Mexico has gotten a bad rap over the years in my opinion. While no place is 100% safe (just look at your own country, state and probably the closest large town to you as there is risk everywhere in our daily lives), traveling to Cancun & the Riviera Maya area is an incredibly popular option for many travelers. But there are so many amazing things to do, see and experience in Mexico it pains me when I hear people say the only reason they don’t go is they feel it’s unsafe.
There is a common misconception that traveling to the Cancun & the Riviera Maya is unsafe. While other parts of Mexico are certainly dangerous (just like anywhere…even the US), The Riviera Maya and the neighboring town of Cancun aren’t nearly as bad as the media makes them out to be. To be honest, The Riviera Maya is a tourist spot, which means the locals are eager for your business and are pretty serious about keeping some of the dangerous elements of Mexico out. The Riviera Maya is a breathtaking place that is just begging to be explored. And the locals are a friendly, hard working people who you’ll be thrilled to get to know!
That said, there some things you should know to make the most out of a Riviera Maya excursion.
Watch Out for the Heat
While the Riviera Maya offers truly stunning natural landscapes, the whole region can become overwhelmingly hot and humid from June on through October. The summer months may be peak vacation time, but they can also put the unprepared tourist at risk for heatstroke. On the subject of heat and summer, mosquitos are out in full swing during this season, so if you’re planning to visit this area during summer, pack some bug repellent.
Rules on Food and Water
The subject of food and water is a hot-button issue for first-time travelers to Mexico. For one, you shouldn’t drink the tap water in Mexico, as in some instances it will make you sick. Instead, you should always ask for bottled water while in restaurants, since they’ll likely serve unfiltered tap water by default. Street food is a potential danger as well, as there is no telling whether or not a street vendor properly prepared the meal or adequately cleaned their cooking space. In these instances, it helps to have the ‘golden cage’ of a hotel or resort to escape to from time to time.
Feel Safe to Explore
While it helps to use a resort as a home base during your trip, if you’re the adventurous type and want to go out and explore we do recommend using a reputable excursion company to assist you with your transfers to and from the excursion and give you guidance while in country. I have my favorites of course if you need recommendations. So many great options like swimming in a Mexican cenote, snorkeling the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world, or heading out to explore the ancient ruins in Tulum…there are tons of amazing tours you can take in and around Cancun & The Riviera Maya.
Pre-booked Transfers
You don’t want to get to the Cancun airport and have to stop at what I affectionately call “The Shark Tank” to book your transportation to and from your resort. You want to definitely make sure you have roundtrip airport transfers booked before you leave your house! Gives you peace of mind to know it’s all booked, no exchanging of monies when you get to the airport and more time to enjoy the destination as you don’t have to haggle with the “sharks”! 🙂 I again have lots of recommendations and preferred partners for this so let me know if I can help!
We come and go multiple times per year and it’s one of our very favorite places on this planet. There are over 300 amazing all-inclusive resorts, all with their own personality so if you want to make sure you don’t end up at a Motel 6 when you were expecting The Ritz…reach out to me now!
