The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Mexico following the deaths of three tourists in the northern state of Baja California. The group — Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad — were camping and surfing on a remote stretch of the coast when they were reported missing on Saturday, April 27. On Sunday, May 5, they were found dead with gunshot wounds; it’s believed that they were victims of carjacking.
While the main tourist areas in Quintana Roo, such as Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen, are considered relatively safe, the Foreign Office is advising against non-essential travel to large parts of Mexico due to the number of violent crimes. It has also updated its advice to include the possibility of carjacking, and what to do if you’re affected. If you have a trip planned, here’s what you need to know.
Where were the tourists killed in Mexico?
The group were on a surfing and camping trip along the remote coast near the city of Ensenada in Baja California, the Mexican state just south of the border with the US, when they went missing. They had been due to travel to the city of Rosarito, but failed to turn up at the accommodation they had booked, and were reported missing on Saturday, April 27.
Local authorities announced on Sunday, May 5, that their bodies, had been found in a deep well near the township of Santo Tomas, in a remote area south and inland of Ensenada.
A burned-out vehicle and tents believed to have been used by the group were found near the beach in a surf spot known as La Bocana.
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Baja California’s chief public prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said that the incident was a suspected robbery. It’s believed that thieves tried to steal the tyres from the car, with the group shot when they tried to resist.
Two men and a woman have been arrested and questioned in connection with the crime.
How common are carjackings in Mexico?
Carjacking is considered very common in Mexico. According to a report published by AMIS Mexico, the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions, there were 60,939 reported incidents of vehicle thefts in the year to March 2024. Of these, 57 per cent were robo con violencia, or carjackings.
More than 80 per cent of carjackings took place across nine states: Mexico State, Jalisco, Puebla, Mexico City, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Morelos, Veracruz and Sinaloa. The top five states where carjacking represented a higher proportion of offences than the national average of 57 per cent were Zacatecas (79 per cent), Sinaloa (76 per cent), Puebla (72 per cent), Michoacan (71 per cent) and Tlaxcala (70 per cent).
The number of vehicle thefts in Baja California is quite high — it’s 11th out of the 32 Mexican states. Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan Peninsula and home to resorts such as Tulum, Cancun and Playa del Carmen, is number 20 on the list for car thefts so it’s relatively safer.
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These numbers are released by AMIS and apply only to cars that are insured in Mexico. There is no data available for cars brought in from other countries such as the US.
What’s the latest Foreign Office advice on Mexico?
In light of the murders, the Foreign Office has updated its travel advice.
It says: “Stay away from isolated roads and use toll roads — cuotas — whenever possible. Keep car doors locked and windows closed, especially at traffic lights.
“Violent carjackings and robberies happen along the Pacific Highway. If you suspect you’re being followed or watched, drive to a police station or other safe place. Targets have included large camper vans or sports utility vehicles (SUVs).”
If you are being hijacked, the Foreign Office recommends staying calm and surrendering your valuables if asked. “Resisting demands for your belongings can put you at significant risk of harm,” it warns.
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When it comes to regions that are safe to travel to, it says that the Mexican government makes an effort to protect the main tourist regions of Cancun, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Nuevo Vallarta, Playa del Carmen and Puerto Vallarta. However, British tourists have been physically and sexually assaulted in popular tourist destinations. In addition, clashes between rival gangs in Cancun and surrounding areas have spilled over into areas frequented by tourists and some visitors have been caught in the crossfire. Caution should be exercised in the downtown areas of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen.
Separately, the Foreign Office warns UK travellers to avoid non-essential travel to large parts of Mexico, as follows.
Baja California
• The cities of Tijuana and Tecate, and roads between the two.
• In Tijuana, exceptions are: the airside transit through Tijuana airport; the Cross Border Xpress bridge from the airport linking terminals across the Mexico-US border; the federal toll road 1D and Via Rapida through Tijuana to the border.
Chiapas
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• The area within 40km (25 miles) of the Guatemalan border between the Pacific Coast up to and including the border crossing at Gracias a Dio
• Federal Highway 199 (Carretera Federal 199) between Rancho Nuevo and the Chancala junction just outside Palenque.
Chihuahua
The entire state except:
• The city of Chihuahua
• The border crossing in Ciudad Juarez
• Federal toll road 45D connecting the cities of Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez
• The Copper Canyon rail route to and from Chihuahua and towns on this route including Creel
• The road from Creel via San Juanito to San Pedro
• State highway 16 from San Pedro to Chihuahua
Colima
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• The entire state except the city of Manzanillo if accessed by sea, or air via the Manzanillo-Costalegre International Airport
Guanajuato
• Areas southwest of road 45D
Guerrero
• The entire state, except the town of Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa if accessed by air
Jalisco
• Areas south and southwest of Lake Chapala to the border with the state of Colima
• The northern municipalities of Bolaños, Chimaltitan, Colotlan, Hostotipaquillo, Huejucar, Huejuquilla el Alto, Mezquitic, San Martin de Bolaños, Santa Maria de los Angeles, Totatiche and Villa Guerrero
Michoacan
The entire state except:
• The city of Morelia accessed by federal toll roads 15D, 126 and 43, and the federal toll road 48D between the city of Morelia and the General Francisco Mujica airport
• The town of Patzcuaro accessed by federal toll roads 14D and 15 from Morelia, and boat trips out to islands on Lake Patzcuaro
• Federal Highway 15D
Sinaloa
The entire state except:
• The cities of Los Mochis and Mazatlan
• Road 32 that runs between El Fuerte and Los Mochis
• The 15D federal toll road that runs the length of the state
• The Copper Canyon rail route to and from Los Mochis, El Fuerte and the towns on this route
Tamaulipas
The entire state except:
• The border crossing at Nuevo Laredo if accessed by federal toll road 85D from Monterrey
• Federal highways 80, 81 and 85 between Tampico, Ciudad de Victoria and Magueyes, and the entire area of Tamaulipas south of these highways
Zacatecas
• The entire state
What are Mexico’s entry requirements?
