Here Are The Mexico Cities US Tourists Should Avoid & Where To Find The Right Vacation Spot
Know before you go!
Traveling to another country can be intimidating when we’re not fully aware of how safe it is to be walking in its streets. The United States Department of State has issued several travel advisories for different places worldwide, including Mexico, a popular tourist destination for American travelers.
The government entity has categorized each Mexican state by a different level.
Level 4 indicates U.S. residents to avoid traveling to the area, Level 3 urges to reconsider travel, Level 2 specifies to exercise increased caution, and Level 1 asks to exercise normal precautions.
With that in mind, here are the Mexican areas U.S. travelers should avoid and where to find the right vacation spot indicated by travel advisory levels:
Level 4: Do not travel
According to the Department of State, these states experience high levels of crime and, in some others, kidnapping. Additionally, Colima City was recently denominated as the most violent city in the world.
- Colima: Colima City, Manzanillo, Ciudad de Villa de Alvarez
- Guerrero: Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Taxco, Chilpancingo
- Michoacan: Morelia, Patzcuaro, Ocampo
- Sinaloa: Mazatlan, Los Mochis, Topolobampo
- Tamaulipas: Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo
- Zacatecas: Zacatecas City
Level 3: Reconsider travel
Authorities urge travelers to reconsider visiting these states due to crime and kidnapping.
- Baja California: Tijuana, Ensenada, Rosarito, Mexicali
- Chihuahua: Chihuahua City, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Casas Grandes
- Durango: Durango City
- Guanajuato: Guanajuato City, Leon, San Miguel de Allende
- Jalisco: Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, Ajijic
- Morelos: Cuernavaca, Tepoztlan
- Sonora: Puerto Peñasco, Agua Prieta, Nogales, Guaymas
Level 2: Exercise increased caution
These places are safer for travelers to visit, and the U.S. Department of State officials ask visitors to exercise increased caution as some of these states experience crime and kidnapping.
- Aguascalientes: Aguascalientes City
- Baja California Sur: La Paz, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo
- Chiapas: Palenque, San Cristobal de las Casas, Tuxtla Gutierrez
- Coahuila: Zaragoza, Ciudad Acuña, Saltillo, Torreon
- Hidalgo: Pachuca, Tulancingo
- Mexico City
- Mexico: Toluca, Valle de Bravo, Texcoco
- Nayarit: Nuevo Vallarta, Punta Mita, Sayulita, Santa Maria del Oro
- Nuevo Leon: Monterrey, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Santa Catarina
- Oaxaca: Oaxaca City, Montealban, Puerto Escondido, Huatulco
- Puebla: Puebla City
- Queretaro: Santiago de Queretaro, Tequisquapan, San Juan del Rio
- Quintana Roo: Cancun, Tulum, Bacalar, Chetumal, Isla Mujeres
- San Luis Potosi: Ahualulco
- Tabasco: Tenosique
- Tlaxcala: Tlaxcala City, Huamantla
- Veracruz: Heroica Veracruz, Cordoba, Orizaba, Xalapa
Level 1: Exercise normal precautions
Travelers should exercise normal precautions when visiting these areas in Mexico.
- Campeche: Candelaria, Calakmul, Carmen
- Yucatan: Merida, Valladolid
For more information on travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, you can click here.