Is Cozumel SAFE?

[jscheier]

I know there are and have been travel bands in parts of Mexico - however, is Cozumel safe (outside of the resort)?

Thanks

J

 

[wedivebc]

I have been travelling to Yucatan area , including Cozumel at least once or twice a year for about a dozen years now. Never stay in resorts, never had any problems of have I heard of anyone having problems other than petty crime. I feel safer in Mexico than I do in the USA.

 

[uncfnp]

Eric had the same misgivings about Mexico and that's why it took me years to talk him into diving Cozumel. He could not have been more wrong and we both now love the island and have our third trip planed since our first last summer. The diving, the food, the people and the island, we love it. As I told someone at work that asked this same question, I feel safer walking downtown San Miguel then nearby cities USA.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Yes, extremely safe.

 

[kelemvor]

When I was there in 2015 we felt safe enough everywhere we went. There was a lot of police and military presence while we were there. We did get approached by a lot of street urchins/vendors but never had a real problem with any of them.

 

[BRT]

We have traveled Q. Roo and Yucatan day and night since 1996. Our car window was broken once when my wife left her purse on the seat. I would say the worst danger is from driving. There are accidents every time it rains. Cozumel is safer than the rest of Q. Roo and Yucatan.

 

[bamafan]

Cozumel has a navy and air force base there. Also they shut down the ferries if anything happens there till the perpetrators are caught. There is some minor stuff such as purse snatching etc but I feel safe there. We normally stay in town and walk all over at night and I have never had an issue.

 

[mstevens]

Cozumel is safer than the rest of Q. Roo and Yucatan.

And Quintana Roo and Yucatan are themselves very safe.

No place is immune to problems or crime.

Cozumel's rate of property crime is pretty similar to most US cities of equal size. I would not leave my stacks of gold bars on my front porch if I were not at home. Opportunistic theft is definitely a risk, but that would be the case nearly anywhere. Somebody robbed a jewelry store once in a very well-planned operation.

Its rate of crimes against persons is a bit lower (drunks still get in bar fights, families still have bust-ups). There are purse-snatchings that have caused injuries - several women per year get hurt when teens on scooters try to grab their bags. This happens on residential streets with little traffic and few witnesses.

Its rate of serious crimes is noticeably lower than a US city of equal size, and nearly all of that involves only full-time residents, not tourists. Every few years there's a murder or attempted murder. That's a lot less than the 2 nearest to me US cities of comparable size, and they're both viewed as very low-crime areas by US standards.

My parents are in their 80's and just returned from Cozumel last week. They enjoyed it as much as always and felt as safe as always.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

My wife and I have walked all over Cozumel, at all hours, from me being perfectly sober to a few too many. Obviously a tourist, so obviously unarmed, and carrying enough cash to make trying to mug me worthwhile. We always stay in town. Never had a problem, never had reason for concern, never felt like anyone looked at me twice. Never had anything lifted by a maid. I'm wired a little (a lot) on the paranoid side and I have never had an issue in Cozumel in 2 to 3 trips a year. I can't say the same for Roatan, Jamaica, or mainland Mexico.

Safe travels,
Jay

 

[deepsea21]

Cozumel is safe as long as you are smart just like being smart in any town/city anywhere. Walk around after midnight loaded and stumbling about you're asking for trouble anywhere (as some just found out). For some reason people leave their brains on the plane or ship while on vaca. The reality is every destination has its issues and risks and if you wouldn't do it at home, what makes one think it's safe to do it on vaca?