TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Cancun - Isla Mujeres - Mexico Safety concerns on my way to Hidden Beach

It's been a while since I posted anything and a while since I've been to Hidden Beach. With safety being my biggest concern, how safe is it to travel south from Cancun in a private car? We really want to go back to HBR, but occasionally hear news of tourists being attacked. Anyone have a clue?

I have a clue.
There are absolutely no Banditos, Cartel roadblocks or stray donkeys on that road.

Tourist attacks in that area?

WHAT??? Where are you hearing these reports? We own property and spend a lot of time in this area, and have never had even a flicker of worry about being attacked. The highway between Cancun and Tulum is packed with tourism traffic. There are occasional police checkpoints, but they are looking for drugs and unlicensed vehicles, not to hassle tourists. Go, enjoy, don't get too much sun...

Me too ^^^^^.

It would be interesting to learn about the "news" you are referencing. Often the reports are confused geographically. Actually like worrying about your trip to DisneyWorld due to crime statistics in Detroit. We are aware of some folks exaggerating circumstances to make their vacation seem more exotic.

Here is a link to a well written article to help put you more at ease.

Was there at HBR in February. No problem, just as Bug and Tundra described

We go to Riviera Maya every other year
Love it!
We drive all over the place especially to out of the way beaches and have never had a problem
We find the people to be very friendly

We get fairly accurate reports from the company on layover safety. Cancun in general is safe but the trend is in the wrong direction. Use common sense and be careful. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years but the future does not look great in Mexico. Hopefully the situation can be reversed at some point.
G

First, driving is safe in the Riviera Maya. If you are not comfortable driving in areas that are unfamiliar to you, take public transport and or hire a vehicle and driver for the day. If you are a confident driver, get behind the wheel and know these rules before you venture out:

1. Passing or being passed on the highway. When traveling on the highway be alert and vigilant for aggressive drivers. Let tailgaters pass. Generally, it is a good idea to stay right if you are allowing someone to pass. On undivided roads, drivers in the on-coming lane may choose to pass and cross the centerline of the road at unexpected times. Be ready to move a bit to the right to help the oncoming car pass safely.

2. Hazards lights are used as a warning that traffic is stopping or slowing down ahead. If the car ahead of you puts on their hazard lights it means they are starting to slow down either for a speed bump, pedestrian cross walk or traffic jam. This is your cue to slow down and put on your hazards so that the cars behind you know that you are slowing down as well. This is a brilliant addition to driving signals! Knowing in advance that highway traffic will be travelling at a slower rate than the speed limit is an invaluable way to decrease accidents.

3. The all mighty stop sign. Full stops at stop signs are not necessarily observed by local drivers, so proceed with caution. This is not legal by any means but North American drivers will assume that cars approaching a stop sign will stop. A local driver may stop or may yield, and will only stop if it is clearly evident that they will not make it through an intersection safely. Our suggestion is to use a stop sign as a stop sign and proceed with caution.

4. Safely making a left-hand turn on the highway. If you need to make a left hand turn on a single or two lane highway pull over to the right and wait for a clear path. Local highways and the 307 coastal highway from Tulum to Xcalak do not have left hand turn lanes. When traveling along the 307 highway between Cancun and Tulum use the ‘retorno’ system for left hand turns. Highway signs indicate where cars can make a return on the highway in a designated left hand turn lane. Retornos are used as a break in the highway media where you can head back to your destination on the other side of the highway.

5. The left directional signal. A flashing left blinker can mean several things: 1) I am moving to the left. 2) I am turning left. 3) Go ahead and pass me on my left side. Understanding the various uses of the left hand signal makes driving easier and safer. Know that if there is someone behind you, they may try to pass you on the left if you turn on your left blinker.

6. Speed bumps and topes. Speed bumps (topes in Spanish) are everywhere! These inconvenient and at time difficult to see speed bumps are used to maintain speed and ensure public safety. When entering a village, an intersection or heavy pedestrian area, speed bumps are used to slow down oncoming traffic. The challenge is seeing them as not all speed bumps have a road sign indicating they exist. Proceed through villages and small towns with caution so you avoid hitting a speed bump at full speed.

7.Be safe. Wear your seat belt, don’t drink and drive and if tropical rain starts, slow down, turn your lights on and if you have to, pull over. Road conditions are much improved on the 307 highway but drive carefully on back highways that may have potholes and debris.

Residents drive throughout the area with ease. Knowing and understanding some of the local, unknown road rules makes your DIY adventure tours a lot easier and safer.

From The Playa Times
And
www.locogringo.com

We always appreciate the recommendations, bugambilias, primarily because they are based on your experiences living there! Thank you!

Hey Kuboto, you havn't driven with bug...... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

More complaints than ever last month.

"It's no fun the way he drives the new car."

"The horn isn't loud enough."

"This isn't scary at all."