7 Places in Mexico I’d Personally Avoid—and Why

7 Places in Mexico I’d Personally Avoid—and Why
Local knowledge helps separate Mexico’s safest places from those to avoid.|©iStock/Ceri Breeze

I’ve lived in Mexico for nearly a decade now. During that time, I’ve had countless conversations with my Mexican friends about safe and unsafe areas in Mexico, where to live, and which places they would personally avoid. They all say the same thing, and you know what? I listen.

They know their country. They grew up here, and they understand the good, the bad, and the ugly. They also come from all over Mexico, yet there’s strong agreement about certain locations, which makes their advice worth paying attention to.

Like many countries, Mexico offers an abundance of safe places filled with natural beauty, rich history, fascinating traditions, gorgeous textiles, and every climate you could wish for. And like anywhere else, there are also a few places where it’s wise to exercise extra caution or simply look elsewhere, much like certain cities in the U.S. with higher crime rates.

So I want to share what I’ve learned with you. Not to scare you away from moving to Mexico. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I love my life here. Instead, my goal is to help you make an informed decision about where you and your family might feel most comfortable, and which places are generally best avoided.

Sinaloa

We’ve all heard of the Sinaloa cartel in the news. They are not only Mexico’s largest cartel but one of the world’s largest criminal organizations. I’d recommend staying clear of Sinaloa state because that is where the Sinaloa cartel is based, in Culiacán. After all, if you move in next door to a powerful drug trafficking and organized crime syndicate, the chances of something bad happening will increase, right? That’s common sense.

There’s no denying the cartels exist. We’re not trying to deny it or put on rose-colored glasses. But it’s also not a danger blanket thrown over every corner of Mexico. Most of Mexico’s 31 states are safe for travel and for tourists and visitors. These few states are where the cartels run their organized crime syndicates and have a heavy presence. These are the places to avoid.

Michoacán

Michoacán state is home to some beautiful countryside and cities. I know that many people have lived there or had wonderful experiences, but it is on this list for good reason. Mexico’s top avocado-producing areas are in Michoacán. Its ideal climate and fertile soil are perfect for avocado production.

Known as green gold, avocados are one of Mexico’s biggest exports, which fill 25–30% of the global market. Michoacán is the primary producer, responsible for roughly 70–75% of Mexico’s total avocado export production (Jalisco is the second-largest producer), which, in 2025, hit a record high of over $4 billion USD, with the United States remaining the primary market, accounting for almost 80% of all exports.

This multi-billion-dollar industry also attracts the criminal element, all of whom want a cut of the profits. For this reason, the state has high levels of organized crime, cartel violence, kidnapping, and extortion, which has earned it a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory by both the U.S. and the UK.

Even so, some travelers still visit its beautiful cities without incident. As I said, these places have many beautiful areas, and the choice is yours as to whether you feel comfortable there.

Some areas of Jalisco

Jalisco is a beautiful state, made up of a patchwork of very safe areas and those best avoided. Popular safe havens like Puerto Vallarta and Lake Chapala, both with large, happy, and thriving expat communities, are very safe. These areas have lower crime rates and are very popular with tourists and visitors alike. Other popular, safe areas include Tequila Town, Tapalpa, San Sebastián del Oeste, Barra de Navidad, and Talpa de Allende, all known for their beauty and safety.

Having said that, Jalisco is also home to Mexico’s second-largest drug cartel, the CJNG, Jalisco New Generation Cartel. So, some other areas of the state, like the border regions, Lagos de Moreno, and Guadalajara, are known to have significant safety concerns due to high cartel activity and violent crime. Because of this, if you are looking to move to Jalisco, I would recommend only Lake Chapala and Puerto Vallarta, which you know are safe.

I also know Guadalajara has a lot of expats living in it, so if you are considering that city, do your due diligence and research first to see if you are comfortable with the fit.

Colima

All of my Mexican friends recommend staying clear of Colima state. Full stop.

It is considered dangerous due to extremely high levels of organized crime and cartel violence, with frequent gun battles leading to high homicide rates. In fact, it’s ranked as Mexico’s least peaceful state. This is due to cartels vying for control over drug trafficking routes. Because of this, Colima City has the highest homicide rate in Mexico. It also tops the list of global homicide rates due to intense cartel violence.

As always, if you do travel through, exercise caution and only travel on highways 54D, 110, and 200D between Manzanillo and Guadalajara. The only place within the state considered lower risk is the port and town of Manzanillo. Even then, only the central tourist area, Malecón, and Peninsula Santiago.

Guerrero

Within Guerrero, well-known cities like Acapulco and Taxco have expats living in them and are tourist hotspots of the state. But even in these places, travelers and tourists have been threatened by armed groups patrolling much of the state.

There is a high level of violent crime, kidnapping, cartel violence, and terrorism, which has earned the state a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory from the U.S. State Department, and all government employees are prohibited from traveling to any part of the state, including the tourist zones.

The UK also advises against all travel to Guerrero for these reasons. If you are interested in moving to a beachside city, Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen, or anywhere in the Riviera Maya are much safer options.

Tapachula

Sharing a border with Guatemala, this is the scariest place in Mexico I’ve been. I can attest to the vibe of not feeling safe, so much so that we stayed and ate in the hotel after a brief walk through town in the middle of the day. Tourists can generally find it safer, with caution, but I did not like the feel of the place at all, so I personally will never return.

As I said, Tapachula shares a border with Guatemala and is a border crossing. It is cited as one of the most dangerous cities in the world because of the usual reasons: cartel violence and disputes over drug trafficking routes, organized crime, and extortion. But being a border crossing and major hub for migrants, it has a high level of migrant crossings, with many people vulnerable and susceptible to violence and kidnappings for forced ransom payments.

It also has a high level of sexual violence and female abductions for human trafficking. I personally witnessed this with a tourist having her passport seized and being led away, when a friend (a Guatemalan university professor I was traveling with) grabbed her hand, asked for her passport back, and said she was traveling with us to prevent something from happening.

Overall, find another border to cross into Guatemala if you can.

Famed for its history, Acapulco now requires careful consideration from travelers.
Famed for its history, Acapulco now requires careful consideration from travelers.|©iStock/ntzolov

Acapulco

I know we touched on Acapulco in the Guerrero section, but it is worth discussing Acapulco itself. There have been songs written about it and movies filmed there, and yes, in the 1970s, it was a hot spot for movie stars.

That is all very romantic and wonderful history, but today's Acapulco is different. Now it is known for alarming rates of homicides and kidnappings, even in the tourist hotspots, which are generally considered safer.

Since both hurricanes and earthquakes have hit over the last few years, with Hurricane Otis in 2023 causing major damage that the city hasn’t recovered from yet, the city is still rebuilding. This has disrupted normal security operations, crime has increased, and road travel has become unsafe, especially after dark, when illegal roadblocks by criminal groups go up for extortion, robbery, and attacks.

Final Thoughts

Mexico has 31 states, most of which are full of friendly locals, beautiful textiles and traditions, pueblos mágicos, incredible food, and places that are absolutely worth visiting for all of these reasons and many more. The locations covered here are just seven, so please don’t take this to mean that all of Mexico is unsafe.

If you’re thinking about moving, you can read our full list of the best expat communities in Mexico for U.S. citizens here.

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