If you are wondering if Playa Del Carmen is a safe place to visit and travel to you are in luck. I will review some important key safety tips before you visit the beautiful Playa Del Carmen beach in the Cancun Mexico area. 

Where is Playa Del Carmen?

Playa Del Carmen is conveniently located on the eastern coast of the Yucatan peninsula in Quintana Roo which is about 45 minutes away from Cancun. It is part of the coveted Riviera Maya and home to beautiful beaches that are visited by millions of tourists each year by both airplane and cruises.

It is truly a beautiful paradise setting with lush tropical beaches, with cultural aspects deeply rooted in Mayan ancestry and home to mystical jungles and cenotes that will have your heart craving for more.

Important Playa Del Carmen Safety Tips Before You Visit

When traveling to any foreign country, it is imperative that you use common sense and self-awareness when out and about and walking in the town.

I never personally felt in danger while walking on the streets of Playa Del Carmen, nor did I get the feeling that I was being observed in any nefarious manner. I found the locals for the most part to be friendly and willing to do business.

Obviously, it is important to use common sense and avoid putting yourself in situations that put you in harm’s way like in any other metropolitan city. Do not go out looking for bad vices like: drugs or escorts if you want to stay safe of the dark side of the town.

If you are just looking to have a great time, do some shopping, enjoy the beautiful food and restaurants that Playa Del Carmen has to offer, I would say that it is perfectly safe in Playa Del Carmen to travel.

Is Playa Del Carmen Safe and How Bad is the Crime Level?

Yes Playa Del Carmen is safe for visitors currently to travel in and out of the country.

The United States government currently has a Level 2 travel advisory in effect for Mexico, which applies to Cancun and Playa Del Carmen as well. Level 2 is one level higher than the Level 1 – Exercise normal precautions.

It is still one level lower than Level 3 – Reconsider Travel, so while it is not considered dangerous to travel to Playa Del Carmen it is still important to take basic precautions.

The travel advisory does change frequently from time to time as events and news changes and occasional developments do erupt depending on the local circumstances in the area, so be mindful of checking the travel advisory prior to leaving for your trip to Playa Del Carmen.

Most crimes in Playa Del Carmen relate to petty crimes like pick-pocketing and petty theft. For this reason, it is important not to flash jewelry or other expensive belongings like expensive watches or designer clothing to attract the wrong type of crowd or shady characters in the area.

Some Important Safety Tips for Playa Del Carmen: Avoid Extravagant Personal Attire and Jewelry

Super expensive worldwide known designer brands like Rolex watches, Gucci or Versace or other top label world renowned merchandise should never be worn as they may attract unwanted attention while in Playa Del Carmen.

Even though you may feel like you are “vacation” and want to show off your best attire, it is important to keep your attire simple. Don’t wear any necklaces, chain jewelry, bracelets or rings that may have high perceived monetary value as you can make yourself a potential target for petty thieves (although it’s rare).

I like to keep a low profile while traveling in a foreign country, especially one where the economy relies on tourism and many folks often work months at a time to earn the equivalent of a week’s or day’s wage for some folks in places like the United States or in Europe. It is a difficult economy and government structure where getting prominent and gainful employment is rare or difficult, causing most people to either open a business, work blue collar jobs, work in the tourism or service industry or worse turn to crime.

While most people are genuine, there is always bad actors no matter where you go.

There are other small petty occurrences that happen in Playa Del Carmen near the tourist areas overcharging for taxi rides, accommodations and other resources like food at restaurants or merchandise but these are not serious issues that would detract me from visiting Playa Del Carmen. If anything, you should go in to Playa Del Carmen fully informed with an open mind.

It is rare to see violent crime against tourists, as most of the violent are aimed at other drug related gangs or cartel-related violence that doesn’t have to do with tourists. As long as you stay out of their business, and focus on having a great time – the need to worry about such violence is minimal.

Review of Police Presence and Safety in Playa Del Carmen

The best answer to the question of whether Playa Del Carmen is safe begins by evaluating the law enforcement and police presence in Playa Del Carmen.

You’ll often find local police and Mexican “Marinas” (translated to Marines) patrolling the streets of Playa Del Carmen. They will often be in full tactical gear with large automatic rifles and body armor, often dressed in military attire or cameo tactical gear. Do not be alarmed, as that is how they tend to operate and patrol the street and keep you safe.

Also, on the roads you will often see the police in pick-up trucks with their siren lights perpetually on as their cruise the streets. This does not mean there is an emergency or that there is trouble around – but rather this is the standard in which they patrol.

