Mexico - How dangerous is it really?

[kangarunner]

I'm thinking about flying to Mexico and staying there for 1-2 months. Does anyone have any advice on Mexico? Good towns / cities? Any places to steer clear from due to violence or crime?

[kangarunner]

Any of you guys been to Mexico and got recommendations on where to go?

Oaxaca?
Cancun?
Cabo San Lucas?
Mexico City?

[Lucas88]

I'm thinking about flying to Mexico and staying there for 1-2 months. Does anyone have any advice on Mexico? Good towns / cities? Any places to steer clear from due to violence or crime?

Some of the safest cities in Mexico are:

Mérida
Tulum
Cancún
Playa del Carmen
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico City
Querétaro

My family went on vacation to Playa del Carmen and said that it was great.

I had a girlfriend from Querétaro and she says that her city is economically developed and relatively safe. It's the second wealthiest Mexican city after Monterrey.

I myself lived in the small town of Montemorelos in the state of Nuevo León and then in Monterrey and also have a good friend from the latter. The place seemed safe enough and I never felt threatened.

If you want to go to a tourist resort, Tulum, Cancún, Playa del Carmen or Puerto Vallarta would be great for you. If you don't want that and prefer to live like a local, then you could try Querétaro with its beautiful colonial architecture or Mexico City.

[gsjackson]

I had a girlfriend from Querétaro and she says that her city is economically developed and relatively safe. It's the second wealthiest Mexican city after Monterrey.

Monterrey? That's certainly contra-brand, though I guess I'm showing my age here. I believe Monterrey is still best known in American culture for teams that won consecutive Little League World series titles in the '50s. These kids were dirt poor, spent a month on the road getting to Pennsylvania with only one set of regular clothes, including underwear. Movies were made about them. Monterrey entered the American public consciousness as a dusty, unattractive, impoverished industrial city. So if they're still doing industry, I guess that's how they became wealthy, as much of the western hemisphere is now populated with impoverished PhDs.

[Lucas88]

Monterrey? That's certainly contra-brand, though I guess I'm showing my age here. I believe Monterrey is still best known in American culture for teams that won consecutive Little League World series titles in the '50s. These kids were dirt poor, spent a month on the road getting to Pennsylvania with only one set of regular clothes, including underwear. Movies were made about them. Monterrey entered the American public consciousness as a dusty, unattractive, impoverished industrial city. So if they're still doing industry, I guess that's how they became wealthy, as much of the western hemisphere is now populated with impoverished PhDs.

Yep, Monterrey has come along way, although I didn't really like the city at all. When I visited in the mid 2010s, Monterrey had the vibe of a US city except everyone was brown and spoke Spanish. I remember the place being full of American fast food joints like Carl's Burgers. The city was booming with business but at the same time felt really soulless. I much preferred the small town of Montemorelos which felt like real Mexico with its charming and colorful colonial architecture, its characteristic Mexican bars and restaurants, and its beautiful monuments. One thing that I did like about Nuevo León is that it's cowboy country and the women were smoking hot with their jeans and cute little cowgirl boots. Many of them are mestizas more on the European side, perhaps even castizas, so Nuevo León is a good place for those who like more European-looking Latinas. But as for Monterrey itself, the city has bad energy in my opinion. My Mexican friend from there says the same thing. He wants to get out of that city.

There are far better places than the ugly soulless city of Monterrey. Zacatecas is know for its beautiful colonial architecture but I've heard that it's somewhat dangerous. Guadalajara is also known for its cultural beauty but, from what I've heard, it's not entirely safe either. But any of the places that I listed above should be fine.