How is Playa del Carmen now?

Once a sleepy fishing village, Playa del Carmen is now a Riviera Maya destination in its own right. Here, lively bars and cool boutiques sit next to local taquerias and chic luxury hotels—all with a bit more authentic Mexican style than you'll find up the coast in Cancun.



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According to the website Numbeo, Playa del Carmen currently has an overall Safety Index of 50.55 as well as a Crime Index of 49.45, which is basically low-moderate on both counts.

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The beaches in Playa del Carmen experience a seasonal seaweed influx that can change throughout the year. While efforts are being made to address the situation, visitors should know that the seaweed may impact their beach experience.

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Playa del Carmen boasts an enviable collection of beaches, where you can enjoy typical Caribbean relaxation and swim in an unspoilt sea, perhaps coming across turtles while you do so.

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Playa del Carmen, the north beach in Tulum, and Akumal all have lifeguards for the beaches but they are limited. Swim close to shore and it you are not a big swimmer, wear a life vest. Waves will not get to big, this is a not a surfers paradise so swimming can be done every day!

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As with all of Mexico, the vast majority of Playa del Carmen visitors are completely safe. There are isolated incidents of crime like any other place on Earth, but for the most part, it's one of the best places to visit in Mexico.

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The U.S. State Department recently updated Mexico's Travel Advisory 2023 for U.S. Tourists traveling to Mexico due to crime in several Mexican states popular with American tourists. “Violent crime—such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery—is widespread and common in Mexico,” warns the State Department.

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If you're traveling in Playa del Carmen at the moment, you may notice some reddish-colored type of sargassum along the beach. Over the first two days of the new year, almost 5 tonnes of this red algae was collected by local authorities.

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Top Tip: Punta Esmeralda is a curved bay sheltered from the open sea, and thus receives less sargassum seaweed than other beaches in Playa del Carmen. If you're visiting during the sargassum season, which runs roughly from April to August, this might be the best place to swim in seaweed-free water.

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Playa del Carmen is one of the safest places to travel in Mexico, and one of the best beach towns in Mexico. For the most part, Playa del Carmen is considered safe for the majority of visitors, with the biggest threats usually being hurricanes, hangovers, sunburns and mosquitoes.

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Be extra careful at night in Playa del Carmen As with many places in the world, most crimes in Playa del Carmen occur at night. Besides being extra careful at the bars in Playa del Carmen, you'll also want to be extra careful when walking alone at night.

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Still, experts agree tourists are not the preferred target. “Most tourists will never meet the cartels. In other words, violence is often generic. The violence tourists face is much more local,” Hope said.

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From a Noticaribe article today about Cancún now being the 7th most violent city in México, which wasn't a big surprise, but one of the charts in the article listing the 30 cities with the most homicides in Mexico lists Playa del Carmen with 163 homicides January- October 2019 or 69.9 per 100,000 people.

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Playa del Carmen is a generally safe destination for solo visitors, though they should exercise caution as petty crime and scams have been known to occur in Mexico. Tips for solo travelers include sticking to main tourist centers, staying in hostels, and not walking alone at night.

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You can use the tap water to brush your teeth, however, do not drink the tap water. Drink water and lots of it. The myth that the water in Mexico makes people sick is outdated.

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Although many of the all inclusive resorts do spray for mosquitoes and fumigate on a regular basis for other insects, you may want to wear bug repellent especially at dawn and dusk. Some resorts have a lot of tropical vegetation and you may be participating in excursions that take you into the jungle.

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Although many of the all inclusive resorts do spray for mosquitoes and fumigate on a regular basis for other insects, you may want to wear bug repellent especially at dawn and dusk. Some resorts have a lot of tropical vegetation and you may be participating in excursions that take you into the jungle.

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