Cancun
SAFETY INDEX
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Cancun: How Safe Is Cancun?
Cancun is divided in two parts : the hotel zone, a 14km strand of hotels, restaurants and beaches on the Caribbean sea; and Downtown Cancun which is a less touristic city center. The beaches are generally very safe, and there are flags indicating the swimming condition in front of every hotel.There are many day trips from Cancun, like the Isla Murales, the ruins of Tulum, the Chichen Itza Mayan complex or the XCaret eco-park as well as all kind of water sports and diving activities. For those of the less “adventurous” type, there are various malls around the city. Cancun’s only source of revenue comes from tourism, and therefore all is done to prevent crime against tourists: Cancun is safe.
The Hotel Area is safer than Downtown Cancun, which can have some rougher parts with no touristic interest. There can be some pickpockets in the Mercados (markets) of Cancun, and if you are renting a vehicle be sure not to leave anything of value inside.Warnings & Dangers
OVERALL RISK : MEDIUM
Cancun is a very safe citiy within Mexico. With a rating of 44% Mexico, is ranked 114th out of 162 on the ranking of the safest and most dangerous countries.
PICKPOCKETS RISK : LOW
There is nearly no pickpocket risk in Cancun, but be careful if you go to street markets. A few simple precautions will minimize your chances of being pickpocketed.
MUGGING RISK : LOW
Cancun is a safe city regarding mugging and kidnapping risks, although some areas outside the touristic center are best to be avoided at night.
SCAMS RISK : MEDIUM
As in any touristic place, there may be people trying to scam you in Cancun. Avoid people doing “magic tricks” around touristic area, people offering “free” massages or food samples, locals acting strangely or trying to distract you; and people offering help with your luggage at the airport.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK : LOW
Transports and taxis are generally very safe in Cancun.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK : MEDIUM
There can be some occasional natural hazards (geological, meteorological) in Mexico (see the page about Mexico for more advice).
TERRORISM RISK : LOW
Cancun is a very safe city in respect to terrorist threats.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK : LOW
Cancun is generally very safe for women travelers.