Safety in Playa del Carmen

Earlier this month the media in the US, Canada, and I even saw a report from England, reported about a crime that occurred here in Playa del Carmen. The first report had a misleading headline that stated the crime had occurred in a resort, and later that was updated with the correct information, that it occurred in a local neighborhood that is miles from 5th Avenue.

This crime took place in a low-income area of Playa del Carmen, more than 5 miles away from the touristic zone and any residential area that you would probably ever live or invest in. A neighborhood that I have never been to, nor have my colleagues. If you know Playa del Carmen very well, you know it’s a small town, so 5 miles is actually a LONG way away. A couple of years ago we had a few occurrences of crimes happening on 5th Avenue, which happens in any touristic city, anywhere in the world.

Immediately I had people messaging me asking if I was ok, if I was safe here, and what was going on. I thought it would be good to write a blog about security and safety here, from the perspective of someone who relocated from the United States.

In 2013 I relocated full-time to Playa del Carmen, I was born and raised in Iowa, spending 32 years in the state, 10 of those in the state capital of Des Moines. The first time I lived anywhere but Iowa was when I moved to Mexico. The neighborhood I live in is local, not a gated community, and I can honestly say that in 6 years, I have never felt unsafe here in Playa del Carmen. Just as I did when I lived in Iowa, I pay attention to where I am, I’m conscious of my surroundings, and I don’t partake in illegal activities.

I’ve read comments in the different Facebook groups from people saying that real estate agents will tell you what you want to hear in order to get you to buy here. The fact is, if I didn’t feel safe in Playa del Carmen, I wouldn’t live here. My coworkers have families that they are raising in here, and if they felt their children were unsafe, they wouldn’t live here. The majority of people who are scared to visit here, are, sadly, people that have never been to Mexico, and base their opinions of this beautiful country solely on what they read in the news.

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that there is no crime in Playa del Carmen. This is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and sadly, it’s not all good, law-abiding people that are moving here.

That being said, it’s 2019. We live in a world where crime happens.

My biggest advice I can give you – if you are visiting or living in Playa del Carmen, Des Moines, Tulum, Chicago, New York, Paris, or ANY city in the world is – be smart.

If you have any questions about living in Playa del Carmen full-time, I’m more than happy to talk with you about my experiences.

Find here a video that we recently shared in our social media…