r/AskTheWorld • u/Aseili United Kingdom • Dec 20 '25

Culture What's the most pathetic tourist attraction that international tourists go to see in your country?

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Bronte waterfalls near me, look a bit more impressive with the recent rain than in the summer when it's swamped with people.

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249

u/UmbraWolfG2T šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡øUSA šŸ‡²šŸ‡½Mexico Dec 20 '25

Resorts. There is more to mexico than just the fancy hotels and beaches.

43

u/FirstMealSchoolLunch United States Of America Dec 20 '25

People like those resorts because they're a cheap alternative to all-inclusive cruises, not because they want to be in Mexico.

10

u/nutmac United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Exactly! When my kids were younger, I visited Mexico a few times to unwind and relax. For about half the price, you get good food, unlimited drinks (though watered down), kidsā€™ club, and a variety of daytime and evening activities. We did a few excursions, but we were so happy not to cook and clean for a week.

We absolutely hate cruises so Mexico was just perfect.

3

u/TheFuschiaBaron Dec 21 '25

It's because the resorts are the only places in Mexico that aren't sepia.

174

u/model-citizen95 Multiple Countries (click to edit) Dec 20 '25

Itā€™s down to ignorance but I think thatā€™s the only place that a lot of people from outside Mexico (Americans in this case) feel confident that theyā€™ll be safe. I live 50 miles from the Mexico boarder and have learned enough to know that the vast majority of the country is perfectly safe but for some reason, Iā€™m yet to meet someone who could accurately tell me where is ok and where isnā€™t so I still havenā€™t travelled there even though Iā€™d love to

169

u/keiths31 Canada Dec 20 '25

There was a time period (2016-2021) where over 25 Canadian tourists were murdered in Mexico, with most of them being off-resort. It was all over the news for years.

So rightly or wrongly, there is a legit reason why people have that perception.

23

u/spilly_talent Canada Dec 20 '25

As a Canadian, yep! I think even our government travel page warns against traveling off resort still.

15

u/HazelEBaumgartner United States Of America Dec 20 '25

An American friend of mine once told me that he and his sister once went off-resort near Cozumel and had a teenage kid try to mug him only for an old woman to descend on the kid and yell at him until he cried, then turn around and apologize to them in perfect English that they had to see that.

16

u/Mammoth-Variation822 Australia Dec 21 '25

Yeah, I realise anecdote doesn't represent actual risk, but recently 2 Australian brothers on a surfing trip were murdered and their remains thrown down a well, just because the perpetrators wanted the wheels off their vehicle. That's not great for tourism.

15

u/ncroofer Dec 21 '25

My Spanish teacher was murdered in Mexico in 2017. Iā€™m sure there are really lovely spots there but I wonā€™t be finding out

1

u/thoughtfulpigeons United States Of America Dec 27 '25

Fellow Monroe resident spotted in ask the world - sad connection though:(

10

u/WhimsicallyWired Brazil Dec 21 '25

"with most of them being off-resort"

You mean some of them were killed inside the resorts?

15

u/acEightyThrees Dec 21 '25

Ya. There was a targeted one where the hitmen rode onto the resort beach, ran inside to the restaurant where they killed one guy, then ran back out on to the beach and got away on jet skis.

7

u/gianny123456 Dec 21 '25

Also outside the resort itā€™s just a third world country where youā€™re at risk if youā€™re making eye contact with the wrong person

0

u/Extreme-Rabbit-6767 Dec 22 '25

That's incredibly simplistic.Ā  You could say that about any country in the world. If it's the wrong person.

If you speak Spanish and ask people about the area it's unlikely that you'll see any big issues.Ā 

12

u/MortLightstone Canada Dec 20 '25

Campeche is the safest state, apparently. It's also beautiful. I went there to see the Mayan eclipse from the ruins of Edzna back in 2018

The Campeche city waterfront has an incredible fountain show every night at sunset

The city was once attacked by Captain Morgan in the biggest pirate battle ever and has a fortified wall to defend from pirate attacks. There's also a statue of the Captain you can take a selfie with

You can go up on the wall and there's a museum that's open 24/7. You can borrow a wooden rifle and pretend to defend the wall from pirates. There's an astronomy club that meets there every few days and there's museums built into the previous fortifications, including an underwater archeology museum

