How safe is Isla Mujeres?

I was on a flight from Chicago to Cancun, sitting next to a couple on their way to spend two weeks in an hotel in Cancun. They were describing to me the reaction of friends and relatives when they told them that they had booked a holiday in Mexico.

Generally, with a few exceptions, the reaction was quite extreme; astonished that they would put their lives at risk. One of their mothers who was to be looking after the children, asked what she should do if they never returned; imagining that people went to Mexico and were never seen again.

Others thought that visitors to Mexico spent their time dodging behind cars during shoot-outs. Perhaps if you go on holiday to Juárez near the border in northern Mexico (which nobody does) then you could be putting yourself at risk; Cancun, like many cities, has areas that are unsafe, but they are areas where a tourist will never find themselves.

Crime is mainly related to the drug cartels and well away from tourist areas. A good policy is not to believe anything you read in the press, otherwise you will believe a trip to Cancun is like visiting a war zone, with someone waiting around every corner to kidnap you.

So, having established that it is safe to go on holiday to Cancun, How does Isla Mujeres compare in terms of safety?

Isla Mujeres must be one of the safest places in the world. It is all safe, there are no unsafe areas. You have the main tourist area, which is the center, the expensive properties at South Point and the areas where locals live. Interestingly, many Americans have bought properties where the locals reside and love being in real Mexico and interacting with the locals, with the help of Google translator.

Some visitors to the island stay in hotels which can range from somewhere around $100 to $1000 US a night. The most cost-effective way to stay on the Island is to rent a property through, say Airbnb; Airbnb is under threat now and has been banned in many places around the world. Many cities have realized that whilst you allow everyone who has a spare room to let it through Airbnb, the locals who support the tourist industry have nowhere to live.

If a ban should happen, there are plenty of other platforms that facilitate the more serious hosts. We rent three bedrooms, three bathrooms luxury homes in South Point, complete with pool and landscaped gardens for between $350 and $450 USD per night. For most, this works out a lot less expensive than a hotel.

We always remind people that there is a very experienced English doctor on the Island, as many people are unaware of her because she primarily treats the needy. She has been here since 1978 treating local people but is happy to receive patients who are visitors to the island. Dr Greta Shorey, Telephone/WhatsApp. +52 998 402 6874.