A visa is not required for British passport holders travelling for tourism purposes — unless you’re planning any activities that involve scientific or technological research (if you’re unsure, check with the Mexican Embassy in London). Your passport will be stamped for the number of days you’re allowed to stay in the country.
If you are entering Mexico by land, you must fill out an immigration form online, which you can find here.
The state of Quintana Roo charges all visitors a tax, which can be paid before or during your trip via the Visitax web portal. You will have to show proof of payment at the airport when you leave Mexico. You might also be required to pay a departure tax, the cost of which can vary, although this will likely be incorporated into your ticket price.
Is Mexico safe for female travellers?
For the most part, Mexico is safe for female travellers. However, there have been reports of sexual offences taking place in tourist areas, so visitors are advised to take care, even in populated areas. Safety varies by area, with tourist resorts among the safest. The Foreign Office advises female travellers to be alert when drinking and on public transport, where women travelling alone “have been targeted with harassment, robbery and sexual assault”.
There have also been instances of “express kidnapping” (short-term opportunistic kidnapping) and long-term kidnapping, so you should be careful when discussing your financial affairs in public.
Is Mexico safe for LGBT travellers?
Mexico is, on the whole, accepting of LGBT relationships. Public displays of affection between same-sex couples could be frowned upon, but same-sex relations are generally tolerated (and same-sex marriage has been legal in Mexico since 2022).
That said, in the past Mexico has been a hostile place for the LGBT community. In 2007, the country had the second-highest rate of homophobic crimes in the world after Brazil, and homophobic attacks do occur. You might find that certain parts of the country, such as Mexico City, are more tolerant of LGBT travellers.
Are Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum LGBT-friendly?
Yes. “Cancun and Tulum have the highest LGBT community in this area of Mexico,” says Stefan Arestis from the gay travel-blogging couple Nomadic Boys. “Outside these areas, we found a gay ‘scene’ mainly in touristy Playa del Carmen. We felt very safe and welcome in Cancun and Tulum as a gay couple and noticed other queer couples there. However, as with all places in the world, we were more cautious about PDA in more rural areas.”
Loba Tulum is a gay, male-only hotel in Tulum, but Cancun, Playa and Tulum don’t have as many “gay only” or “gay-specific” hotels as some international destinations; however, many places are mixed and gay-friendly, including Hotel Breathless and Hostel 3B in Cancun.
“We found a few excellent, adults-only hotels that were very welcoming to LGBT travellers, such as Hidden Beach Resort au Naturel, a nudist resort, and the Illusion Boutique Hotel in Playa del Carmen,” says Arestis. “In Cancun, we liked Temptation Cancun Resort, Le Blanc, and Secrets — all three are adults-only. In terms of booking hotels, we definitely look at whether they’re welcoming to gay couples. It’s a question we always ask them at the outset.”
Cancun’s gay scene includes 11:11 Club, a large, popular gay club with electronic music, karaoke and stripper shows, Laser Hot Bar Beer y Queer (bar with drag shows) and Japi Cancun.
LGBT travel company Pink Flamingo Gay Tours operates tours along the Riviera Maya, including ATVs, caves, and Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.
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Are Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum safe for solo female travellers?
Yes, the three resorts are considered safe for solo female travellers. Of the three, Cancun can feel more confined, with many travellers staying at their (often all-inclusive) hotels, while Playa del Carmen and Tulum are the more sociable for solo travellers.
“I preferred Tulum over Cancun as it’s chilled out,” says solo female travel blogger Claire Sturzaker from Tales of a Backpacker. “Although it’s not the quiet fishing village it used to be, it isn’t as intense as Cancun and felt safer to me. There are some great hostels in Tulum where you can meet people, such as Amorcito Hostel, where I stayed, which has a rooftop pool.”
Many standard guidelines for solo female travellers anywhere in the world apply here. “Avoid walking around alone at night in places like Tulum’s beach road and places off the main streets that aren’t well-lit, including the beach itself,” advises Sturzaker. “Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know, and never leave your drinks unattended. It’s a long walk from Tulum’s beach zone to the town, so consider getting a taxi after dark. I don’t think you need to be any more careful in Tulum than you would anywhere else. You can always join a group tour to visit the ruins or go snorkelling or diving if you don’t feel like exploring alone.”
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What other options are available?
If you have lingering doubts about the Riviera Maya’s hotspots, it’s worth remembering how much else there is across the region, including plenty of hotels north of Cancun, such as the Playa Mujeres area, and in less visited towns, such as Akumal (famous for turtles in the ocean) and Puerto Morelos.
There are also many secluded hotels along the coast, such as the massive all-inclusive Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Hotel Esencia, Belmond Maroma, and four great luxury hotels inside the gated Mayakoba complex, including Banyan Tree, Andaz, Fairmont and Rosewood, all of which feel far away from tourist crowds and even the slightest hint of trouble. Even further removed, check out the scuba-diving island of Cozumel or the lovely laidback Isla Holbox.
Additional reporting by Graeme Green
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