Is it safe to go to Tulum in 2023?
Covid? Crime? we got you covered
By @alex.frdy
Covid 19 pandemic took safety topics to another level, introducing additional aspects that need to be considered when traveling. To deal with this complexity, let's break it down into a few main simple points: Crime and Covid 19
Crime. Can you feel safe walking Tulum streets in 2023?
The answer is: Yes, but there are a few aspects that you need to know.
1) If you plan to stay in Zona Hotelera only - a beach zone with hotels, rustic boutiques, and restaurants on it - then you have nothing to be concerned about.
Forming a thin line that never separates from the shore and dissociates from Pueblo by thick jungle, Zona Hoteleria carries no infrastructure or residential areas where any crime incentives can be made.
2) Tulum Pueblo - town center where tourists, hippies, and backpackers blend in a vibrant mix with local people.
Here, crime does happen, but rarely and, as in any other city around the globe, on the communal level.
I've spent countless nights wandering through the city and never felt anything less of being safe. Having said that, it doesn't mean that you can throw yourself into every dark corner testing safety boundaries of the city. A healthy pinch of common sense will never hurt.
Another important factor to note is the presence of narcos. In Mexico, if a place has tourists, it will also have narcos. Tulum, in this regard, is no exception. Having said that, there are different narco climates around Mexico, and Tulum enjoys the mildest one. So far, there were no life threatening incidents involving tourists or travelers. If shooting or any narco-related crime happens, it tends to be on a communal level among the local population.
Covid 19. How Tulum handling the pandemic.
The most prevailing sentiment among people visiting or living in Tulum regarding Covid 19 is similar to flue - everybody knows it exists, but nobody gives it much attention.
Can you get sick with Covid 19? Absolutely. How big are the chances? No one truly knows, but does it matter when it is not 0?
Giving recommendations to people, I address these questions with a few simple guidelines (granted, I am not a doctor, and it shouldn't be taken as professional advice):
1) Do you know your health risks? Are you in good health in general?
2) Do you have people in your life who might be in the risk category? Remember, you need to take responsibility for everyone you are interacting with in your day-to-day life if you feel you were exposed to Covid 19.
If you know your risks, you are in full health, and you are fully aware of your responsibility toward other people, meaning you can take certain actions to keep other people safe, then, as I said to one of my friends: "even if you get sick, in my opinion, Tulum is the best place to self-isolate. You have sun, ocean, and clean air". This is granted you stay long enough to self-isolate,
Just recently, I met an artist from New York, who came to Tulum for a week, but then extended his stay to 2 months. After one of his friends got covid, my New York friend did a test and, in the process, discovered himself Covid positive. "I just didn't see anyone for 2 weeks and spent most of the time home, biking to the beach, or at the beach soaking up vitamin D" he reflects on his recovery.
To recap:
If I to give Tulum a rating on safety related to crime and covid, the rating would be the following:
Crime: Zona Hotelera - 10/10. Pueblo - 8/10
Covid: 6/10. High chance of risk, but the best place to weather the pandemic granted you are a healthy individual.
Thank you for your time. For any questions related to Tulum, you can contact me using the form bellow.
Best regards,
Alex, your Tulum insider.