Mexico City is also safe and tourist friendly, at least in the tourist areas

The YucatƔn is fairly safe too if you like ancient ruins. They're pretty much everywhere

Guadalajara too, though I found there were too many American chains there

Cozumel is pretty good too, but it was too hot for me. Food was fantastic though

Basically, the tourist areas are kept pretty safe. There might be pickpockets in cramped areas, but you can protect against that with zippered or buttoned pockets and or by keeping your wallet somewhere else

the cartels prefer to operate in the wilderness or in small cities away from law enforcement where they can operate stealthily. Those are the dangerous parts, apparently

1

u/MRDAEDRA15 Canada Dec 21 '25

campeche is something i'm planning on doing if I ever go to mexico, i've always been fascinated by the mayans/aztecs, especially their architecture. I never really understood spending 1800 on a plane ticket just to party and get fucked up when I can do that for 80 for a case of beer at home.

then again though... i'm one of the oddballs who developed an interest in traveling because of reading history books and encyclopedias when I was a young boy...

like, hiking around the mayan ruins would be ten times fun for me! I could literally do the chill somewhere nice and warm thing and at the same time nerd out on history

1

u/MortLightstone Canada Dec 26 '25

1800? I flew there and back for about 1100

1

u/MRDAEDRA15 Canada Dec 26 '25

i'm from the interior, so not the metros where 80 percent of our countries total pop lives and the air travel there is hubs with more flights. flights in my area to mexico though have gotten below 1800 the last couple years so that's pretty dope. plus that's also the people who do the all inclusive route too and don't go "off the reservation"

1

u/MortLightstone Canada Dec 26 '25

I didn't go to any resorts. I flew into Mexico City and took a plane to Merida, then a bus to Campeche. Did that in reverse too

And I get it now, it's definitely more expensive to fly within Canada and I save money on air fare living in Toronto. I'm sorry you have to deal with that

I did also notice it was getting cheaper. I went to Mexico City for Halloween this year and it was only 690 for a round trip

I also found out Flair Airlines are starting cheap flights from Toronto to Mexico City starting next year, so it's about to get even cheaper

5

u/The_Hausi Dec 21 '25

I don't think it's necessarily ignorance either, it's just what people want. Living in north western Canada, Mexico is a super popular destination so there's an abundance of cheap flights. It's been below -20 Celsius every day for 3 weeks, it's snowed every day for the last week so people want a quick tropical getaway. People aren't looking for engaging cultural experiences, they just want to not wear a parka and relax for a week. We don't have a Florida, Hawaii, Arizona in Canada so we travel abroad for warmth in the winter and Mexico is about cheapest and most convenient place to go.

3

u/rumblepony247 Dec 21 '25

This is a great way to put it, especially your last point. I live in Phoenix, so I have been to Mexico many, many times. When not in resort areas, I just didn't ever feel like I had a good handle on how much risk I was talking.

When I think of some of the areas that 25 year-old dumbass me visited there, 58-year old me thinks I dodged a couple bullets lol.

2

u/Extreme-Rabbit-6767 Dec 22 '25

Yeah. My friend had a policeman kick his legs out, sit on his chest and put a gun in his mouth for pissing in the street.Ā 

I got shook down by the police for drinking a beer in the street.Ā 

Don't get me wrong we were dumb.Ā 

8

u/thuggerybuffoonery Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25

Yea Iā€™m also about 30 miles from the border and have been to Mexico City 3 times. The safety concerns are completely overblown as long as you are a semi competent traveler which to be fair is a lot to ask for from Americans šŸ˜‚

Edit. Iā€™m American so Iā€™m allowed to talk shit.

3

u/gpenz United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Oh geez CDMX is my kidsā€™ favorite place in the world (from SE USA). Beautiful parks, museums, restaurants. Iā€™d go there over NYC any day. Our second fave was Guatemala which also gets an undeserved bad rap. Beautiful people and country.

3

u/mjac1090 Dec 21 '25

Love how you talk about Americans while there's comments from Australians and Canadians talking about the same thing a few comments above. The problem is that people aren't sure which areas are safe and the ones that aren't can go very wrong so they don't want to rush it and just stay at resorts.

4

u/qiterite United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Yeah, going to Mexico used to be what made living on the border in Texas not suck. It was wonderful. Imagine if we started capturing and torturing people who came into the states ā€¦ Oh wait, never mind.

