My experiences as a solo female traveler in Mexico

I travel solo a lot but mostly in South East Asia where I’ve found it not to be an issue at all. I hadn’t been to Mexico or further south yet except once, when I visited a friend in Honduras. So, going to Mexico as a solo female traveler was a new experience and I wasn’t sure whether I would like it or whether I’d feel safe. Mostly because my Mexican friends gave me all these security tipps beforehand. Would it really be so dangerous? I extra picked the Yucatan area as my first destination because I knew that it would be very touristy and probably only the “Mexico light” version. If I’d like it, I’d come back for more. So, what did I think of Mexico as a solo female traveler?

I loved the Yucatan region! The beaches are like paradise, the water of the ocean, the cenotes or lakes is crystal clear, the food is delicious and generally people are very nice and helpful. I’ll definitely be going back and explore some more! 🙂

Yes, while walking along highways and roads. People drive fast, talk on the phone while driving and it’s never clear who has the right of going first. Plus, not even on Bali have I seen so many tourists with injuries from scooter accidents like here in Mexico. I’d stay away from the scooters and just always be cautious along roads.

Also, Mexican guys can be a bit annoying with not understanding that I’m not interested in them. It also doesn’t interest them that I have a boyfriend. “You can have several”, was their answer. I tried to never end up alone with them. But of course not all guys were like that. Again there also were some real gentlemen.

Usually, it was very easy to spike up a conversation with anyone. Even in bars I could just approach people and sit with them and have a good evening. Twice I was asked to join another group to eat with them. People are friendly and also prefer to share stories and meet different people and if you are a bit open yourself it will be easy to connect.

I did feel lonely once though because I ended up in a dorm with no other people. It was nice to have a room to myself for once but on the other hand I didn’t get the chance to make plans for the next day (which was going to a bit of a remote area in beautiful Rio Lagartos). I talked to many people as well that day but the contacts were always so short that the experience didn’t really feel shared.

Just behave as cautious as your instincts tell you. If you feel at ease, your feeling is probably right. If you are worried, try to get out of the situation or find a  sympathic looking person and just talk to them.

Don’t walk alone in dark alleys at night, you know, the usual thing… Most important, don’t let anyone stop you from traveling to Mexico just because nobody is coming with you. You will have an amazing time!