Signup for Airfare Alerts

The U.S. State Department has updated its previous Mexico travel warning to more accurately reflect conditions there – an advisory originally issued last spring and prompted by continuing narcotics-related violence in the nation.

How to Get a U.S. Passport

Millions Visit Mexico Safely

This revised warning may ease some visitors’ fears, as it shows specific cities – many of the most popular Mexican tourist destinations – which are not including in the warning.

As the State Department advisory points out, “Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day.”

How to Make Customs Painless: What International Travelers Must Know

Very Real Dangers in Some Areas

However, there’s no point in sugar coating the very real dangers in some areas of the country. As it says in the warning on Travel.State.Gov, “According to the most recent homicide figures published by the Mexican government, 47,515 people were killed in narcotics-related violence in Mexico between December 1, 2006 and September 30, 2011, with 12,903 narcotics-related homicides in the first nine months of 2011 alone.”

However, the worst of the violence tends to be along the northern border states, away from many major tourist cities.

Here is a list of popular destinations that are either not under the travel warning, or include specific, limited advisories. Note: The following information is taken from the travel warning on the State Department website.

Tourist Cities with No Travel Warning/Advisory in Effect

• Cabo San Lucas
• Cancun
• Cozumel
• Oaxaca
• Playa del Carmen
• Riviera Maya
• San Cristobal de las Casas

Tourist Cities with Specific Guidance

Acapulco, Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa: Visitors in these cities should exercise caution and stay within tourist areas. Additional guidance for Acapulco: Defer non-essential travel to areas further than 2 blocks inland of Costera Miguel Aleman Boulevard, which parallels popular beach areas.

Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta: Defer non-essential travel to areas of the state [Jalisco] that border the states of Michoacán and Zacatecas. You should also exercise caution when traveling at night outside of cities in the remaining portions of this state.