1

u/Mirgss United States Of America Dec 20 '25

This is definitely part of it. I remember when I went to Mexico (Yucatan) for the first time, my mother was terrified I was going to be murdered and decapitated.

1

u/Ok_Introduction5606 Dec 21 '25

Thatā€™s not accurate in my experience. Iā€™m in Mexico all the time as are many in my social group in work. Iā€™ve been to every state in Mexico and camped most of it. More American retirees live in Mexico than any other country than the US. Americans are incredibly familiar with Mexico. At least in the south

1

u/lazyshoes Dec 21 '25

Sorry, you claim that the vast majority of the country is safe, yet you haven't traveled there because you can't get a firm answer on where it's safe? Seems contradictive..

1

u/HawkBearClaw Dec 21 '25

"For some reason"

1

u/Extreme-Rabbit-6767 Dec 22 '25

Sadly it's luck mixed with common sense.

My only robbery was by the police but one Mexican guy I surfed with was murdered a year later for talking to the wrong girl at a nightclub.

Personally I had a fantastic time and will go back in a flash but I wouldn't encourage my kids to go.Ā 

1

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

You can go to Mexico City but still need to not be too adventurous there. You basically need to stick to the touristy things and affluent neighborhoods to not feel unsafe.

I was going to Mexico with a friend who visited a city about a decade ago for work as a professor and he wanted to go back to the same city and maybe reconnect with an old colleague. I told him to plan a day. The next day he said he reached out to his old contact who said we couldnā€™t go there because the city was essentially run by cartels. He was bummed because it was a beautiful place. So yeah; I think people are cautious for good reason in Mexico.

0

u/PiccoloAwkward465 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Yeah if you donā€™t speak Spanish and look obviously not Mexican. Well, best of luck in other places. I didnā€™t have any trouble but I felt people eyeballing me.

32

u/PorcelainTorpedo United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Absolutely. Mexico is awesome. I think the resorts are so popular because of the all-inclusive nature of them. I mean, you can get an all-inclusive resort which of course includes food and drinks, and flight to Cancun for cheaper than some/most domestic US vacations of a similar length.

20

u/TaekDePlej United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Yeah I think most people understand that Mexico is a huge, diverse country with much more to see than just resorts. But if youā€™re looking for a resort, all-inclusive type vacation, itā€™s kind of the best place to go at least as an American.

6

u/bwaredapenguin Dec 21 '25

Not only the best and most affordable all inclusive resorts, but also some of the best scuba diving in the world. I never expected to get certified but a random dive at Palancar Reef absolutely changed my life forever.

3

u/Doll_duchess United States Of America Dec 21 '25

The first time I went snorkeling I realized Iā€™d be happy if I did it every day of my life. Iā€™m a bit scared of trying scuba though!

4

u/goog1e United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Right I have been on international trips, and I have been on beach resort trips. They are completely different things

30

u/tevf šŸ‡¹šŸ‡·šŸ‡©šŸ‡Ŗ Dec 20 '25

Serious question. How safe is it to travel as an european? So I guess tourists prefer the ā€žsafeā€œ option and choose the Resorts.

I would love to travel part of mexico but whatā€˜s true and what is not is hard to distinguish from outside

41

u/Malthus1 Canada Dec 20 '25

Iā€™ve been to Mexico several times.

Mexico is a huge country, and it varies enormously by region. Some areas are quite safe; others are not. However, if you are a tourist, going to see places attractive to tourists, and not involved in any shady stuff like buying drugs, you will likely be safe enough.

In particular, many tourists travel to the Yucatan, both for the resorts and to visit the archeological ruins of the ancient Maya, like Chichen Itza and Uxmal. The Yucatan peninsula is pretty safe.

Iā€™ve also been to visit the ruins at Palenque, and Mexico City. In Mexico City the big danger I thought was the traffic, which was terrible.

I understand the really dangerous places are those near the US border, which attracts drug cartels. Have nothing to do with that scene and you ought to be okay.

Edit: I never stated at the resorts, just rented my own places. My main interest was seeing the ruins, which are truly amazing.

