Important info about safety in Tulum and the Mayan Rivera and Mexico in general

Important info about safety in Tulum and the Mayan Rivera and Mexico in general.

There have been countless blogs, articles, forums and talks about if it is safe to travel the Mayan Rivera or safe to visit Mexico or safe to visit Tulum. Almost every article that I have read says the same thing... that at least in most parts of Mexico and especially here in the Yucatan peninsula that it is safe place to travel. It is unlikely that you are going to encounter a drug lord or be kidnapped from your resort.

However, there are many sites claiming that there have been many deaths here in Mexico and I think that these articles have very valid points.

Most of the focus on safety in Mexico has been related to the escalating war on drug trafficking and the cartels. Concern over shooting in the streets and kidnappings have been the thing that most people have been searching for when they landed on my blog. These types of crimes are INCREDABLY rare here in the Mayan Rivera. There are deaths that happen here or crimes that do happen here.

One comment that was left on friends blog referred to a number of deaths that have occurred in Mexico and most of them were related to 2 sorts of instances. 1) when too much alcohol is consumed and accidents take place and 2) and accidents or mishaps cause serious injury or death caused by construction or regulations that would not be allowed in the USA. In both of these cases there have been complaints about reaction and confidence in medical assistance.

Okay... in the first instance--- this is the most common factor in accidental deaths in Mexico and crimes in general. The people who come on vacation here are coming to relax and let loose. The problem is that they forget that this is not Pleasure Island. This is a country and state with laws and rules that all people must abide by. People forget that when they come on vacation and let loose. If you are wasted in a pool- you have a much higher probability in drowning or falling off the balcony. If you are so wasted that you cannot see or walk straight, some one is going to see you as an easy target for theft. And trust me, this is very often NOT someone working at the hotel. Most people I know are not going to sacrifice their job at a resort for some petty theft. Resort jobs are a hot commodity here.

If you are drunk and want to go buy drugs, there is a good chance that you will end up in jail. And especially with the current situation, Mexico is much harder on offenders then the USA. This is not corruption or an attempt to coerce a bribe, but a direct result of how serious Mexico is taking this war on drugs and the need to fix it. Long gone are the days when every single person in the government and police force is on the cartel payroll. Although they still do exist the current and past administrations have been working hard to fix these problems.

The other problem is injury or death caused by accidents. There was a tragic story about a young boy falling down an elevator shaft, another about a child getting caught in the suction of a pool drain and others. These accidents and deaths are very tragic. I think it is important for people to understand that you not in the USA. While I would love it if there were more regulations and safety standards, there are not. That is just the way that it is.

The resorts may have the drains that have large suctions- I always keep my kids hair up when in the pool and no long ties on the suits. Everywhere is mostly tile and seeing as most people are swimming -they are very slippery. On the street, there are large holes random sections of re bar sticking up out of nowhere. This can cause painful and serious injury or death. You have to be aware of this. It took me by surprise when I first got here. But that is just the way that it is. Be careful.

My favorite line in a Frommers book about this area is. I cannot find it so I am paraphrasing here... There ire very few law suits in Mexico, but there is a lot of freedom in Mexico. You are free to fall into any hole you want to. ---

Be careful and aware of your surroundings.

Have a safe trip!