Is Cozumel Safe to Travel?

 

One of the most recent questions, is whether Cozumel Mexico is a safe place to travel because of the Travel Advisory issued by the U.S. State Department. As an American living in Cozumel for over 20 years, I can positively assure anyone who is concerned, that Cozumel is one of the safest places I have ever been. There are over 2,000 Americans living in Cozumel, and even more people from all over the world who are living in Cozumel.

But living here, makes me somewhat biased so, I have included a video about what others have to say about how safe they feel in Cozumel. Anyone who has traveled to Cozumel knows that the island is far from unsafe. I would also like to encourage you to join this conversation, and provide your insights and experiences below.

Cozumel is the #1 traveled cruise port in the Caribbean Sea, and rated as the #3 best cruise port in the World. Cruise ship companies always put their passenger’s safety above all else, and would discontinue to frequent the Island if there was a real threat. There have been many cruise ports that have had safety issues, and the cruise ships no longer travel to that port.

As we all know, there are bad places anywhere in the World. Its always wise to keep an eye on your surroundings no matter where you are. Its always important to take precautions when traveling regardless of where you. The worse crime I have been witness to is, people leaving their belongings behind and opportunists taking advantage. The worst crimes, aren't from criminals, but from opportunists who made a bad decisive decision at the moment. Many times people just misplace their things, and many times when we find their item (most of the time a phone, camera, wallet etc.) we send it back to them for free. Many say the biggest crimes on the island are committed by taxi drivers, who are overcharging for taxi fares.

Cozumel is a tourism destination, and most of the people who live here work in tourism. The Cozumel economy is strong, and there aren't issues with unemployment. Cozumel receives Millions of visitors a year, and there has never been a tourist harmed by gang violence on the island.

Many articles have accused the United States of falsifying news to help the struggling economy, and help keep the flow of cash within the country. I personally don’t know whether this is true, and hope not because many innocent people are being affected, as well as people who were looking forward to their vacation in Cozumel. I can certainly understand the Europe warning, because of all the recent events with terrorism. It was also mentioned that the locations where gang violence is prominent, and are not tourist destinations. That the US is bending the truth. Also goes onto to say that the violence is between gangs and that no tourists were ever harmed. Another article compares the crime rate, where the crime stats show 8 times more crime in the US compared to Mexico.

One thing to keep in mind when visiting Cozumel and booking an excursion, is that you should always book a tour with a licensed and insured tour operator. Unfortunately, there are many tours that are not legal or insured and you should always make sure to ask whether they are. Our family has been providing tours in Cozumel for over 20 years, and we are one of the only licensed tour operators to provide private tours. We only sell our family tours on our website, so beware if websites claim to sell our private tours. You can learn more about our private tours in Cozumel by visiting our Private Cozumel Jeep Excursions

Growing up in a big City, and moving to Cozumel Island was a huge adjustment. I noticed that I brought a different perspective to a calm and friendly Island. The locals in Cozumel are friendlier than any culture Ive had the opportunity to meet. I have been to many places in the World, including many places in Mexico, and nothing compares to how safe this Island is. Its truly unbelievable how pleasant people are here. They will go out of their way to help each other without an agenda. Many people on the Island speak English, which is truly amazing but not so great when your trying to learn Spanish. The standard of living is much higher in Cozumel, which also helps keep the Island safe. It reminds me of a small town where everyone knows everyone and the entire town gets together on the weekend for local events. Well, that’s exactly what they do here. Every Sunday evening there is a live band in Centro, where people come to dance, enjoy life and spend time with other locals. They also come to watch the water show (newly constructed fountain with water/light show) The celebration is for the day off of work, and has been going on for many years. You will see many tourists enjoying this weekly event with the locals. I would’t want any other place to raise my children, because Cozumel is safe and as the locals call it “tranquilo”, which means calm/quit in Spanish.

Cozumel is an amazing Island, and offers many great activities and attractions. A great way to learn about what to do in Cozumel, with our Best Things to do in Cozumel article. The article highlights all of the top things to do in Cozumel, whether you are coming on a cruise or staying at a resort, or even just coming to Cozumel for the day on the ferry.