Cancun

[Ivan The Awesome]

A lot of people don't know about Cabo. Cabo is another place you'd want to go. It's relatively safe and there are no drug cartel activities around that area. I wouldn't recommend Mazatlan, that's one of the Cities that are close to HQ of one of the major Cartels. I realize that where you're flying from may factor into this. Cabo is West. So if you're flying from the East, it will take a little bit to get there.

Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, is another place that's not well known, been there several times. It's very low key, it's more of a party town though. Rocky point as it's called is a very bi-lingual town. Just think you're in a border town on the AZ,TX,CA side. Locals 85% of the time will speak English.

Veracruz is beautiful as well, but again, it's not recommended at all, another major cartel is based in that region. Just say no to Veracruz.. trust me.

Acapulco used to be a very amazing place to go visit. I went there several times as a child and 2 times as an adult. Unfortunately because of the governments campaign against drugs. Cartels in that area wreak havoc, it was a lot more dangerous in the 2006-2009 time frame. It's died down some, but I still wouldn't recommend going there. I hate to say it but it's just not safe at all, not even for the locals.

I just recently came back from Mexico City, I went to visit family members that I've never met before. I had a great time taking in the sites, learning more and more about my country. Every major site I went to, every bar or club, whatever. I saw plenty of English speaking natives. I met 2 packers fans on the subway, from Kenosha(?), WI. They were super nice. I thought it was admirable the way they tried to connect because I was wearing my panthers hoodie at the time. They were pleasantly surprised I could speak English fluently like them, so we chatted for a good while. They have been there for 2 weeks and that day was their last. I asked them what they thought of the city. They said it was very magical and that they never thought it would be that way. I personally was surprised. They didn't have a guide at all for most of their trip. They have balls.

Cancun, I can't really comment on, other than its very beautiful. From what I've been told from friends I have back in America. They've gone there, come back, gone, come back. Nothing ever happened. Just had a blast and got hammered.

Just do the research. Mexico is a very beautiful place. Just like ANY country, there's danger. If you're going to go make sure you know about the place. Never let your guard down. I don't care if you go to the safest place in the world, you always have to be on guard.

If you avoid the places I mentioned you should be fine.

[Hawk]

I don't think beautiful beaches are as readily available in Cabo as they are in other resort areas of Mexico though...rocky and lots of places with strong currents.

I've been to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Manzanillo, Loreto and a couple times to the Mayan...and you can't beat the Mayan in my opinion...it really has it all. and...lots of Europeans go there = boobies on the beach

[Epistaxis]

We go to Mexico once, sometimes twice a year.

We were just in Puerto Morelos (just south of cancun) a few weeks ago.

You can find trouble anywhere. Stay out of trouble, don't do anything stupid, and be aware of your surroundings if you are a single young dude.

I was travelling with the kids and in-laws, so trouble wasn't really on the menu.

[Claws]

Bring me back some loratab.

500 of em.

[Hawk]

insert potentially racist OJ Simpson joke here!

[PhillyB]

ignore the greenhorns telling you to stay away from mexico because it's dangerous. if you're not buying cocaine or diddling around in strip joints in tijuana you'll be fine.

my advice is to stay away from cancun. it's totally overdone, you won't even know you're away from america. there are no public beaches there because all the beachfront has been bought up by the glass-and-steel resorts and condominium towers. totally commercialized and ruined. cozumel island is the same.

about twenty miles south of cancun is playa del carmen. it's supposed to be the next up-and-coming cancun. it's still commercialized, and there are plenty of new developments, but there are still loads of open-access beaches, prices are half of what you'll spend in cancun, and there are less tourist tauts and traps. you are also a quick bus ride away from the underground caves that permeate the southern yucatan, which I have not been to but are supposed to be awesome.

take a bus to tulum as well, i think it's an hour or two south. go visit the mayan ruins on the beach, but get there early, especially if you want pictures, because it gets crowded as hell. chichen itza is a few hours west of cancun and is even more spectacular ruins-wise, if you're into that sort of thing.

[Hotsauce]

Cancun = new Orleans of Mexico

Saying that, I am planning a trip in August

[PantherMan89]

Yeah I was definitely planning on making a trip to see the ruins if possible. I haven't looked into it yet really as far as renting a car and doing it or going on a tour. Plan on spending most of my time at the beach and doing a little site seeing

[CosmoGirl]

insert potentially racist OJ Simpson joke here!

I said "you're going to the can, coon". That one?

[CosmoGirl]

I think the Mayan Riveira has the most beautiful water in the Carib - and I've been everywhere. My favorite place ever is St. Maarten and I go as often as possible. However, the MR is awesome. I went to Playa del Carmen in May/June and then back to Cancun just a month ago, and have another trip planned for August. The trip a month ago was solo during my month off between jobs. I never felt unsafe at all.

[Anybodyhome]

What I've discovered in the past 3 years is fewer people going to Cancun or the surrounding areas for much the same reason as the OP- is it safe?

The opposite side of that- places like Aruba, Bahamas, Caymans a getting so crowded it's a real pain just to get somewhere and relax. My last trip to Aruba was more crowded than my last trip to Cancun... but I usually stay at one of the ends of Cancun instead of right in the middle of the Hotel Zone- that's where Cancun is crowded.

We usually find an adult-only resort, which are normally separated from most of the big hotels, and spend our days lying on the beach or taking a tour somewhere. Tulum was magnificent, the whole Mayan culture was fascinating and with the right tour guide it's as interesting as anything I've ever seen. That's saying a lot since I spent 20 years in the Navy and have traveled most of the world.

[thefuzz]

St. Johns.

Just go there.

[CosmoGirl]

I hate Aruba. I wouldn't go back there unless it were free. It's very expensive, feels like South Beach. I want to go to an island and feel a bit of a culture. Aruba is too Americanized. Plus, an MAJOR PITA to fly out of because you have to do US Customs at the airport there instead of back in the US, adding at least an hour to getting to the airport, taking away from beach time. I'd rather stand in line for an hour back in the US that take away from my vacation.