Mexico Health & Safety

No vaccinations are required for visitors entering Mexico, but it is recommended that you seek medical advice if your travel takes you outside the more popular tourist areas. There is a risk of contracting malaria in some rural areas, but not near the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean resorts. Outbreaks of mosquito-transmitted dengue fever have been on the increase also.

Other health risks include diarrhea and dysentery, so it’s strongly advised to take sensible precautions with food and water. In particular, it is recommended that you drink bottled water only and are careful about consuming foods sold by street vendors. Overall, medical facilities are good, but taking out comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical emergencies is a good idea.

Indiscriminate terrorist attacks have been reported, particularly in Mexico City, where you’ll also find a higher rate of muggings and robberies. Travelers are advised to be vigilant on public transportation and at tourist attractions, and to use only authorized taxis. If you’re traveling by bus, it’s also a good idea to do so during daylight hours and to travel in first class service. Women traveling on their own are advised to be particularly alert in popular tourist areas, as increasing numbers of sexual assaults have been reported in Cancun.

Individuals pretending to be police offers have been reported to circulate in areas popular with tourists, attempting to collect fines from unsuspecting visitors. If you find yourself in this situation and are in doubt about whether the person is in fact a police officer, you should ask for identification and try to take note of their name and badge number. The greatest numbers of reports in this practice have come from Cancun, where motorists driving rental cars have been stopped and threatened with immediate imprisonment if fines were not paid on the spot.

The country’s coastal areas are sometimes affected by hurricanes during the months of June to November. Political demonstrations can turn violent and visitors are strongly advised to avoid getting involved. Oaxaca, a popular tourist destination in southern Mexico, has been experiencing ongoing protests against the local government, with the demonstrations turning violent at times.