What level of safety concern travelling to the Oaxaca coast?

November 24, 2018 7:01 PM

My partner and I are going back to Puerto Angel, on the Oaxacan coast, for a week to celebrate our anniversary in the beginning of December. In light of recent events and tensions, how concerned for safety should we be? We are respectful, polite travelers, one of us is fluent and the other tries real hard.

My partner and I have travel and lodging for a week's stay in Puerto Angel, on the Oaxaca coast near Huatulco (in Mexico.) Last time we went to Mexico we got extorted by some cops on the way into Cancun, and have a friend of a friend who experienced difficulties (was killed) up north somewhere recently, and these days are aware that Americans are not necessarily the favorite people of Mexicans due to the behavior of the government of late.

So there's a bit of trepidation, but we're staying on the same beach in the cabana next to the one we stayed at before 2 years ago, where everything was chill and beautiful and we want to go real bad and do that again.

We've read the State Department travel warnings and Oaxaca/Huatulco has a modest Level 2: Increased risk warning, but I wondered if anyone here on MetaFilter that lives in the area or has been there recently might have some insight for us.

posted by TheRedArmy to Travel & Transportation around Puerto ángel, Mexico (2 answers total)

I stayed for a month in Puerto Escondido this spring and it was fine. A unpopular presidential candidate came to town and there was a protest with like people throwing things and everyone shut their shops for a bit, but that only happened once, and it was considered unusual and noteworthy.
posted by aniola at 9:49 PM on November 24, 2018

I was in Puerto Escondido and Mazunte two weeks ago and it was totally fine. Not one concerning thing happened in all 10 days there, and I am a very concerned traveler. I will say I was traveling with some Mexicans that definitely made it easier, but I look like a tourist. My biggest concern was the taxis do not have seatbelts.

Do yourself a favor and go to the beach restaurant La Ola in San Agustinillo (about a 20 min taxi ride from you) and get the tuna tostadas. This is seriously life changing food. Make a day trip out of it and camp out on their beach chairs!
posted by KMoney at 7:22 AM on November 25, 2018