Mexico Health and Safety Tips

Most Mexico guide books chuckle about Montezuma’s revenge as though diarrhea were some kind of insider joke known only to travellers. The truth is that when you live in the tropics almost everyone gets hit with the runs from time to time. Take the guaranteed cure for diarhea and get over it.

The water from the tap is terrible in Mexico. It’s not just the bacteria but the heavy metals int water from the rape of the countryside by mining companies. So just about everyone who possibly can drinks mineral water. Big trucks drive around town all day with loudspeakers trying to give you a heart attack by sneaking up behind you and blaring: “Agua mineral! Agua!” You can eat tacos on the street without many problems. If you get nervous just chew some raw garlic along with them. Maybe it’s a good idea to leave the sweet stuff alone though as you don’t know how long it’s been sitting around with flies tasting it. They say there’s a good deal of banditry in Mexico and if you’re driving around on your own steam you might want to think about not travelling too much at night. Buses don’t seem to run into any problems. Most of the cities are pretty calm with the exception of Mexico City which can be very dangerous. There’s a lot of mugging and it’s not recommended to take taxis in the street unless you want to invite the millionaire’s ride. Follow the usual rules about staying safe in dangerous cities by not wearing or carrying anything valuable, take taxis (pre-ordered) at night and don’t walk down empty or dark streets by yourself. Keep an eye out also for the cholos, gang member descended from the playboy pachucos of the old days. They strut around with their baseball caps on backwards and often bear visible tattoos. Kidnappings are also frequent in Mexico City but are mostly targeted at rich Mexicans so a scruffy backpacker doesn’t make an inviting prospect. If you head to the beach on the Pacific side make sure you find out about the currents. Too many travelers drown in the Pacific surf in Mexico each year.

For more on staying safe check out the Travel Health Guide

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