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Safest Places in Mexico


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Among risky places in Mexico, there appears to be a few relatively safer places (relative, considering walking out the door can be risky for some of us <_< ). I thought you might like to read this excerpt from an article by Christine Delsol, who writes for Frommer.

"If you're looking for the safest places in Mexico, Yucatán and Tlaxcala states had fewer than 1.5 deaths per 100,000 population for the four-year period through 2010 — comparable to Minnesota and Vermont. Puebla, Querétaro, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Chiapas, San Luis Potosí, the Federal District (Mexico City), Tabasco, Zacatecas and Guanajuato also recorded single-digit rates.

Here's a closer look at the top five:

1) Tlaxcala (1.1 deaths per 100,000): Mexico's safest state is also its smallest, tucked just east of Mexico state like a notch in Puebla's side, with the Sierra Madre Oriental dominating its eastern boundary. It is an agricultural state with a significant tourism industry made up mainly of Mexican visitors and a smattering of history-minded German, French and Swiss travelers. Its primary attractions, barely known to U.S. tourists, are precolumbian archaeological sites such as Cacaxtla and colonial architecture in and around the capital city of Tlaxcala. The state has more than 1,000 archaeological sites, only seven of which are open to the public. It's tailor-made for travelers hankering for an authentic cultural foray safely removed from the hordes.

2) Yucatán (1.3): The land of the Maya is arguably Mexico's most beguiling state, and its safety is icing on the cake. (Drug-related deaths doubled in 2010 — from 1 to 2.) Despite being overshadowed by Cancún and the Riviera Maya in neighboring Quintana Roo, the Yucatán has a well-developed tourist infrastructure, thousands of archaeological sites, refreshing cenotes, grand haciendas, uncrowded beaches, stunning wildlife, widely varied ecotourism and unfailingly gracious people. You could visit every year for the rest of your life and never run out of things to do and see. If you're still wary of going to Mexico, think of Yucatán as a country apart — many of its residents do.

3) Puebla (1.85): It's the home of both mole poblano and chiles en nogada, the ambrosial national dish made of poblano chiles filled with spicy meat and fruit, smothered in a walnut cream sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds. What more is there to say? Well, perhaps that it is also home to the twin volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl, site of the battle commemorated by Cinco de Mayo, home of Talavera pottery, 2,600 historic buildings, a wealth of archaeological sites, and virtually nonstop festivals originating in five distinct prehispanic cultures.

4) Querétaro (2.02): Also among Mexico's smaller states, Querétaro is one of the most geographically varied, ranging from desert to tropical rainforest. The capital, Santiago de Querétaro, was designated the "third city of New Spain" in 1531 and is a trove for history buffs. It is best-known, however, for its role in ending Spanish rule. Overshadowing such momentous events as Maximilian's execution or the signing of the Treaty of Hidalgo and Mexican Constitution, its greatest source of pride is being the place where the fathers of independence plotted to overthrow the Spanish. Ecotourism is the mainstay of the Sierra Gorda biological reserve. The state also claims three of Mexico's major wineries and maintains a Cheese and Wine Museum. San Sebastián Bernal, whose Peña de Bernal is the third-largest rock in the world, is one of Mexico's Magic Pueblos.

5) Baja California Sur (2.98): In a classic case of guilt by association, tourists have avoided the southern half of the Baja peninsula in droves because Tijuana — 900 miles away in Baja California (Norte) — was the first flash point when Calderón upset the drug cartels' equilibrium. In fact, Baja Sur has been barely touched by drug violence. If Los Cabos isn't your style, you can hightail it up to artsy Todos Santos, satisfy your urban longings in the authentic Mexican city of La Paz or repair to the East Cape, a still-rugged area favored by divers and fishermen, where active types and fans of primitive, wide open spaces will find hiking, kayaking, surfing and windsurfing, zip-lines, cave paintings and hot springs. "

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and contributor to "Frommer's Mexico 2011" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán 2011."

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There's some bad data here; Mexico, D.F. is not in the single digits for homicide rate. DF is one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico. I believe it leads in the kidnapping and abduction category.

