Ask Allan: Is Playa del Carmen Still Safe?

Hi, Allan

I have been hearing that Playa is not safe now. What’s going on there?

Teresa

Hi, Teresa

Thanks for your question.

First of all I have lived in Playa for 10 years and I consider Playa very safe. That being said, Playa is a city with a population of over 200,000 people so there are bound to be some bad elements. As in any city just use common sense. Most crime happens in non-tourist areas to people involved in the underside of Playa’s economy. The old saying applies – if you play with fire you are going to get burned.

Touching on recent events like the ferry bombing, it has been ruled to not be a terrorist event and not related to any criminal organization. There seems to have been foul play, and without speculation it makes me question who would set a bomb on a good ferry and have it go off when it was parked on shore? It seems to be to be economically or politically driven. To me it was an isolated event that does not impact Playa’s overall safety.

In terms of the US travel advisory urging travelers and US government workers to avoid certain areas of Playa, that advisory has already been lifted. From my research it appears to be politically driven as well and is no longer a concern. The US press was very quick to warn people about the “threat”. They have not been so quick to now assuage their fears and let them know it’s safe to return.

Best,

Allan

Allan Lockhart

Co-owner, North American Standards