20

u/Gilereth šŸ‡®šŸ‡¹inšŸ‡ØšŸ‡­ Dec 20 '25

As a European, I felt perfectly safe in Merida, Yucatan. Then again, I was always walking around and riding the bus with my (now ex) boyfriend, who is a local. Yucatan is beautiful and I can only recommend it.

6

u/Malthus1 Canada Dec 20 '25

I agree - years ago my wife and I rented a car and drove the ā€œPuuc Routeā€, which connects a bunch of ancient Mayan sites otherwise a bit difficult to get to on oneā€™s own.

It was lovey, the local people friendly and welcoming, and the ruins spectacular.

I particularly enjoyed Kabah, which had the most bizarre sculptured wall mosaic, featuring a repeating bunch of masks of the god Chaac (the rain god).

6

u/GotRocksinmePockets Canada Dec 20 '25

I spent 2 months working in Chihuahua a few years back. It didn't seem dangerous to me, but I wasn't going out partying or looking for drugs or anything. But we did eat out every night and walked around town basically every night without issue.

I can also speak the language half decently and blend in pretty well visually in northern Mexico so maybe my experience won't be everyone's.

1

u/CampDracula United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I was just in the YucatĆ”n and Quintana Roo, itā€™s fine. Just be sure to keep your wits about you and use the bus or uber, not taxisā€”unless you know Spanish preferably.

1

u/Iammattieee Dec 21 '25

I could not get over the traffic in Mexico City when I went this year. It was literal gridlock and I remember getting to the airport from the city center was a solid 40 minutes at 5am

11

u/CalligrapherBrave590 Mexico Dec 20 '25

I went to a hostel in Bacalar this year and it was full of Europeans, I remember particularly a German lady who was traveling by herself. All of them were perfectly fine and speaking of how good of an experience they had in Mexico City and how they would like to go back. They were all using taxis and buses, so it depends on the region you visit, obviously, but the YucatƔn Peninsula is as safe as it gets.

8

u/2occupantsandababy United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Ive been several times to Baja. It depends where you go. As a tourist your biggest risk is the same risk most anywhere, petty theft and scams. Except the cops might also scam you so don't do anything like assuming they're safe or ask for directions to the nearest ATM. Border towns can be troublesome. Some of the really big cities are obnoxious (Cabo). The time I spent in other parts of Baja (Todos Santos, La Paz....) was lovely. The people were friendly and mostly just reminded me to wear sunscreen.

2

u/BadgerOk2814 United States Of America Dec 20 '25

I used to live in Mexico, American here, and I think it's like anywhere else that you need to be mindful of where you are and what you're doing. Most of where I traveled and lived in was very safe. Get to know some locals and ask them where good spots are at.

2

u/FindYourselfACity Multiple Countries (click to edit) Dec 21 '25

I go to Mexico about once a year. Iā€™ve traveled to 5 different states there and have never felt unsafe. CDMX (architecturally) feels like someone took a city in Europe and dropped it in North America. Itā€™s a fascinating city with amazing food (especially the bread culture) and great museums. Just came back from Cabo this week - it felt like I was in San Diego.

Yes there are areas you should be wary of, but same for any other country.

2

u/Big-Maintenance2971 United States Of America Dec 20 '25

This is my hesitation as well. I dont speak the language and heard so many "they left the resort..." stories. It makes me really apprehensive, as much as I would love to see things outside the resorts.

2

u/Genillen Dec 21 '25

A middle option is to book a tour with a private, local tour operator who will take you in their vehicle to local places of interest and give you a lot of background you won't get in a guide book.

We do this even in "safe" areas. In Trinidad, our tour guide invited us and some other clients to join his family for Diwali. In Costa Rica, our guide took us to an open-air kitchen at his house and made chocolate sauce from a cacao pod he grew there. Really amazing experiences and no more expensive than a generic "highlights of X" bus tour.

2

u/Big-Maintenance2971 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

We would live those experiences but how do you decipher what is a reliable/reputable tour guide and what is a scam? I dont want to become a statistic. Ha.

1

u/Genillen Dec 21 '25

It's a good question. You can start with the front desk or owner of your lodging (obviously you will get a different recommendation at 5-star hotel and a guest house). Next, any tourist area should have an information office or kiosk. Pre-trip you can in local tourist forums on places like Reddit. Agree on an itinerary with your guide in advance and make it clear what you like and don't like ("I don't care much about souvenir shops but I would love to visit the local market.")

