Is It Safe To Go To Cancun

Written By Ellie Hayden

Here’s The Raw Truth About Safety In 2025… They Say Cancun Is Safe

So you’re considering a trip to Cancun. White sand beaches, turquoise water, all-inclusive drinks on tap and your phone pinging into airplane mode for five glorious days. Sounds perfect. But then there is the concern... Is it really safe to travel to Cancun at the moment?

That question has been on many people’s minds lately, and you know what? Except you can’t just brush off safety abroad, especially when headlines don’t always give you the full picture. So let’s get one thing straight without any gratuitous sugarcoating. Just the straight facts, the stats, and what real travelers are saying.

Is Cancun Dangerous Or Just Misunderstood? What The Safety Warnings Don’t Explain

Let’s start with the obvious. Yes, there are places in Mexico with serious crime problems. Drug cartels, gang activity, all that kind of stuff.” But I imagined that Cancun, the resort-rich region in the state of Quintana Roo, was something of a bubble. It is highly policed, thoroughly touristic, and well-patrolled by both police and members of the National Guard.

Quiet street scene raising questions like is it safe to go to Cancun at night for tourists and locals.

The U.S. State Department lists Quintana Roo under a Level 2 advisory. “Exercise Increased Caution.” That’s in the same range as destinations such as France and the Bahamas. If every time you hear “Mexico,” you’re imagining a crazy war zone, that’s not what this is.

The fact of the matter is that those who make the news are all fighting among themselves. Tourists are rarely the target. When they are, it’s not for anything worthy of our respect but the wrong people at the wrong place and wrong time, out tramping around parts of town they had no business in at 2 a.m.

Is It Safer To Go To Cancun Than Stay Home? The Numbers Say Maybe

Here’s something most everyone doesn’t know. When comparing crime statistics between Cancun and major cities in the U.S., Cancun fares better with palatable stats you’d be surprised about. The 20’s were a decade of new, new president, new politics, new technology, new decade. We break down the year, from the 2020 election to the spread of Covid-19, with our daily podcast, The 20’s: The Decade When Everything Changed. That may seem high, until you find out that New Orleans is 70+, and Baltimore is higher than 50. Even St. Louis and Detroit are doing worse.

Petty theft does happen. Bag snatching, pickpocketing, and credit card skimming are among the most frequent problems. But violent crime against tourists? Very rare.

The hotel zone, where the majority of visitors to Cancún stay, is particularly shielded. Police presence is noticeable, and resorts are heavily guarded. The residents depend a lot on tourism, so of course it behooves everyone to keep the visitors safe.

Tourists arriving at Cancun International Airport often wonder is it safe to go to Cancun right after landing.

Is The Cancun Airport Safe Enough For Tourists? Here’s What You’ll See Firsthand

Perhaps you’ve even witnessed the videos or TikToks of folks getting harassed at the airport by aggressive transport vendors. It’s true, it can be chaotic. But it is not harmful, just irritating.

The airport itself is safe. Cancun International is one of the busiest in Latin America, and security is strict. If you schedule a legit airport transfer (from your hotel, or an established company), you’ll bypass the sketchy crowd altogether. Here, the majority of problems faced by travelers are scams or overcharging, not assault or physical danger.

Is It Only Safe To Be In Cancun’s Resort Zone? The Real Story Behind The Walls

If you’re staying in the hotel zone, spending time on the beach, and going on tours booked through official channels, your odds of getting into any trouble are super duper low.

But if you stumble around downtown getting wasted and wandering into local neighborhoods at night? Different story.

And that’s not limited to Cancun, either. You could say the same for Miami or Chicago. In unknown territories, bad decisions increase your risk regardless of where you happen to be.

If you have your sights set on leaving the resort area, for example, to visit cenotes, Mayan ruins, or smaller beach towns, just ask around. Use trusted guides. Check with your hotel for safe options to get around. Keep your GPS on. Do not go dark on cell service. Simple stuff that really helps.

Are Travelers Ignoring Cancun Warnings? Why They Keep Coming Back Anyway

Tropical drink on Cancun beach with crystal water makes travelers wonder is it safe to go to Cancun this year.

Last year, over 30 million people visited Mexico, and Cancun was one of the most popular destinations. The tourism numbers haven’t dropped. They are up in 2025, if anything. It wouldn’t be if the city had a real safety problem.

Travel forums are replete with recently returned travelers who are saying the same thing, they felt safe, had a great time, and would return. The most common complaints? Blaring Spring Breakers, rip-off drinks in clubs, the length of time it takes at customs.

If there were really a constant threat to safety, you would hear all about it all the time.

Can You Stay Safe In Cancun Without Stressing? These Habits Make All The Difference

Is Cancun 100 percent safe? No place is. Not even your own city. But is Cancun truly as dangerous as some headlines or relatives on Facebook make it seem? Not even close.

Stick to reputable hotels, book tours through reputable companies, don’t flash cash or valuables, and remain aware of your surroundings. Do that, and you’ll be more likely to get sunburned than to get in trouble.

So if you’re craving that margarita on the beach and debating if it’d be worth the risk, yeah, it is. Just be sure to bring your head along with you when you go, along with your winter coat.

 

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Ellie Hayden
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