Is Los Cabos Safe?

ByWayne Willis

I'm always surprised when friends fear for my safety, and they don't quite believe me when say I'm safer here than I was in Las Vegas.   Recent, highly publicized cartel violence in Mazatlan and a nasty conflict between the taxi union and Uber drivers in Cancun stoke their concerns.

Taxi drivers during a recent protest in Cancún.

But it's true.  The US State Department gives BCS a "Level 2" travel warning -- "Exercise increased caution due to crime.  Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state.  There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees."

Baja California Sur has a murder rate of 7.13 per 100,000 (2020).  For Las Vegas it was 23.5 (2021).  The US as a whole is similar to BCS (6.5 per 100,000), but most cities and tourist destinations are higher.

Yesterday an article in the NY Times about traveling safely in Mexico pointed out that Level 2 warning for BCS  is "the same as France and Spain."