I have lived in Mexico since October 2021. During that time, I have lived on the mainland in Sonora and two communities in Baja Norte. Population sizes ranged from under 6,000 people to almost 300,000.
I have never lived in truly big cities like Tijuana or Mexico City. I dislike urban areas and have never felt drawn to them.
Mexico gets a bad rep in the news.
Earlier this year, an unfortunate incident occurred in Matamoros on mainland Mexico. Members of the Gulf Cartel Grupo Escorpiones Cartel allegedly mistook four Americans for Haitian drug smugglers and kidnapped them. They killed two of them, while two escaped with injuries.
What was not as widely circulated was the bizarre follow-up. The Gulf Cartel Grupo Escorpiones apologized for the incident and turned over the persons responsible. It claims these persons acted independently, broke the rules, and did not represent the “organization.”
This does not make the situation right by any means. What it does is emphasize an important fact:
Americans are not usually targeted in Mexico.
Why? No one wants to deal with Uncle Sam on their behind.
Nevertheless, unfortunate and violent incidents happen.
Not just in Mexico. They happen everywhere. In fact, America’s inability ― or unwillingness ― to manage its gun violence problem has led to countries advising against travel there.
Travel warnings have come from:
Canada
New Zealand
France
The UK
Australia
Uruguay
Venezuela
Fear of Mexico can spread like wildfire.
After the kidnapping incident, I got a lot of messages from people asking if it happened anywhere near me and whether I felt unsafe. Even my mom called me about it and started hesitating about visiting me in Baja. Mom had already been to Mexico three times without incident, so that should give you a sense of how deeply that fear penetrated.
When she finally came to see me in April, she received messages from friends warning her to be careful. She breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived at my RV park. Not relief that we had survived the drive, but relief that her fears were unfounded. It was her first time in Baja, and she loved it.
Her only complaint was that the highway nearby was busy, and people drove like maniacs. Now, those are legitimate concerns you should have in Baja. People drive like civilized persons in Sonora, but not here.
I grew up in the Murder Capital of the World.
In 2005, when I was a 14-year-old student, Jamaica earned the embarrassing title of Murder Capital of the World. This might surprise you. After all, isn’t Jamaica marketed as an island paradise? It is ― if you’re a tourist.
The squabbles are between locals. Jamaican criminals avoid tourists and ex-pats.
The great thing about Mexico and Jamaica is that you know the unsafe places and things. You know you shouldn’t be driving on dark, desolate roads at 3 AM in Mexico. And you know it’s a bad idea to waltz through an “inner city” in Jamaica with a Macbook tucked under your arm.
Yes, bad things can happen in unexpected places, and you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But generally speaking, you can avoid trouble.
In America, avoiding trouble is much harder.
Ring the wrong doorbell, turn your vehicle around in the wrong driveway, or go to school, and you might not make it home.
Have you seen this video? It is an official video from the FBI advising Americans on how to survive a mass shooting. It was painful to watch.
Is It Safe To Travel Alone as a Woman in Mexico?
So, that brings us back to the original question: is it really safe here? The short answer is that if you haven’t died in America yet, you’ll be just fine in Mexico. Bonus points if you come from a gun-happy red state, such as Texas or Florida.
The long answer is this:
Mexicans do not touch me or sexually harass me when I’m out. It’s the Americans that do that south of the border, mostly in Rocky Point.
I have never been stalked or followed when out alone in Mexico ― not even after dark.
I have never been in a situation where I felt unsafe here.
Guys at my gym remind me of guys in Jamaica ― they give their advice if you’re doing something wrong and then disappear like you never existed!
I go out alone to see live music, eat, etc., and have had no incidents so far.
I have only heard gunshots in Mexico once, and like a true [former] Georgia girl, I rolled over and went back to sleep ― unconcerned.
Common sense and travel experience go a long way.
It’s a lot easier to stay safe here because safety is a more black-and-white picture. Still, not everything you take for granted in the United States is a behavior you should take with you to Mexico.
For example, I think nothing of hiking and camping in desolate areas alone in California, but I would not do that in Mexico. That said, I have been out in the city at 3 AM. I also love taking miles-long walks on the beach alone.
I make similar adjustments when traveling across America.
If you travel across the U.S., you have likely made adjustments before. You won’t find me towing my trailer on lonely, desolate roads in redneck America at 2 AM. And after dark from Friday to Sunday, I get off the road in states with drunk driving problems. (Looking at you, Wyoming and New Mexico!)
The point is:
You get a feel for a place after a while and understand what is commonplace and what is risky.
You have to do that anywhere you go as a traveler; if you don’t, it will catch up to you.
Next week I’ll share in-depth tips with paid subscribers. I’ll tell you how to stay safe in Mexico ― whether you’re a woman traveling solo or a family of five.