In the main area, you may see armed guards patrolling the main strip of Playa Del Carmen, particularly near the port with rifles in hand. This is normal in Mexico, and they will not bother you unless you cause trouble.

Is Public Transportation Safe in Playa Del Carmen?

I try to avoid riding in public taxes, or using public ride sharing apps like Uber or Lyft unless it is an emergency. I recommend only riding in vetted transportation options such as those offered by the resort or through a well-known excursion company.

Although public transportation is available, it is a service utilized mostly by the locals. If you are staying at any of the Cancun Hotels or Resorts near Playa Del Carmen, you’ll rarely if ever feel like you’ll need to utilize public transportation or buses.

In fact, public transportation via bus is so sparse that it’s almost never utilized at all, as most locals either walk or drive around on either single or double rider mopeds in the main strip. It seems to be the convenient and economical way to ride around in Mexico, especially for the locals. You can also rent a moped as well, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’ve ridden one before and you know your way around the streets well.

Driving can be erratic in Playa Del Carmen, and traffic enforcement is rare. Often, very few drivers follow standard driving etiquette in this country – and you’ll be shocked at some of the maneuvering of the drivers in the Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen area. There is little regard for pedestrians or traffic signs often, and some unconventional and aggressive driving is often commonplace. So be cautious about this if you’re planning to rent a car.

I recommend only using Resort or Hotel provided transportation, and to get recommendations early on before your trip and read reviews.

The Famous Fifth (5th) Avenue Shops and Restaurants

Near the Playa Del Carmen beach, is the infamous 5th avenue shops. This is the main hub where all the cruises and ferries come in through the part. In Fifth avenue, you will find a plethora of restaurants, bars, clubs and shops as you walk through the block.

In some cases, some people have reported that they have been offered drugs or contraband in this narrow set of shops, and certain areas of the strip can become a bit rowdy towards the evenings as the music and party vibe starts to get turned up on full blast. Personally, I did not encounter anything of this nature while I walked down the Fifth Avenue Shops.

While I never felt like I was in danger of getting robbed, pickpocketed or harassed – just be prepared that a lot of the shopkeepers and vendors will try to haggle you and convince you to either browse their store or buy a piece of their merchandise that may be on display in the marketplace. I did not feel threatened at all by any of the vendors and I felt like they simply were hard at work trying to make a living.

Cartel Violence Safety Concerns in Playa Del Carmen

In answering the question whether Playa Del Carmen is safe, we must first address the huge elephant in the room. In recent months, there has been elevated concerns about cartel violence and gang activity in the Cancun Mexico and Playa Del Carmen area. Some travelers can be apprehensive in recent months due to the news of cartel violence due from the killing of the leader of the New Generation Cartel (CJNG) by the Mexican government. Initially, this caused an uproar and outbreak of violence amongst the cartel members in protest of the government’s actions. There were reports of cars, buses and local businesses being set on fire and the killing of both Marinas and the local police force for a few days. Although no tourists seemed to have been harmed in the bout of violence nor was it aimed at any of the visitors in the local hotels or Resorts in the tourist areas. The violence in the area has since calmed down quite a bit.

Chances are better than ever, if you are traveling to Cancun and stick in the tourist areas and ride through secure and vetted transportation through your local Hotel or Resort’s provided transportation you will be more than fine.

Most cartel-related violence are aimed towards rival cartel members and not the tourists themselves, as they are the lifeblood of the tourism economy in Cancun, Mexico. Any such violence geared towards tourists or foreigners will often be met with swift opposition by the Mexican military or mariners. Cartels know this fact, and often deliberately avoid causing any violence near the tourist populated hotels or Resorts near Cancun.

Very rarely, you’ll read on the news about a tourist getting killed during cartel violence – not because they were the main target but they were part of the crossfire or accidentally got hit when the violence erupted amongst cartel gang members. It is not a daily occurrence anymore, but it is important to mention when evaluated whether or not Playa Del Carmen is safe to travel to travel.

Some rumor that Cartels have an ownership in some of the Resorts and Hotels near Cancun, Mexico and Playa Del Carmen, so they wouldn’t want to damage their own assets or properties and investments. There is a rumor of course, and we will never have solid proof of any of this.

Is Playa Del Carmen Safe? My Final Verdict is Yes!

The media does tend to over-sensationalize the risk of traveling to Playa Del Carmen, creating fear in tourist’s minds. But I wouldn’t let these rare outliers of violence affect your decision to visit this beautiful country we call Mexico and in particular Playa Del Carmen.