Does today's shootout in Puerto Penasco change your perception of visiting again ? (Phoenix: crime, hotels)

[magnum0417]

Pretty cut and dried. I was last in PP/Rocky Point in May and saw no issues. There were Mexican Military with their machine guns standing by the northend of town for us Zonies driving south but that was all the military related presence I saw. I prefer San Diego anyhow but I felt it was worth visiting and had great seafood right in the Old Town/Downtown area where all the hawkers are. I personally wouldn't let today's event deter me from going again in the future.

Rocky Point shooting: 5 dead in shootout in northern Mexico resort

[krazykatlady]

I've never ventured into Mexico for that very reason and never will. No siree, I'll keep my money in the good old U.S.A.

My co-worker, who is Mexican and frequents Mexico often, agrees that it is unwise for Anglos like me to be visiting there.

[Ponderosa]

Nah. RP is safe and I would not hesitate to go there. People who don't think so are people who have never been there.

[new2colo]

I thought this kind of stuff was dying down.

I haven't been to Rocky Point for more than 15 years now, but I know my coworkers who usually travel down there for family vacations will reconsider. I have one coworker in particular who takes her family down there every year, insisting that Rocky Point is safe and all the violence is confined to other border cities like Ciudad Juarez, Agua Prieta, Mexicali, and Tijuana. I know she will definitely stop taking her family there now that this has occurred. It's not just the fact that the fact five people were murdered, but the fact that this is tied to the infamous drug cartels that we often hear about on this side of the border. Whether this was an isolated event is a moot point. It's the fact that it occurred at all. The police have a lot less control on the other side of the border than they do here. Cartels will take out the police chief without blinking an eye. I will not be going to Rocky Point until I go several years without hearing cartels carrying out these mass shootings.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Nah. RP is safe and I would not hesitate to go there. People who don't think so are people who have never been there.

So a news story is posted about a shootout between Mexican Security Forces and armed Cartel members and your deduction is that Rocky Point is "safe"? It's only a city of 60,000 people, similar to Goodyear. If the US Military was having gun battles near the Wigwam Resort would you still say Goodyear is "safe"?

I've traveled all over the world and consider myself street wise but there is no way in hell I would go anywhere in that country these days. While I don't think Rocky Point is the most dangerous spot in Mexico I don't know that you can say anywhere in Mexico is "safe".

Full disclosure...I have NOT been to RP.

[magnum0417]

Happy to hear both sides of the fence on this subject. Yo hablo espanol un poquito. With that said, I've managed alright in Nogales, Rocky Point and Tecate. Admittedly I haven't ventured too far away from the main tourist spots. I stayed at Penasco Del Sol last time I was there. Overpriced but felt as safe there as any SW cities like SD or ABQ that I have spent more than a few occasions in for a few days.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by magnum0417

Happy to hear both sides of the fence on this subject. Yo hablo espanol un poquito. With that said, I've managed alright in Nogales, Rocky Point and Tecate. Admittedly I haven't ventured too far away from the main tourist spots. I stayed at Penasco Del Sol last time I was there. Overpriced but felt as safe there as any SW cities like SD or ABQ that I have spent more than a few occasions in for a few days.

Ok, so inside the resort was safe but what about getting there and back? Sure, we didn't hear about your head getting lopped off but getting there and back surely can't be considered "safe" can it?

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Ok, so inside the resort was safe but what about getting there and back? Sure, we didn't hear about your head getting lopped off but getting there and back surely can't be considered "safe" can it?

That's like saying driving to downtown Phoenix is unsafe because someone gets wasted in Maryvale every night. Seriously. This Mexico risk stuff is so overblown. We tolerate (or ignore) far more violence in our own country than you will ever see on a vacation trip to Rocky Point. I'll bet new Canadian visitors have the same misgivings about visiting the US - everyone has a gun and is shooting at one another. I have always driven back and forth in daylight hours and never felt unsafe. I don't know what it would be like at night, but know people who do it.

Having said that, this incident goes beyond what you might expect to see in RP. My thought is that the Mexican authorities are sending the message that drug lords are not welcome there - at least in the nice hotels and resorts - kind of like Arpaio's crime sweep in Fountain Hills. If I had plans I would not cancel them, but it probably is wise to keep an eye on developments. I would hate to see RP turn into Juarez where it really is kind of risky just walking down the street.

[magnum0417]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Ok, so inside the resort was safe but what about getting there and back? Sure, we didn't hear about your head getting lopped off but getting there and back surely can't be considered "safe" can it?

The road from Lukeville/Sonoyta MX straight to Rocky Point is about 60 miles. Speed limits if I remember were only 90 KPH which is about 55 MPH. However, I quickly found other Zonies were cruising at about 85 MPH so I just sped up and the road is well maintained. Vasquez liquor in Sonoyta has all the duty free stuff one needs to stock up on in Rocky Point. This store is right at the intersection where you turn right and head south to RP. That road didn't seem patrolled at all which explained why Zonies were going some 30 MPH over the speed limit of the two lane road.

[lvoc]

I am an old Mexican hand. Mostly on boats up and down Baja. I know the west coast and Puerto Vallarta reasonably well.

Mexico is reasonably safe and visitable with reasonable care. If you go out and get drunk in the more colorful parts of border cities you may get an unpleasant surprise. But I would consider PV or Guadalajara safer than many cities in the eastern US.

If you are in to the "scene" in Acapulco I would urge caution.

Sailing up and down the coast of Baja we are routinely advised of all the stories of the wild eyed Mexican pirates After having done it a dozen times the real problem is boats running along on autopilot with no lights showing. Some Mexicans are convinced of their immortality.

Remember the recent excesses in the US. Killing children for sport. At least the Mexicans kill each other to make money.