Thanks, I'll pass it on, and the link Ajijic provided.

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We go back to the same thing. Is a place safe or is it just that a crime is not always reported. Answere crime is possible reported only ....%. How many have been killed in the narco crimes... who knows... the narcos often take the bodies away with them from the scene of a crime.That fact is well known.

5

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We go back to the same thing. Is a place safe or is it just that a crime is not always reported. Answere crime is possible reported only ....%. How many have been killed in the narco crimes... who knows... the narcos often take the bodies away with them from the scene of a crime.That fact is well known.

5

All official Mexican crime figures are highly suspect. Tlaxcala is one of the states mentioned in the article as being safe. This Milenio article from last year quotes the mayor of a small town there that there were at least twelve kidnappings in 2009 in his jurisdiction, at a time the official state figures were saying there had only been two reported in the entire state in the past five years, and that those two were actually Tlaxcala residents kidnapped in neighboring states.

http://www.milenio.com/node/524845

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We are seriously thinking of moving to Merida, yucatan. The daily voltage drops (for hours) and horrible roads are driving us away from toluca. I don't want to go to ajijic as the housing costs more than what we were paying in the US. Merida is still very affordable and nice. I know there are other areas (like ajijic)where you can live in a "gringo cocoon" and not really get to know mexico, but again they are high and we moved here to survive. The wife is mexican and does not speak english and does not care for those areas (we have been to ajijic. I am going toward my mexican citizenship now.

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We are seriously thinking of moving to Merida, yucatan. The daily voltage drops (for hours) and horrible roads are driving us away from toluca. I don't want to go to ajijic as the housing costs more than what we were paying in the US. Merida is still very affordable and nice. I know there are other areas (like ajijic)where you can live in a "gringo cocoon" and not really get to know mexico, but again they are high and we moved here to survive. The wife is mexican and does not speak english and does not care for those areas (we have been to ajijic. I am going toward my mexican citizenship now.

Good move, and my understanding it only takes two years to become a Mexican citizen.

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You are correct, 2 years if you are married to a mexican national and 5 otherwise. We hope to both be dual citizens. I can get my sombrero and participate in "el grito".:)

I will also add that i did not mean to insult anyone else's choice of ajijic, I understand why it draws gringo's. We just have different needs.

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Xsquid, I believe you do not have to write the Citizenship exam in your situation. I am also married to a Mexican and in November will apply for Inmigrado or citizenship. John

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Yep. The saying here is "la justicia no es justo". If you have the money you get off or do not go to trial, if you are poor you get reamed.

Chapo guzman was more or less released. One of the politicians had him moved to a less secure place and he "escaped". Never to be found again.

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Nuevo Guaymas/San Carlos in Sonora is safe.... and friendly. Only 300 miles SoB with a nice wide toll road. The new sections have nice wide shoulders, and crossing at Nogales has been easy going both ways. Sonora is serious about their tourism and it shows.

All sorts of water sports, fishing, sailing, etc.... and for the landlubbers, bikes and hikes and dancing and golf, art shows, volunteerism... never boring. L

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Nuevo Guaymas/San Carlos in Sonora is safe.... and friendly. Only 300 miles SoB with a nice wide toll road. The new sections have nice wide shoulders, and crossing at Nogales has been easy going both ways. Sonora is serious about their tourism and it shows.

All sorts of water sports, fishing, sailing, etc.... and for the landlubbers, bikes and hikes and dancing and golf, art shows, volunteerism... never boring. L

I agree; however, it ain't exactly cheap. And the weather in the summer is pretty hard to take.

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I recently read in a US Warden's message that there is a travel warning to and from San Luis Potosi due to drug gang activitiy right outsied the city. So San Luis may be safe but getting in and our may not be.

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I recently read in a US Warden's message that there is a travel warning to and from San Luis Potosi due to drug gang activitiy right outsied the city. So San Luis may be safe but getting in and our may not be.

I might be wrong, but I understood the motive for the warning around SLP and Hwy 57D was the killing of the U.S. ICE agent a couple of months ago. Is there REALLY dangerous gang activity on 57D - or just a reaction to this one incident?