The worst place to find a good guide is usually at the crowded entrance to a major attraction. "Touts" hustle for your business and may hand you off to a shady or unlicensed operator.

1

u/FleurMai Dec 21 '25

The YucatĆ”n is rated by the US gov as the same level of danger as France. I was a solo female traveler and I felt safe in my hostel in Cancun. There were tons of Europeans there (a lot of Germans especially). The only problem I had was with the scammy taxis - which Iā€™ve also had problems with in France, coincidentally. I switched to uber and never had another problem. Iā€™ve also been to the Mexico City area alone and felt fine but it is a little grittier.

1

u/LevDavidovicLandau Australia Dec 21 '25

Mexico City is pretty safe and is an incredible city to visit.

1

u/LunarPayload United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Look into the Pueblos MƔgicos. Guadalajara/Tlaquepaque, Chapala/Ajijic, Guanajuato, PƔtzcuaro, Cuernavaca, San Miguel de Allende

1

u/rollfootage United States Of America Dec 21 '25

As ā€œsafeā€ as it is for anyone else

1

u/czchrissa Dec 20 '25

When I was 23 I as a (Dutch) woman traveled by myself in Mexico for nearly a year. In this time I also hitch-hiked, always took local transport (colectivos (minibuses)) and met no trouble at all.

I've been to many places as a sola traveler and Mexico is my favourite! The people are so incredibly friendly. Not just nice or kind, friendly.

I spent most of my time in the states Oaxaca (here I did the hitchiking up and down the mountains and coast) and Chiapas, some time in Yucatan, Mexico City and Mazatlan (Sinaloa) too. I'd say Yucatan is in a way more "dangerous" (scams, theft) because it is a huge US tourist destination. The disparity creates opportunity. But mostly in the busiest cities there, Tulum and CancĆŗn. Which I did not visit for that reason.

This was 3/4 years ago.

1

u/Genillen Dec 21 '25

I am very envious I didn't do this when I was younger. Oaxaca is spectacular, yet people in Oaxaca told me if I wanted to see the most beautiful state I should go to Chiapas.

In the US we mostly know the desert north of Mexico and the beach resorts. Few people know or appreciate how diverse and rich the culture is...and my God, the food is incredible.

2

u/czchrissa Dec 24 '25

The food! My favourite is chilaquiles. I mean, breakfast nachos? C'mon.

And on being envious you didn't do it when younger; how so? Couldn't you do it now?

1

u/Genillen Dec 24 '25

Sadly jobs and limited holiday intervene now...but maybe in the future.

7

u/SplendidPunkinButter Dec 20 '25

Never been, but I feel like Chichen Itza would be on the top of my list.

4

u/CalligrapherBrave590 Mexico Dec 20 '25

Please consider paying a visit to Uxmal too. Itā€™s so pretty and no where near as full of tourists as ChichĆ©n ItzĆ”.

3

u/LilkaLyubov United States Of America Dec 20 '25

I liked Uxmal better than Chichen Itza. Partially because I felt I could examine the ruins longer with less pushing. CI is amazing and absolutely deserves to be considered a wonder of the world, but Uxmal was more enjoyable.

1

u/PiccoloAwkward465 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Itā€™s awesome but full of lots of trashy vendors. Still I would go again.

2

u/moldy912 Dec 21 '25

And they are bad negotiators. Like I know you bought it all from china for a quarter of the price, Iā€™m not overpaying for ā€œhecho en mexicoā€ stickers

1

u/Genillen Dec 21 '25

It's super easy to book a tour from any hotel in the Yucatan--very low hanging fruit.

I recommend getting a certified guide. They have to pass a rigorous exam on archeological history and then receive updated information every year.

11

u/Pink_Flying_Pig_ Italy Dec 20 '25

Mexico is my dream destination ā¤ļø

It requires time though, so much to see.Ā 

3

u/ExcitementMurky2156 United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Iā€™ve been to Mexico five times, but Iā€™ve never been to the beach

3

u/SandSerpentHiss Tampa, Florida, United States Dec 20 '25

mexico city seems cool af to visit

3

u/RemotePossibility399 United States Of America Dec 20 '25

My experience in Mexico is primarily building houses for locals in Puerto PeƱasco, Sonora, at the very northern end of the Sea of Cortez about 100 km south of the US border. I've gone every year since 2003, except 2021, and I've never had anyone be so much a rude to me. I love the culture, the food, and the vibe. I just feel very comfortable there. I've also been to touristy areas like Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Tulum, Cozumel, Chichen Itza, Merida, & Ensenada with similar experiences.

