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Like every major city around the world there are areas which should be avoided because of the likelihood of crime, to include shootings, and Cancun is no exception. But we need to put all in perspective and avoid falling victim to hyperbolic headlines. We also need to answer the question, “Is it safe to travel to Cancun?” We say, yes, and when you travel, make sure you have a bit of local area knowledge - it is always important.

The headlines last week concerning the shootings and mutilated bodies found in the resort town of Cancun were startling to say the least. They also showed the world, in a demonstrative manner that Quintana Roo (Mexican State) remains in turmoil.

As we wrote in our widely read piece, “How to Manage Your Vacation in Mexico and Not Get Shot” the former Governor of Quintana Roo, Roberto Borge has been indicted and his organized criminal apparatus has unraveled. There is a power vacuum within the criminal world. Here’s what we wrote in May 2018, which remains valid today:

Political and Criminal Landscape reality: The administration of Roberto Borge (Governor 2010-16) is accused of being extraordinarily corrupt, fleecing significant funds from entrepreneurs as the tourist industry buildout throughout the state continued. The former mayor of Playa del Carmen, Mauricio Góngora, has also been arrested, on similar corruption charges. Add to this the influx of the drug cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and their initiation of a turf war with gulf cartels already in place, and things get dicey. To be clear, we see the political status quo having been upset, and the “way business is done being adjusted” and with the cleaning the political house leads to the perceived vulnerability of the resident crime organizations.

What we need to keep in mind as we read these headlines is where are the crimes occurring?

The most gruesome of the crimes occurred far from the tourist areas along the beach, they were at Chedraui de la Multiplaza shopping mall in region 251 in the Paseos del Mar subdivision according to Riviera Maya News (English language). This was picked up by the US networks and shared widely.

As evidenced by this headline from Channel 4 in San Antonio, TX:

Surprisingly, none showed a map of the area … so I created one. The area circled in blue is where the shootings/bodies were found in Cancun, that area circled in pink is the tourist area.

As Cancun resident and prolific blogger Viviana of Soy Mama Blog tells us, there is nothing in region 251 of Cancun to draw a tourist to the area. Walmart, Costco and other numerous other shopping centers are located closer to the Tourist Zone. She adds, a saying from her village, “no te metas donde no te llaman” - the meaning being, “Don’t go where you aren’t familiar or have business.”

Un turista nada tiene que hacer a semejante distancia. No hay nada turístico en la región 251. Tienen un Chedraui en la zona hotelera y en el centro de Cancún, otro Chedraui y un WalMart.
En mi pueblo decimos “no te metas donde no te llaman” .

— Soy Mamá Blog (@soy_mama) August 27, 2018

So we offer this admonishment:

Always ask your host or hotel concierge where NOT to go, so as to avoid inadvertently crossing the widely known, but unmarked boundaries separating high-crime areas, from those which are safe.

Now is this to say that a tourist traveling to Cancun is without risk. No, not at all. The US Department of State updated their travel advisory for Mexico last week, with many areas of the country highlighted as high risk. Quintana Roo was NOT the reason for the update.

Here’s what the U.S. State Department has to say about Quintana Roo. Note, there are NO travel restrictions for US government employees:

Quintana Roo state – Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution due to crime.

According to Government of Mexico statistics, the state experienced an increase in homicide rates compared to the same period in 2016. While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents injuring or killing bystanders have occurred.

There are no restrictions on U.S. government employees for travel in Quintana Roo state, which includes tourist areas such as: Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the Riviera Maya.