One of the most common questions Spanish students ask before coming to Mexico is:
“Is Mexico safe to travel?”
The reality is that Mexico is a large and diverse country, and safety depends a lot on the city, neighborhood, and travel habits. Every year, thousands of travelers, digital nomads, and Spanish students come to Mexico City to experience the culture and improve their Spanish safely.
At Speak Like a Mexican, many of our students participate in Spanish immersion programs in Mexico City while exploring museums, markets, neighborhoods, cafés, and cultural activities with local guidance.
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If you are concerned about potential hazards prior to your trip, we strongly recommend that you do your research in advance, contact tourist offices or ask your travel agency for up-to-date information about your destination. What areas are worth seeing and recommended? What is not recommended? This will help you start your journey through the diverse country in a relaxed manner.
1. How is security in Mexico?
Safety in Mexico depends a lot of the place, in general the safest places tend to be where the tourism is concentrated and the most insecure areas are the states near the border.
Among the most common crimes that you can face would be the “famous” pickpockets, assaults on public roads or public transport and fraud sometimes happens because when we are on vacation we get distracted and let our guard down by everything we see around us so always keep an eye out for anything, it is essential.
However, if you´re in Mexico City you can stay in the touristy areas such as : Roma, Condesa, Juarez, Polanco, Napoles, Centro Historico and big part of the city where many locals speak english (but not fluently, that’s why you also need to learn Spanish)
2. COVID-19
Currently it is no longer mandatory to travel to Mexico to have a certificate of vaccination or to use masks, but what is true is that the pandemic continues and cases (although to a lesser extent) continue to occur and more in crowded places such as Mexico City.
Although it is no longer mandatory, it is still recommended to follow the recommendations such as staying in ventilated places, washing hands frequently, the use of masks in crowded places and having been vaccinated to help minimize the problem.
3. Precautions to be taken
it is important that you keep the following precautions in mind before traveling as they will be of great help to you:
- Always keep your belongings in sight, go out with as few valuables as possible and leave your documents or any other very important object in the safe of your hotel.
- If you become a victim of a robbery, hand over what you are asked for and avoid the conflict since your well being is more important.
- Do not wander the streets at night as it is more likely that your belongings can be stolen, especially if you are traveling alone, so avoid going out by yourself at night.
- Whenever you go to withdraw money do it in a bank that is watched and keep alert that no one is following you.
- Be careful with cabs, preferably use those that have defined stops or the classic brands like Uber or Didi.
- When you are in a crowded place or using public transportation take care of your belongings all the time.
- Avoid spicy food as you may get sick of your stomach and that could keep you in bed for a couple of days.
- Have a travel insurance for any emergencies that may arise.
- Be careful with drinks, be attentive when your order a drink and don’t lose sight of your glasses.
Want to experience Mexico City while improving your Spanish?
Our Spanish immersion program combines private lessons with real cultural experiences around Mexico City. Students practice Spanish while exploring local neighborhoods, markets, museums, cafés, and cultural traditions with native teachers.
Explore our Spanish immersion program in Mexico City.
In general Mexico is not a dangerous country as long as you follow the proper precautions and stay away from high risk areas, other than that in the worst of situations you could be a victim of the most common crimes, crimes that even in the safest countries happen from time to time.
If you want to know which places you should visit, check this blog.
