Should You Go To Mexico?

Updated: Mar 20, 2023

As you know, I live in Mexico. Having just returned from a visit to the US, guess what questions I was asked the most. "Is it safe?" "Do you feel safe there?" My answer to both questions is 'yes'. Let me help put this in perspective.

Mexico is the 13the largest country in the world, almost three times the size of Texas. If you wanted to visit southeast Texas, you probably wouldn't avoid it due to the very high (let's pretend) crime rate in Utah or Missouri. If I asked you whether you feel safe in your city, you'd probably say yes. Are there places you'd avoid in your city? Or state? Or country? Yes to all, to be sure.

All the unpleasant news coming out of Mexico lately is sad, disheartening and frightening. Most cities and states in the US have occurrences of kidnapping, missing persons, and mysterious murders every day, and yet most of us continue about our daily business as if this is not the case. Am I right?

Could danger befall you or me right where we live, at any time on any day? Yes.

Are you a little freaked out by that thought right now? I might be freaking myself out with that thought.

Does this sound like my normal "you've gotta take a vacation now" speak? No it isn't. Or is it??

Here's a little more perspective - each person's sense of danger/safety is different. I advise clients that they have to make the decision for themselves as to whether travel to Mexico is the thing for them to do at this time. I refer folks to the State Department website so they can read the advisories for themselves. The majority of the "do not travel" warnings for Mexico are not tourist areas. A couple of the states that are heavily touristic carry State Department warnings about reconsidering travel, and the majority recommend exercising caution and awareness practices, much like you do where you live, I'm presuming.

Ironically, the travel warnings for France, Sweden, Maldives, Peru and Jamaica are similar to those for Mexico at the time if this writing. While traveling abroad, I suggest enrolling in the State Department's STEP: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to stay advised of the area you're in, if necessary.

Short version: if Mexico is on your agenda, we can talk about it, I can point you in a direction or two, and you can decide for yourself. I won't make you feel like a scaredy cat by bringing up my clients in their mid-70s who just returned from Cancún (yes, Cancún!) and had a fabulously refreshing vacation. I'm kidding. You know I wouldn't do that.

'til next week.