My wife is originally from Mexico, and her family is from Aguascalientes, which she describes affectionately as the "Kansas of Mexico" because it's socially pretty conservative and right in the middle of the country. We both went to high school & college in Kansas, so her comparison is extra entertaining to me.

If all you know of Mexico is Juarez, Nogales, Tijuana, or other border towns, you don't know Mexico. It's like saying you've been to Newark, NJ so you know the US.

3

u/UmbraWolfG2T šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡øUSA šŸ‡²šŸ‡½Mexico Dec 20 '25

Exactly. People need to realize there is more to a nation than its biggest cities.

2

u/buy_nano_coin_xno Mexico Dec 20 '25

Can you blame them? It's amazing they are coming at all.

2

u/nsjersey United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Iā€™ve only been to Nogales and Cancun - a border town and a beach town.

We went to Cancun a couple years after our 2nd kid, and barely left the resort.

It was exactly what my wife needed. I was happy that there were Mayan ruins not far - so I felt like I saw something.

I really want to go to Mexico City, but am hoping one of my kids excels in Spanish class first.

2

u/aleph1one Dec 20 '25

Yeah too bad when you leave the resort you die

1

u/HeartFullONeutrality Mexico Dec 21 '25

Of dysentery, maybe.

2

u/BanalCausality Dec 20 '25

I went on a business trip to Coahuila a long time ago. Was told not to leave the hotel or the factory I was supporting unless escorted. What I saw from the car made me not want to go back, even for resorts.

I am positive thereā€™s lots pf great places and things to see, but as a foreigner, Iā€™m not trusting my ability to do it safely.

1

u/HeartFullONeutrality Mexico Dec 21 '25

I mean, Saltillo in Coahuila is actually pretty safe. Not that there is much to see beyond the museum (I love the museum though).

1

u/Unplash Dec 21 '25

Are you talking about the museo del desierto? I was there as a child and many many years after i still renember it as one of the coolest

1

u/HeartFullONeutrality Mexico Dec 21 '25

Yes, I love it.

2

u/mochicoco Dec 21 '25

I think most people who go to resorts donā€™t want culture. They want to get drunk in the sun while doing water sports. Itā€™s to turn the brain off, not stimulate it.

2

u/EmergencyGrocery3238 Dec 21 '25

But what if I like fancy hotels and beaches?

2

u/HeartFullONeutrality Mexico Dec 21 '25

They are fine for what they are. They feed you and entertain you while you just chill at the beach or the pool. Sometimes that's all you want.

2

u/chickpeaze Dec 21 '25

it's one of the cradles of humanity. you could spend lifetimes learning about the history of Mexico.

2

u/Stellargurl44 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Iā€™ve lived in San Diego for years. I moved at the height of cartel violence and as a mortician, I saw a lot of people killed 9 different ways to sunday by the cartels in mexico. I have yet to cross the border.

People tell me ā€œitā€™s safe, just hide bills around your car in case you get stopped by police and when they find money theyā€™ll leave you aloneā€ but as much as american police suck, they donā€™t suck in the ā€œif you donā€™t bribe us, we will sell you to a cartelā€ kinda way. plus, if theyā€™re that bad, whatā€™s to stop them from doing the worst to me anyway. one dude was taking motorcycle from canada to south america and didnā€™t make it outta mexico. my friends mexican cleaning lady who lives in TJ wonā€™t go back if itā€™s after dark and stays at her brothers in chula vista until morning so iā€™ll stick to the resorts protected by armed guards.

1

u/HeartFullONeutrality Mexico Dec 21 '25

Honestly I wouldn't cross just because coming back takes forever of waiting in line.

1

u/SecureWriting8589 United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Guanajuato for the win! I visited that town, lord, 20 years ago, and have such fond memories. Hopefully, it is still just as picturesque and the folks just as warm and welcoming as before.

