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Travel Warning for Popular Mexico Vacation Destination
By MudslideMama | May 23, 2008
Is the travel situation getting worse in Mexico, or is it just that the media is picking up more stories about the drug cartels, gangs, and other generally illegal acts in our neighbor to the south? TravelingMamas posted earlier about the US State Department’s travel advisory against taking vacations in certain parts of Mexico. At that point, two suggestions was to stay in an all-inclusive resort, or to travel to the most popular tourist destinations, like Cancun and the Mayan Riviera. But a Canadian tourist was recently shot inside his hotel room in Cabo San Lucas (Calgary Herald) and the increase in criminal activity in Tijuana is well-known.
On the Gulf side (the Yucatan), Cancun and the Riviera Maya are gorgeous tourist destinations, with white sandy beaches and archaeological marvels that would make Indiana Jones drop his hat. The Riviera Maya starts at Playa del Carmen and ends in Tulum. Certainly worth considering for a family vacation, right? Consider this: The “hotel zone’ of small charming hotels and restaurants in Tulum is experiencing a scene right out of the Wild West.
One of those charming Tulum restaurants, owned by an Australian-born US citizen, was literally invaded last
week by a group of men working for a corrupt local politician. John Kendall, who bought the land six years ago, already has a certified local presence in the Mayan Riviera; his acclaimed Mezzanine hotel overlooks the sea in along the same historic stretch of Mexico. The Mexican politician, Gaston Alegre, has called Kendall the “Devil of Tulum” and sent police (and 30 private security guards) into Kendall’s beachfront restaurant to take the property by brute force. The restaurant, El Pez, was filled with tourists and customers; they were kicked out, and the restaurant was completely trashed. When Kendall attempted to take back his property, corrupt police from nearby Playa del Carmen fought him off. Kendall has said, “Gaston Alegre still thinks he’s in 1930’s Mexico.” Kendall will get his day in court, of course, but clearly corruption runs deep in many travel destinations here. This illegal land grab illuminates the need for stronger anti-corruption laws in Mexico (or at least that the ones on the books be upheld).
Criminal activity in Mexico has not just increased in recent months, but also has begun to spread into popular tourist destinations. Pack more than just your bathing suit and sunblock for a vacation south of the border; take some extra precautions as well. Watching Indiana Jones on the big screen is one thing. Finding ourselves in the middle of frightening battles in real life, quite another.
Topics: Adventure Travel, Destinations, Family Travel, Luxury Travel, The Cookie Jar, Travel News |
May 23rd, 2008 at
Gaston Alegre literally means Happy Spender, which is kind of ironic…
May 23rd, 2008 at
How frightening.
May 23rd, 2008 at
That’s so frightening. When we stayed in Tulum for our honeymoon the resort had guards patrolling the beach at night to protect against “banditos”.
May 23rd, 2008 at
We stayed in Playa a few years ago and had no problems at all. I have been working and traveling in Mexico for a number of years and it is by far one of my favorite places. It is a real disappointment to see such a great country fall apart like this. Reports of this type used to be quite over exaggerated in the past, but what I am hearing from the locals now is that the current reports are not representative of what is really happening (under reporting).
June 15th, 2008 at
The state of Yucatan is considered to be one of the safest in Mexico. Read more travel safety tips form the U.S. Consul here: http://www.yucatantoday.com/culture/eng-asktheusconsul-6-05_1.htm
August 4th, 2008 at
Since my son’s tragic death in Cancun last year, I have made it my priority to create awareness about the many unknown dangers of traveling to Mexico. Please visit my website before making any vacation plans. http://www.mexicovacationawareness.com
September 10th, 2008 at
I can assure you that the crime being reported is only a fraction of what is going on in Mexico. According to CIAM Cancun, an organization ran by world famous journalist, Lydia Cacho, for abused/raped women and children, 82% of all crimes reported are never investigated and 92% of all crimes go unpunished in Cancun and Acapulco alone!
I can speak from experience that if something does happen to you in Mexico, the police will NOT help you. I was brutally raped, beaten unconscious and left for dead by a security guard. There was an eyewitness to the attack who told police that “she is not his first victim, only the first to go to police”, within hours of the attack. Yet today, over 16 months later, NO ONE has been arrested in my case, although there is an arrest warrant signed by a judge in July of 2007 for both men.
Please take a moment to visit my website and read my story along with stories of other victims of violent crime in Mexico.
http://www.ithappenedinmexico.com