Find safe places to visit in Latin America
Don't stay in the hood
Narcos. Gangs. Political unrest. Getting drunk in Cancun.
Growing up in the US, this seems to be the way Latin America has always been portrayed. Whether it’s the news, government, or random people, there is a stereotype that Latin America isn’t safe.
The irony is that the majority of these sources talking shit have never stepped foot in Latin America.
What I’ve noticed after living down here for several years is that the safety warnings are overblown. While there are dangerous cities and situations, they are relatively easy to avoid.
And while I tend to agree that Latin America on the whole is still more dangerous than the US, if you do your research and stick to the right neighborhoods, you can keep your risk levels to a minimum. It’s not hard to find safe places to visit in Latin America.
Neighborhoods matter more
When it comes to safety, the biggest indicator to me of whether someone will have problems is less about the country and more about the neighborhood. There are many neighborhoods in Latin America where very little crime happens.
This might sound obvious, but just to point it out let’s make an example.
If you’re staying in a nicer zone like Condesa in Mexico City, you’re going to be significantly safer than than a hood in Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, London, etc. And if you’re staying in a hood in Mexico City, you’ll be in just as much danger.
The country is mostly irrelevant unless there is a nationwide revolution or complete failure of the entire government.
I hear a comment often from foreigners saying they feel safer in Latin America then the US. In my honest opinion, I think this is very personal based off the individual.
If you’re coming from the hood of the US and staying in a nice zone of a Latin American city, yeah it’s nicer. If you’re coming from a middle class neighborhood and staying in the nice zone, it’s about the same.
What I can say after several years down here is that the biggest difference between places like the US in comparison to Latin America is the amount of safe neighborhoods.
When I say safe I mean your chances of being robbed are minimal, you can walk around with your phone out, etc.
All countries have nice neighborhoods where you will be completely safe, they are just more abundant in places like the US.
How I stay safe
I’ve been down here for almost 7 years and have never been robbed, had a gun pointed at me, gotten stabbed, etc. I hear about these things happening but it hasn’t happened to me.
The Colombians say “no dar papaya” which basically means don’t give a reason for someone to take advantage of you. I tend to use this mindset all around Latin America.
I don’t walk around with expensive jewelry, big headphones, or other shiny objects that light up a criminal’s eyes.
Another thing I don’t do is stay in the hood to save a few bucks on accommodations. If you don’t live in the hood in the US, why would you go to a foreign country where you don’t know shit and do it. Don’t be cheap about your safety in Latin America.
If a weird person starts interacting with me in the street, I keep moving. If I realize I’ve walked too far into a sketchy ass neighborhood, I turn around or go into a restaurant to order an uber. If I’m out late in a neighborhood that seems suspect, I take an uber. I don’t linger in situations where my instincts tell me something is off.
And I would be irresponsible if I didn’t say this last thing. Hanging out with prostitutes or women with a million red flags significantly increases your chances of something bad happening. Especially in Colombia where there are so many stories of guys getting drugged. I don’t want this to happen to anyone.
To be completely honest, when I moved to Latin America, I never considered any of the safety. I was so driven by the excitement of adventure that I completely ignored all the warnings and just got on a plane.
While I still think the US is safer overall, if you stick to the nicer neighborhoods, most countries have safe places to visit in Latin America.
If you stay in a nice neighborhood, that will eliminate the majority of the safety risk.
Rather than relying on generic reports from the news and US government, created by people who have never left the US, do your own research and see what real people are doing out here in the world.