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We are seriously thinking of moving to Merida, yucatan. The daily voltage drops (for hours) and horrible roads are driving us away from toluca. I don't want to go to ajijic as the housing costs more than what we were paying in the US. Merida is still very affordable and nice. I know there are other areas (like ajijic)where you can live in a "gringo cocoon" and not really get to know mexico, but again they are high and we moved here to survive. The wife is mexican and does not speak english and does not care for those areas (we have been to ajijic. I am going toward my mexican citizenship now.

...and unfortunately for some of us, is that gringos likes to show off the money: they give laaaarge tips, they use biiiiig cars, and they post like one in Mirasol about water, that "they drink champagne only, and if one can not afford that, this person would not live at Mirasol" so, things like that, makes Lakeside area, more expensive every day, maybe our grandsons won´t afford to live here....aaaaaaaaaanyway! and also, they are attracting thieves, this is the worst part....

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  • 3 weeks later...

We are seriously thinking of moving to Merida, yucatan. The daily voltage drops (for hours) and horrible roads are driving us away from toluca. I don't want to go to ajijic as the housing costs more than what we were paying in the US. Merida is still very affordable and nice. I know there are other areas (like ajijic)where you can live in a "gringo cocoon" and not really get to know mexico, but again they are high and we moved here to survive. The wife is mexican and does not speak english and does not care for those areas (we have been to ajijic. I am going toward my mexican citizenship now.

90% (or more)of people moving to Ajijic do not speak Spanish. Main reason to move to the area ( not to have to learn the language.) Marrying a Mexican gives you a lot more choices and opportunities if you want to live in Mexico.

The living lakeside is less and less affordable, more and more crowded. (started in 2004-2005 season when some yahoo visited for 2 days wrote an article in International living). Cannot stop it now, more and more people (and yahoos)write the articles... but the weather is still great. Except for this time of the year.

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90% (or more)of people moving to Ajijic do not speak Spanish. Main reason to move to the area ( not to have to learn the language.) Marrying a Mexican gives you a lot more choices and opportunities if you want to live in Mexico.

The living lakeside is less and less affordable, more and more crowded. (started in 2004-2005 season when some yahoo visited for 2 days wrote an article in International living). Cannot stop it now, more and more people (and yahoos)write the articles... but the weather is still great. Except for this time of the year.

I'm just curious, but where did the "90%" don't speak Spanish come from? If they still don't after a while, it's not because there aren't opportunities to learn; lots of them. You can't always choose to marry a Mexican for rather obvious reasons, like already having a spouse. Those spouses tend to resent getting dumped for a native speaker. (grin)

I've heard lots of good things about Merida......but it is Helly Hot. If that's okay, it sounds like a good place to settle.

I moved here primarily because of the weather, which I understand is among the best on the planet....even right now. It's just hotter at a different time than I'm used to. Back in CA, the worst heat came in September and even into October. Real heat, over 100 degrees with humidity as well, even in the Coastal areas......so I'm not complaining. The difference it that around here, most people don't have A/C to deal with the temps. when they soar. Plus, running a unit is at expensive rates.

In winter, we have the same problem: houses aren't built with central heat and/or A/C and when those brick walls get either toasty or chilly......it's not the same as the way they build even the cheapo tract homes in the states. I'm speaking of the usual Mexican built house, of course, in the under-a-mil range. :rolleyes:

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IMHO Lakeside is no more "crowded" than when we moved here in 2005. There's been little change in the year-round foreign population. The winter snowbirds have actually diminished since 2008. There are a lot more Tapatios buying 2nd houses and visiting on the weekends.

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IMHO Lakeside is no more "crowded" than when we moved here in 2005. There's been little change in the year-round foreign population. The winter snowbirds have actually diminished since 2008. There are a lot more Tapatios buying 2nd houses and visiting on the weekends.

I see a lot more Tapatios in the restaurants at weekends. If they are just visiting or not I dont know. Only a realtor will be able to tell us if they are selling more houses to Tapatios. Are they?

I can see in the near future many tapatios moving here to lakeside to live full time with their families as it is a much safer option than living in Guadalajara.

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