorism, crime and kidnapping. The rating that matters most is the one for the state you are actually going to, because the country is enormous and the differences between states are sharp.

States to leave off the map

Guerrero is the one that surprises people, because it holds Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Taxco, names that sound like classic vacation spots. According to the advisory, U.S. government employees cannot visit any part of the state, even the tourist areas, and it reports that people kidnapped there have included U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

Michoacan is the other one with a tourist pull. The monarch butterfly sanctuaries draw visitors in winter, but three of the four that open to the public (El Rosario, Senguio and Sierra Chincua) sit in Michoacan, and the advisory names the Monarch Butterfly Reserve among the areas U.S. government employees may not enter. Piedra Herrada, in the State of Mexico, is rated Level 2.

States where the answer depends on the city

Jalisco is rated Level 3, and in Guadalajara the advisory mentions clashes between criminal groups in tourist areas. Even so, that same advisory adds that people who work for the U.S. government face no limits in Guadalajara’s metropolitan area, Chapala, Ajijic, Puerto Vallarta, and the neighboring Riviera Nayarit. Guanajuato, which shelters San Miguel de Allende and the city of Guanajuato, is also Level 3, with gang violence concentrated mostly in the southern and central parts of the state.

Baja California is Level 3 too. The advisory points to high homicide numbers in the non-tourist parts of Tijuana and says the only travel restriction in the state is in the Mexicali Valley. Sonora is Level 3 as well. A rating tells you where to read the details before you book, so look at the specific region on your route.

Is Cancun safe?

Cancun is a heavily visited resort, and Quintana Roo, the state around it, carries the Level 2 rating, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism and crime. That puts it in the same band as Mexico City, Oaxaca and Baja California Sur, not among the states that are off limits.

In practice, the Hotel Zone, the beaches and the road to Playa del Carmen and Tulum are where nearly all visitors spend their time, and the usual resort habits apply: keep an eye on belongings at the beach, use official transport, and stay on lit, busy streets after dark. Getting between Cancun airport and the coast is simple by first-class ADO bus, and the Tren Maya ties the peninsula’s towns together if you roam further.

Is Cabo safe?

Cabo sits in Baja California Sur, which is rated Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism and crime. The advisory adds that there are no specific restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees anywhere in the state.

That is a calmer picture than the northern half of the peninsula. Baja California, the state to the north, is rated Level 3, so the two should not be confused when you read headlines about Baja. Los Cabos has its own airport with direct links to Mexico’s other big hubs, and most visitors stay within the resort corridor and the marina and town areas, where common sense around nightlife and valuables goes a long way.

Is Puerto Vallarta safe?

Puerto Vallarta is treated as an exception inside a state that carries a warning: Jalisco is Level 3, reconsider travel, yet the advisory states there are no restrictions on U.S. government employees in Puerto Vallarta, including neighboring Riviera Nayarit.

That makes the town a good example of why the state label alone does not tell the whole story. The Malecón promenade, the Zona Romántica and the beach towns up the coast are where visitors spend their days, and the practical approach is to stay within the resort area.

Nayarit, home to the Riviera Nayarit, is rated Level 2. If you plan to head inland toward Guadalajara, read the Jalisco details first, since that is where the advisory mentions clashes in tourist areas.

Is Mexico City safe for tourists?

Mexico City is rated Level 2, exercise increased caution, the same band as Oaxaca, Puebla and Quintana Roo, and millions of people visit its museums, markets and restaurants each year.

Like any very large capital, it rewards ordinary big-city habits: keep phones tucked away on crowded metro platforms and in the Zócalo, watch bags in busy markets, and choose ride-hailing apps or hotel-arranged cars over hailing a car at random. The neighborhoods most travelers favor, Roma, Condesa, Coyoacán and the historic center, are lively on foot during the day and into the evening. Mexico City is also the hub for many domestic flights, so you will likely pass through it even on a beach trip.

Is it safe to drink the water in Mexico?

The tap water is not what visitors drink: the habit across the country is bottled or purified water, for drinking and for brushing teeth.

Ice in hotels and restaurants in tourist areas is made from purified water too, so the cold margarita or agua fresca on a terrace is an ordinary part of the trip. Street food is part of daily life, from elotes to tamales to chilaquiles at breakfast, and the usual rule applies: eat where the stand is busy and the food comes off the grill hot.

Good to know before you go

Read the rating for the specific state on your route rather than the national one, carry some pesos for small purchases, and keep your valuables out of sight in crowded places. On the Pacific coast the hurricane season starts in mid-May, while the Caribbean and the Gulf follow the Atlantic season, so check which applies to your dates. Mexico City sits high enough that the first day can feel a little tiring if you rush.