Would love to make this trip (and I have been close (Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve). My concern with Xcalak has always been safety. Even my Mexican friends warn me about this region. Am I being overly concerned?
Safety is an important consideration with any travel and it's good to post this question. Fishing takes us to some amazing parts of the world and not all are considered 'safe' including many first world countries, sadly, even in some USA cities.
Here are our thoughts from our time in Mexico this year: Tourism is critical for this country and the Mexican government has stepped up to counter the negative perception. Militia and Polica are highly visible on the roads which is a comfort. We didn't see or hear of any incidents during our time there.
Looking at the official statistics for the tourist areas, Xcalak doesn't rate a mention. There is gang/drug-related activity in Cancún and Tulum but even this has dropped significantly over the past year. There is higher crime in other cities as you'll see on this chart: https://elcri.men/en/tourism/ but even so, if you're overnighting in Tulum or Cancún, our advice is to get back to your hotel before dark, don't look flashy and stick close to your hotel.
We had no issues on our transfers and once at the lodge and in Xcalak, there is little likelihood of criminal activity. Our advice to you is to take the trip, it's an amazing country. But avoid the obvious hotspots and stick to the tourist areas during your non-fishing travel.
Hi Christopher, good question. My take is that inter-gang rivalry and drug-related retribution are the primary factors in the Mexican crime statistics. It’s rare for a tourist to get caught up in those situations. However the southern Yucatán below Tulum isn’t where this stuff happens. I wonder whether the caution you were given relates to the south-western side of Mexico? Manzanillo, Colima and Acapulco for instance. I’m not aware of incidents below Tulum on the Costa Maya in the past year, but that doesn’t mean anyone should not be cautious as you rightly mentioned.
Would love to make this trip (and I have been close (Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve). My concern with Xcalak has always been safety. Even my Mexican friends warn me about this region. Am I being overly concerned?
Safety is an important consideration with any travel and it's good to post this question. Fishing takes us to some amazing parts of the world and not all are considered 'safe' including many first world countries, sadly, even in some USA cities.
Here are our thoughts from our time in Mexico this year: Tourism is critical for this country and the Mexican government has stepped up to counter the negative perception. Militia and Polica are highly visible on the roads which is a comfort. We didn't see or hear of any incidents during our time there.
Looking at the official statistics for the tourist areas, Xcalak doesn't rate a mention. There is gang/drug-related activity in Cancún and Tulum but even this has dropped significantly over the past year. There is higher crime in other cities as you'll see on this chart: https://elcri.men/en/tourism/ but even so, if you're overnighting in Tulum or Cancún, our advice is to get back to your hotel before dark, don't look flashy and stick close to your hotel.
We had no issues on our transfers and once at the lodge and in Xcalak, there is little likelihood of criminal activity. Our advice to you is to take the trip, it's an amazing country. But avoid the obvious hotspots and stick to the tourist areas during your non-fishing travel.
Thank you. I have traveled Mexico extensively for both work and fishing. I have just been warned of southern Mexico.
I definitely travel it differently than I use to - and thats a shame. Because the country, the culture and the people are wonderful.
Hi Christopher, good question. My take is that inter-gang rivalry and drug-related retribution are the primary factors in the Mexican crime statistics. It’s rare for a tourist to get caught up in those situations. However the southern Yucatán below Tulum isn’t where this stuff happens. I wonder whether the caution you were given relates to the south-western side of Mexico? Manzanillo, Colima and Acapulco for instance. I’m not aware of incidents below Tulum on the Costa Maya in the past year, but that doesn’t mean anyone should not be cautious as you rightly mentioned.
Definitely Colima is on the list. (I used to do business there. Not anymore.)
I really appreciate everyone's comments. Thank you.