The U.S. State Department's Nov. 20 update to its travel warning on Mexico
was notable more for the lack of hue and cry that has attended every
alert since 2008, when the effects of escalating violence among the
country's drug trafficking organizations became obvious beyond its own
borders, than for its contents.
The new update doesn't spring any surprises or add any new tourist destinations to its list of no-go zones, which might account for the uncharacteristically calm reception. Or it U.S. travelers might be so used to seeing the travel warnings by now that they treat them like storm reports during hurricane season, using them as a guide to where to go and which places to avoid.
But the crucial factor could be one that readers might not even be conscious of. Continuing a trend that began with the Feb. 8, 2012 update, the State Department has gotten more specific about where travel is dangerous in Mexico – and where it is not. The vagueness of earlier alerts led wary travelers to conclude that all of Mexico was going up in flames. The state-by-state evaluations produced this year, clearly outlining areas to stay away from and places that call for caution, are finally informative enough to encourage travelers to make intelligent decisions.
Good to go
Beginning with the same reassurance that "Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year," the State Department's updated warning lays out a cogent overview of Mexico's problems with drug-related violence, kidnappings and carjackings and offers some useful general advice. It also details when and where U.S. government employees' travels in Mexico are restricted, which could serve as a guideline for cautious U.S. leisure travelers.
Nearly every one of the destinations that draw the vast majority of U.S. tourists to Mexico gets the green light. (Acapulco is the glaring exception.) These include the entire Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun and the Riviera Maya, the Costa Maya, Chichen Itza, Merida and Campeche state. Baja California Sur, which has suffered by association with the northern state of Baja California, is also free and clear; the update singles out Los Cabos and La Paz, but other popular destinations include the town of Todos Santos on the west side, the rugged East Cape coastline and the gray whale calving lagoons such as San Ignacio.
The state of Guanajuato, including Guanajuato City, San Miguel de Allende and Leon, also gets a clean bill of health. Other states remaining entirely safe for travel are Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Tabasco and Tlaxcala.
Mexico City is exempt from the warnings, though some municipalities in the eastern portions of the greater Mexico City metropolitan area – most of which few tourists have heard of – require caution. Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit are also exempt from warnings that affect other areas of their respective states.
Here is a closer look at the trouble spots, the majority of which are still in the northern states.
Northern Mexico
Travelers in Baja California (not to be confused with Baja California Sur) should be cautions, especially at night. Tijuana is the main high-crime area, though Mexicali's crime increased in the year ending in July.
Chihuahua state, not surprisingly, should be avoided. Ciudad Juarez is infamous for its surreal numbers of drug-related murders, and though it has settled down in the past couple of years, it still has one of the highest homicide rates in Mexico. Violence in Chihuahua City has increased recently, and even the once-safe Copper Canyon has seen incidents of drug-related violence.
Coahuila state is another one to avoid. The cities of Torreon and Saltillo, in particular, have seen escalating violence crimes and narcotics-related murders. The warning also advises against travel in Durango, where homicides more than doubled in 2011 and several areas remain volatile and unpredictable.
The new update doesn't spring any surprises or add any new tourist destinations to its list of no-go zones, which might account for the uncharacteristically calm reception. Or it U.S. travelers might be so used to seeing the travel warnings by now that they treat them like storm reports during hurricane season, using them as a guide to where to go and which places to avoid.
But the crucial factor could be one that readers might not even be conscious of. Continuing a trend that began with the Feb. 8, 2012 update, the State Department has gotten more specific about where travel is dangerous in Mexico – and where it is not. The vagueness of earlier alerts led wary travelers to conclude that all of Mexico was going up in flames. The state-by-state evaluations produced this year, clearly outlining areas to stay away from and places that call for caution, are finally informative enough to encourage travelers to make intelligent decisions.
Good to go
Beginning with the same reassurance that "Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year," the State Department's updated warning lays out a cogent overview of Mexico's problems with drug-related violence, kidnappings and carjackings and offers some useful general advice. It also details when and where U.S. government employees' travels in Mexico are restricted, which could serve as a guideline for cautious U.S. leisure travelers.
Nearly every one of the destinations that draw the vast majority of U.S. tourists to Mexico gets the green light. (Acapulco is the glaring exception.) These include the entire Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun and the Riviera Maya, the Costa Maya, Chichen Itza, Merida and Campeche state. Baja California Sur, which has suffered by association with the northern state of Baja California, is also free and clear; the update singles out Los Cabos and La Paz, but other popular destinations include the town of Todos Santos on the west side, the rugged East Cape coastline and the gray whale calving lagoons such as San Ignacio.
The state of Guanajuato, including Guanajuato City, San Miguel de Allende and Leon, also gets a clean bill of health. Other states remaining entirely safe for travel are Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Tabasco and Tlaxcala.
Mexico City is exempt from the warnings, though some municipalities in the eastern portions of the greater Mexico City metropolitan area – most of which few tourists have heard of – require caution. Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit are also exempt from warnings that affect other areas of their respective states.
Here is a closer look at the trouble spots, the majority of which are still in the northern states.
Northern Mexico
Travelers in Baja California (not to be confused with Baja California Sur) should be cautions, especially at night. Tijuana is the main high-crime area, though Mexicali's crime increased in the year ending in July.
Chihuahua state, not surprisingly, should be avoided. Ciudad Juarez is infamous for its surreal numbers of drug-related murders, and though it has settled down in the past couple of years, it still has one of the highest homicide rates in Mexico. Violence in Chihuahua City has increased recently, and even the once-safe Copper Canyon has seen incidents of drug-related violence.
Coahuila state is another one to avoid. The cities of Torreon and Saltillo, in particular, have seen escalating violence crimes and narcotics-related murders. The warning also advises against travel in Durango, where homicides more than doubled in 2011 and several areas remain volatile and unpredictable.
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