Wife and I are set to leave tomorrow for a Fri -> Sun quick 3 day weekend trip for our anniversary. Lots of stuff on the news involving crime has us a bit spooked, 14 killed in the last 36 hours. Wondering if anyone has been there recently?

We're planning on not even leaving our all-inclusive resort (Excellence Riviera Maya) since it's such a short trip. I'm assuming we'd be fine?


https://www.dallasnews.com/life/travel/2018/04/12/14-people-killed-36-hours-tourist-town-cancun

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/04/12/cancun-murder-surge-fueled-by-alleged-drug-queens-turf-war.html

Have not been since last fall but thinking you should be fine if you stay on the resort.

It's sad, Cancun was probably the last resort area in Mexico to dodge the cartels and crime over the past 10 years but I guess those days seem to be gone. Just can't have nice things down there.

Serious question: how many of those dead were tourists? How many were people that were involved with the cartel in some way?

I have been traveling to Cun for 33+yrs & I was most recently there in Sept. You should use common sense just like anywhere else you travel. If you are not wandering around drunk in the middle of the night or trying to buy drugs you should be fine.

Virtually all of the murders have been in the parts of town that tourists aren't going to find themselves and I haven't heard of one of them that didn't involve criminal on criminal violence.

It's kinda like judging St. Louis, MO on east St Louis or Dallas on south oak cliff.

Edit - If not even leaving your resort, you are absolutely fine.

We just returned last Sunday from Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Had no issues, saw nothing concerning, and the resort was packed. We never left the resort either though. I would return again today.

Valid points, but name one "bargain" Caribbean location without a crime issue.

Player To Be Named Later said:

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Valid points, but name one "bargain" Caribbean location without a crime issue.

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True, that is part of the reason they are a bargain.

Now this.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/mexico/2018/04/21/no-one-hurt-gunmen-jet-skis-open-fire-cancun-beach

Ag CPA said:

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Now this.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/mexico/2018/04/21/no-one-hurt-gunmen-jet-skis-open-fire-cancun-beach

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Just some Cartel kids having a good time. No one was hurt. Seriously though this is the first concerning thing i've read about Cancun. Everything else has not involved a single tourists that I know of.

OP checking back in. Everything appeared rather safe when we made our trip but then again, we didn't venture outside or the resort.

After speaking with some locals, things have definitely gotten MUCH worse lately and tourists are now getting caught up. In fact, a Canadian woman was stabbed to death just a few weeks ago.

AgsMyDude said:

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OP checking back in. Everything appeared rather safe when we made our trip but then again, we didn't venture outside or the resort.

After speaking with some locals, things have definitely gotten MUCH worse lately and tourists are now getting caught up. In fact, a Canadian woman was stabbed to death just a few weeks ago.

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I tried to google the story, do you have a link? I'm interested in the rising violence down there.

I'd also be interested in hearing more about that.

And yeah, Cancun better get its act together. I wouldn't have spent time in Cancun before this because it's not my scene... but they're going to lose out on a lot of $ and become Acapulco if not careful.

What's amazing to me is how fast these issues move into an area and back out. We went to Los Cabos and La Paz area in 2016 and it was one of the lower crime areas of Mexico. Cue El Chapo extradition and Los Cabos had a crazy violent 2017 while Quintana Roo was having very low murder #s.

In Los Cabos/La Paz they moved in New military and Federales and put the hammer down on things. Most operations the policia municipal were only used for perimeter containment and they had prosecutors along with them on the raids to ensure evidence was collected properly, etc and the Sicarios started actually staying in jail and not getting released on technicalities or lack of evidence. All that has resulted in a quiet 2018 in Los Cabos/La Paz. And now Quintana Roo has seemingly picked up overnight. Hopefully they'll employ the same model they used with success in B.C.S.

The "internet cafe" where one of the local cartel shootings occurred recently. Guessing not many tourists have swung by...

03ki11erAG said:

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AgsMyDude said:

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OP checking back in. Everything appeared rather safe when we made our trip but then again, we didn't venture outside or the resort.

After speaking with some locals, things have definitely gotten MUCH worse lately and tourists are now getting caught up. In fact, a Canadian woman was stabbed to death just a few weeks ago.

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I tried to google the story, do you have a link? I'm interested in the rising violence down there.

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http://www.borderlandbeat.com/

Best site to read about narco Violence

Still not seeing the story to a Canadian woman stabbed to death. Not saying it didn't happen but it's incredibly odd that isn't ALL over a Google search

I had a link last week, I'll try and find it when I get a free minute.

I'm pretty sure we're cancelling our trip to Cancun. I'd probably still go in a heartbeat if it was me and the buddies, but I can't in good conscience bring a family there.

The thing about all of the danger is - everyone did stop going there - so whoever goes now is that much more likely to be harmed.

so a man on a jetski opened fire on a beach in cancun. I think i'll pass on that place.....

http://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2018/04/gunmen_on_jetskis_open_fire_in_popular_cancun_tourist_area.html

Just got back from honeymoon in Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. I read that on Thursday in Cancun, a gang member fired a gun from a jet ski towards a vendor on the beach, but that no one was hurt.

My wife and I didn't leave the resorts we stayed at, and never felt unsafe while on those properties. I have a hard time believing the reports of people getting attacked, drugged, or kidnapped on the resorts, but if I did, the people who would be targeted for that kind of activity make themselves obvious targets within minutes of being in their presence.

Akumal is great

"were found shot to death April 4 in a house about 25 minutes from the beach"

This is not even remotely close to anywhere that a tourist would go.

Don't do drugs or hangout and do drugs at a nightclub at 2:30am and you'll be fine.

I'm following the current Cancun situation pretty closely and getting a lot of updates from a retired LEO in Akumal. I'm seeing a lot of places in Cancun that nobody will ever see.

Yeah, it's pretty concerning, and I hope they get a handle on it. But it's pretty much like saying don't take a trip to St. Louis because East St Louis is #1 in US murders or Baltimore because they have crappy areas. I also don't avoid Dallas because of South Oak Cliff.

Cancun is also not where I'd want to be a cop for $250/month.
http://noticaribe.com.mx/2018/04/23/persecucion-y-balacera-en-cancun-un-robo-en-la-region-94-desata-enfrentamiento-que-deja-saldo-de-un-policia-herido-de-bala-y-dos-detendidos/

Furlock Bones said:

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eiggA2002 said:

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"were found shot to death April 4 in a house about 25 minutes from the beach"

This is not even remotely close to anywhere that a tourist would go.

Don't do drugs or hangout and do drugs at a nightclub at 2:30am and you'll be fine.

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Except when the all inclusive resort decides they are spending too much on real alcohol so they spike the drinks instead.

No problems.

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Um.. yeh I want my drinks spiked. I don't want to drink juice all day.

eiggA2002 said:

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Don't do drugs or hangout and do drugs at a nightclub at 2:30am and you'll be fine.

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I've been on several motorcycle trips through Mexico and spent several late nights in night clubs, can't believe I survived.

I did have a waitress rip me off for 1000 pesos (like $10 prolly) though with incorrect change and all of a sudden she couldn't speak English nor understand my spanglish