Your wedding day should be one of the highlights of your life. One of the most incredible moments you will ever experience. So when one of my friends mentioned he and his wife got married just outside of Cancun in 2011, I thought to myself, “Beautiful location, but wasn’t there the concern of crime and violence?”

I am sure he was well aware of the current stigma regarding Cancun, but I kept my mouth shut as I wanted him to maintain the incredible memory he has of his wedding day under the palm trees, fine white sand sinking between his toes and the melodic sound of waves crashing in the background. It was at this point I realized that I really don’t know what is happening in Cancun and why the city has such a bad reputation. I decided to dive into the rabbit hole known as the internet and do a little research of my own…

Sifting through numerous articles, videos and forums, I found a wide range of information and opinions. It wasn’t until I came across a post titled Is Cancun Safe in 2019? when all the pieces fell into place. The first question I asked myself was, “In 2011, when my friend got married, was Cancun a safe place?” While the aggressive campaign targeted against drug cartels began in 2006, Cancun still remained relatively untouched from cartel activity and violence in 2011. Any cartel activity that was found in Cancun was far away from the main tourist areas. So first question answered, my friend’s wedding wasn’t overshadowed by potential crime and violence!

Next, I wanted to know if Cancun is safe right now. While cartel activity has increased in recent years, the famous Cancun Hotel Zone remains a very safe destination. The majority of the fighting and violence between cartel members happens on the outskirts of the city. With tourism being the countries primary source of income, the government has ensured that tourist areas remain safe. There are police who patrol the area day and night, and with Zona Hotelera being a one entry, one exit design, it remains very easy to secure the area.

Sure, it could be unnerving to see armed policeman wandering around during your vacation to Cancun, but is that not similar to police patrolling the streets in your hometown? Very few instances of violence happen in the tourist areas, and that is due to many factors, one of them being the police presence in the area.

At the end of the day, my friend enjoyed his wedding day along the pristine beaches of Cancun in 2011, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same myself in 2019!