Los Cabos Safety & Preparing For Your Trip
Cabo San Lucas is one of the most popular Mexico vacation destinations. With miles of white beaches, sand dunes, and a superb restaurant scene to explore, it’s beloved by U.S. vacationers. However, while you should go on vacation to Los Cabos to relax and enjoy yourself, you should also go armed with safety tips for yourself, your family, and your possessions.
Vacation Safety Tips
These safety tips apply to any place you choose to go, not just Los Cabos, and will help you keep your vacation stress-free.
Always Keep Your Valuables Close
Petty crime is common in all tourist areas, so you should always make sure your phone, wallet, and passport are kept in an inner pocket, either in your clothing or your backpack/handbag. Pickpockets are very skillful at what they do, so if your wallet is within easy reach in the back pocket of your jeans, you’re highly likely to have it stolen. Also, avoid bringing your valuables to the beach. Leave them in the hotel safe or at least inside the hotel room. Unless you can take turns watching your stuff, don’t chance it.
Lock Your Car
This again applies to anywhere you go (and most likely to where you live too). Even if you’re popping out to get cash from the ATM or pump some gas, keep your car locked when you’re not in it (and even when you’re in it).
Take Care at Night
Most well-lit, crowded tourist towns are safe at night, so you shouldn’t worry. However, there are a few basic rules that will help you keep safe, especially if you’re out on your own. If your resort is out of town, make sure you take a taxi or Uber/Lyft back in the evening rather than walking.
Be Careful When Swimming
For many people, popular destinations like Los Cabos are all about swimming in the beautiful sea. However, not all Los Cabos locations are safe for swimming. That’s because of strong currents in the Sea of Cortez. Always make sure you swim at beaches that are designated as safe for swimming with a blue flag, have a lifeguard, and have proper buoy markings that tell you how far out you can swim.
You should also be aware that there are jellyfish in Mexican waters. While some jellyfish stings will give you nothing but a painful burn, some can cause severe allergic reactions requiring a trip to the emergency room. If you see any jellyfish while swimming, get away and out of the water. If you are stung, rinse with fresh water and seek medical help immediately.
Protect Yourself From the Sun
Another reason some many holidaymakers love locations like Los Cabos is the guaranteed sunshine. If you’re from a location where winters can feel never-ending, you will want to soak up those rays, and that’s understandable. Try not to overdo it: wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen and keep out of the sun completely during the hottest hours of the day, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Stay hydrated — water is the best bet — as you may be so focused on relaxing that you don’t notice the effects of the sun and the heat on your body.
U.S. State Department Guidance When Traveling to Mexico
Los Cabos is located in Baja California Sur. The U.S. Department of State currently advises to “exercise increased caution when traveling” to this state “due to crime.” This shouldn’t be read as too worrying because as far as travel advice goes, it’s only one degree up from places where the Department recommends exercising “normal caution.” Reassuringly, the State Department doesn’t advise against traveling to Baja California Sur or even urge travelers to reconsider their plans to travel there.
To give you further reassurance, the State Department issued the same level of caution (Level 2) for countries like France, Belgium, and Germany — all safe countries for traveling. Just remember: crime is common everywhere; as long as you’re sensible, you’ll be fine.
Is Cabo Safe To Visit in 2023?
In short: yes. Cabo is safe to visit in 2023, provided you follow our simple, common-sense tips for protecting yourself and your valuables from petty crime and keeping yourself physically safe on the beach. Millions of people travel to Mexico every year, including to Los Cabos, and don’t encounter any problems. Be reasonable and cautious, but still enjoy yourself — you’ll have the time of your life in Cabo.
Pure Cabo offers a range of vacation activities in Los Cabos, as well as options to hire a bodyguard if you want extra safety and security on your vacation. Reach out to us with whatever you need and want from your Cabo vacation; we can help.