Dear Friends,
I have been hearing lots of “Is Cancun Safe?” or “Is the Riviera Maya/Mexico safe?” questions lately, and I’ve also noticed that some of the most popular keywords used to get to Cancun is Safe! are: “is cancun safe 2010″, “is cancun safe”, “is cancun safe right now 2010″, “how safe is riviera maya 2010″.
The message is loud and clear: you are worried about the safety of your possible next vacation destination. And I tell you, its completely understandable! Really, it is! With so much negative press Mexico has been getting recently (think drug wars, insecurity, swine flu, etc) it is a hard reality that our image has been damaged. We must show you how safe we are, as we have always been, now, more than ever.
And I can do just that! Please take some minutes to thoroughly read this post, where I’ve put together some of the best resources I’ve found over the web!
YES, Cancun , the Riviera Maya, and Costa Maya, are all SAFE & BEAUTIFUL places to visit!
Cancun is safe & beautiful! See for yourself!
Don’t take it from me, a local, born in Cancun and living here for 25 years; take it from other people, REAL people. Tourists, bloggers, expats, people that live & work here!
I’d like to take some excerpts from “Mexico: Safety, Health and Money”, a GREAT article by Tony & Cheri of Luna Blue Hotel, in Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Mexico.
“Crime
Mexico’s government is in a battle with drug dealers. That battle is sometimes very violent, and some innocent people have been hurt and killed. But the battle being fought (and won) by the Mexican government is NOT taking place anywhere near the tourist areas of Mexico’s Mayan Riviera, the Caribbean coast which stretches from Cancun to Tulum. The violence which erupts between drug dealers and the police is primarily centered on the border of Mexico and the southwest United States. It is over this border that guns are smuggled to Mexico and drugs are smuggled to the US. The competition over these smuggling routes between drug dealers and the disruption of those routes by law enforcement has caused much of the violence which is so sensationally reported by the media.
Health
The single most devastating blow to Mexico’s tourism in the Yucatan this year was undoubtedly the swine flu/H1N1 scare. We say “scare” because the flu itself was never a problem in this part of the world. The real problem was the hysterical reaction of the media and the internet community.” (You can checkout http://bit.ly/swineflufraud for more on this!)”
Full article can be read HERE
I’d also like to show you some testimonials; again, by tourists and people that live & work in the area: locals, “ex-pats”, etc
Real Cancun & Riviera Maya Testimonials
“No, we are not afraid to live here. We continue to love our life here and enjoy running one of the area’s most popular small hotels. And we are not afraid to recommend this part of paradise as a travel destination whether with us or at one of the other fine resorts or hotels in Playa. And so we are going to end this year by once again talking about safety in Playa Del Carmen and the Mayan Riviera.”
-Tony & Cheri – Luna Blue Hotel, Riviera Maya
“I love Cancun, I think its a place that has a tourist an commercial area, an adventure side, a sophisticated face with the spas, super hotels. I really think that the best thing is to research a little before heading to Cancun to know the activities you are looking for. I love adventure and ecotourism and I know Cancun and Quintana Roo had plenty of things to do from under river swimming, jungle forest tours, swim with dolphins, manatees and the whale shark, cenotes, you name it. For sure my next vacation will be Cancun and the surroundings.”
“I would venture to say that Cancun and Riviera Maya represent the best vacation value currently available to US travelers. Great service, outstanding resorts, a great beach and climate – you can’t beat it, especially at the prices the hotels are offering. A great destination for a fun, safe, and memorable vacation.”
“The bottom line: The drug war violence is in the border regions (most especially Laredo and Tijuana, which I do not recommend visiting right now), and Cancun is well more than 1,000 miles away (that’s the distance between Los Angeles and Denver). Plus, police presence on the streets of Cancun is high, and the city seems as calm and safe as ever.”
-Pauline Frommer (from world famous Frommer’s Travel Guides)
I’d also like to share with you a full article written by Pauline Frommer called “Four myths about traveling to cancun now”
See? We’re not lying – Cancun, the Riviera Maya, and Costa Maya (Tulum) are all SAFE & BEAUTIFUL places to visit!
Cancun is Safe & Beautiful as you can see!
Wanna hear more? You can always ask away and read other people’s opinions at our Facebook page, or follow us at Twitter!
We’ll be happy to help you be relaxed about your Cancun vacation!
All the best from Cancun! And of course, Happy #TravelTuesday!
January 12th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Akumal is like the most amazing place to snorkel at. The water is crystal clear and there is all kinds of wild life. From turtles to sea shells. Half moon bay is probably my favorite spot in akumal to snorkel.
January 25th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
9 Days and counting, we are coming to the Play del Carmen area for a 3 week vacation and can't wait. Wasn't sure about having to get a H1N1 shot but didn't we will be fine. I can feel the sunshine already
January 28th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It?s the old what goes around comes around routine. Did you acquired lots of links and I see lots of trackbacks?