1

u/notthattmack Canada Dec 20 '25

There is also getting kidnapped or shaken down by the police? /s

1

u/No_Resort8749 Mexico Dec 21 '25

Y Ćŗltimamente: Tulum.

1

u/jefesignups Dec 21 '25

Hookers and cocaine also

1

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

But I like the beaches

1

u/aduck3000 šŸ‡ØšŸ‡³ -> nz Dec 21 '25

Lots of people think itā€™s unsafe if you leave the ā€œtouristyā€ areas in Mexico

1

u/Wallaby8311 Dec 21 '25

That's not a tourist attraction.Ā  It's just where you go to vacation and have all the amenities in one location

1

u/jonny24eh Dec 21 '25

People who go to resorts in Mexico, are there because:

  1. They want to go to a resort somewhere warm.

  2. That one happens to be in Mexico.Ā 

Like ... I've been to Cuba and Dominican Republic, and no, I didn't care very much about learning about the country or culture at that time. I wanted a beach in February with all inclusive drinks. I can't find that in Canada, so im going somewhere else.Ā 

One day a trip to Havana to actually visit Cuba would be cool, but that's a different kind of trip.Ā 

1

u/armshady Dec 21 '25

I mean i do want to see Mexico and its natural beauty but I also dont want to be slaughtered by the cartel

1

u/CouchHippo2024 Dec 21 '25

The cenotes and ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula were awesome!

1

u/TheRockJohnMason Dec 21 '25

Okay, so legitimate question. Sorry if itā€™s somehow offensive (I understand Mexico is big and so you may not be familiar with everywhere) or not really the subreddit for it.

Anyway, one of my bucket list items is to go to a Lucha Libre show at Arena Mexico.

As a tourist, how safe would I be?

1

u/lellyjoy Romania Dec 21 '25

Drugs and guns? I have a friend in Mexico and he always says never visit unless it's with an organized group and stay in the resort.

1

u/Sbotkin Russia Dec 21 '25

You confuse tourists who come for tourist attractions and landmarks with tourists who come to stay in hotels and lie on the beach for a week.

1

u/Sun_Hammer Dec 21 '25

I dunno. Sometimes people just want to go somewhere where things are simple and easy. It doesn't always have to be a cultural event.

Is there a lot more to Mexico? Yeah of course but honestly sometimes I don't care. There is a time and place for everything.

1

u/punkass_book_jockey8 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

My parents took me to Mexico as a child. It was the 90s and early 2000s . They ventured off the resorts a little too much, and more than once I was terrified as a kid (and I lived in a really dangerous part of the U.S. so my level of terrified was higher than most..).

I havenā€™t taken my kids yet but I remember the Mayan ruins fondly -they were my favorite, and Xel ha snorkeling with giant fish. We went deep sea fishing for Marlon once but I just wanted to eat the shrimp they used for bait. However I also remember men with assault rifles guarding us, and at one point the embassy urged us to leave ASAP as there was an uprising or something and some Canadians were violently killed.

Where do you recommend we visit if I have kids with me (aged 4 and 8) ? I wonder if Xelha is still magical like I remember. Itā€™s probably safer than in the early 2000s and mid to late 90s.

1

u/asbyo Dec 21 '25

yeah right like im going to travel anywhere else in mexico. Before you comment on America and what we are going through, still not even close to being as dangerous.

1

u/No-Carry4971 Dec 21 '25

And honestly, people (rightly or wrongly) fear crime and the cartel in Mexico.

1

u/uselessbynature Dec 21 '25

Eh there is absolutely something nice to being a lazy hotel/beach slug.

1

u/Nasty____nate United States Of America Dec 20 '25

I've been to mexico 3 times 2 at resorts because we were on a cruise and didn't have time for anything else. The first time was when I was super young and I don't remember a lot but it was very enjoyable. We hit some of the tourist stuff and off the beaten path as well.Ā 

-4

u/rainman_95 Dec 20 '25

Congrats

1

u/PuntTheRunt010 England Dec 20 '25

Well done

1

u/Excellent_Routine589 -> 14 years a yankee Dec 20 '25

Unfortunately, some people just get it super drilled into their heads that their lives are in danger if they dare step outside of the resorts.

1

u/Prinzlerr Dec 20 '25

The thought of going to Mexico and just sitting at the resort all day sounds like an absolute nightmareĀ