Is it safe to travel to Baja California?
by admin on Thursday, July 14th, 2011 | 3 Comments
Well I’m planing to travel to baja CA ( in Mexico ) and camp there for one day in April. And I have seen and read stuff that is deterring me from going. So I just want to know is it safe to travel there. And PLEASE give me a real answer, not like “yes it’s ok to travel”.
Thanks
“yes its ok to travel”
lol
okey seriously:
There are places where it would be unsafe to go
For what I have learned in the past couple of years the area around Tijuana or Ensenada has cut down dramatically the crimes. It has escalated in other regions but not at Ensenada.
I could not tell you with absolute precision but from what I have heard the crime rate is lower than in the past few years. It all depends exactly where you are going. If you know the area, is it near a “bad district”, etc.
Sorry that I can´t give you a local assessment but I´m living about 1380 miles away on another northern city in Mexico
Yes it is safe to travel in Baja California. We are the “OTHER” Mexico. Safe, friendly, .
I just came back from a 4 day trip to Baja South for the great experience of Petting a Whale, We were 29 Americans in a private charter and thoroughly enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of Baja.
I come back and move this comment to the head of this answer… Don’t drive at night. First, because when you drive Baja you ‘drive’ every mile of it. There is hardly a straight 8 mile stretch in 1000 miles.Most importantly COWS and other potential road kill. A bull or burro bring your trip to a tragic end.
Buy Mexican auto insurance. For very mimimal fees short and long term plans are available and can keep you from spending part of your trip in a Mexican jail. Simple enough?
I have authored hundreds of articles on travel in Baja and have lived in Baja California Sur for a decade. There were a couple of headline grabbing tourist attacks in the northern most areas of the northern state of Baja California in 2007. It was a result of the general tranistion of lawlessness when a significant number of the northern local police forces were relieved. The situation was effectively attacked by the governement and petty theft returns to being probably the greatest threat you may face, as in any tourist destination. Hwy 1 is patroled by Federal Hwy Patrol and Tourist assistance, known as Green Angels. You’ll know why when you see one! The US media paints the problems in Mexico with a very broad brush. There are parts of Mexico Mexicans know not to go vacation, Cuilidad Juarez in the NE is certainly one of them. Would you not go to Miami because New Orleans is the most violent city in the US? Baja Sur is one of the safest states in Mexico.
We publish a reader updated road reports, but in the last few years road improvements have made it accademic, except during heavy rains which can still plague a few old sections.
Final tips: Don’t try to find the most isolated place to camp. Mind your P’s and Q’s when driving through some of Barney Fifes small towns along the way.