Safety
Stay safe and healthy while living and working in Cancun
A common concern when deciding to relocate to live and work in Cancun is your health and safety. Cancun is famed for being one of the safest places in Mexico with a relatively lower crime rate than most cities. Besides petty crimes such as pickpockets and general thievery that are common in all tourist towns around the world, major incidents involving visitors and tourists is very, very rare.
However, there are a few things to beware of in Cancun to make sure your transition to live and work in Cancun goes as smoothly as possible.
Drinking the Water
Although in theory the water in the hotel zone is safe to drink, drinking bottled water is recommended. You can also buy large “garrafons” that contain 10 liters of clean water for use at home. Outside the hotel zone, bottled water is a must.
Use Straws
When drinking from cans or bottles, you should use a straw to avoid placing your mouth on a potentially contaminated can lid or bottle. When drinking bottled beer, use the lemon that usually comes with it to sanitize the bottle mouth.
Buses
Using the buses is a generally comfortable, efficient and low cost option to getting around Cancun; however, always check your change from the driver and wait to receive the ticket. Be quick upon exiting and entering the buses in case quick movements see you falling out of the door.
Water sports
Popular watersports like parasailing, banana boats, water skiing, jet skis etc are great fun in Cancun and the Riviera Maya but must be carried out with caution to avoid an accident. Safety rules are not always as strictly adhered to as they may be in your home country. Look to perform such activities with a reputable company that comes highly recommended.
Swimming, Surfing and Diving
For swimming in public beaches, always take heed of the flags. If there is a red flag, do not enter the water, not matter how good a swimmer you are. For a yellow flag, enter with caution and take special care with children. Surfers should check with other local surfers about the safest places to surf in and around Cancun. Never surf alone. For diving, even experienced dive masters should go with a local guide who knows the currents and the best locations for diving. This is particularly true when diving in cenotes (water holes) as the currents underground are particularly strong.
Bars on windows
When moving to Cancun for work, make sure that you choose a place to live that has bars on the windows, at least on the lower floors. It is common in Cancun to have iron bars on your windows to deter thieves, so don’t be alarmed.
Don’t be flashy
Just like walking around any city, whether that be New York, Paris or London, you should keep jewelry and expensive items to a minimum. Be vigilant about your belongings and don’t take your passport with you unless really necessary. The likelihood of anything happening is minimal, but who wants to be one of the exceptions.