Mexico Vacations

Tap Water in Mexico

Drinking the Tap Water in Mexico?

Published by Pablo D. Elders

Water is a great resource in Mexico which can be available both through the tap or by the bottle. Locals might have differing statements whether their tap water is potable or not. The accurate response would depend on the location of the tap water. Some tap water may be safe for drinking while others may not be ideal even for bathing.

Public water systems

Most cities and towns in Mexico have good public water systems. Local residents are mostly satisfied with their tap water as their main source of drinking water. It is still important to remember that not all place has a safe and potable water which is why taking bottled or filtered water with you as you explore this country is essential.

How does water arrive

There are three water delivery systems in Mexico through which homes may have access to clean drinking water. These are through the mains-feed, a communal feed from the local water springs, or a combination of local water delivery by truck and rain collection. The mains-feed provide water to most urban towns and cities, while those on the outskirts of the cities receive water through the communally-run system. Other practical owners would collect rainwater during the rainy months and combine this with water deliveries from trucks. There are also home where owners have put up their own filtration systems and the water is dispensed separately.

Bottled water

If your place of residence does not have this system, there are plenty of sources to get bottled water. Most of these waters range in sizes from hand-sized bottles to 20-liter containers or “Garrafon” in Mexico. You can buy these bottled waters from street traders, supermarkets, local convenience stores, pharmacies, and even water delivery companies. These water delivery companies sell bottled waters in 20-liter containers and provide potable waters to factories, offices, and homes.

Water provision in hotels

All hotels offer purified water in at least a bottle per customer. Customer services can provide extra bottles for each day without extra charge. If you are living in a large hotel or some upscale smaller hotels, most of these have their own purification systems installed at their properties. Dining in a restaurant can provide you with a complimentary glass of water which may come from a bottle or a filtration system or they may simply offer you a bottled water.

If you have your own property in Mexico, it is ideal to have a three-way filter system in your residential are for a steady supply of drinking water. If not, you can easily purchase those large 20-liter garrafones which most Mexicans are doing.

Drug Related Violence in Mexico

Truth About Drug Related Violence in Mexico

Published by Pablo D. Elders

Drug related violence in Mexico seems to be making news headlines less and less, yet the question still remains as to how safe the country is for those wishing to visit on vacation or to make Mexico their home. Cities near the border with the United States such as Ciudad Juarez are heavily influenced by drug cartels who are mean and ruthless, protecting their multi-million dollar drug business each and every year but what about the safe tourist areas such as Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun and Riviera Maya?

Drug related violence in Mexico

For the drug cartels, selling and smuggling drugs is a big business in Mexico, the United States and Canada, which of course is immoral, but still a profitable business. If the demand for drugs were not so high in Western Europe and in the United States, or if drugs were legalized, the drug cartels would simply just disappear (or at least lose their power).

What about places like Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun and Riviera Maya?

While we need to be realistic about the threat of drug related violence in certain states of Mexico, we can’t believe all the reports of killings from media reports, and we must remember that in Mexico there is a bigger picture to consider. The fact is that many of the cities and towns in Mexico are drug-free, non-violent, peaceful, and tranquil despite of what the mainstream media is reporting. Beach destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun and Riviera Maya are probably safer places to visit than many cities back home.

Tourists are the least affected by drug related violence

In the hopes of selling more newspapers and getting ratings, most media outlets forget to highlight how tourists and visitors to Mexico are the least affected by the drug related violence, most who visit are totally safe and secure. In the majority of cases where foreigners have been involved in drug related violence, the background to their story shows that they were also involved in illegal activities. Very few “innocent” tourists are affected by drug related violence in Mexico, although it does happen.

Living in Mexico

For the expats who have called Mexico their home for many years and consider Mexico their full or perhaps part time home know that there may be risks involved in living in Mexico, but the risks are much more lower than the risks that they could face in their own country. If you just take the time to research the facts and statistics that have been published on drug related violence in Mexico affecting non-nationals, then you will quickly learn that Mexico is still pretty safe, even more so in the cities that are popular with tourists, snowbirds and retirees such as Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun and Riviera Maya.

Tijuana, Culiacan, and Ciudad Juarez are not the best representation of Mexico. This would be like media outlets back home claiming “America’s most dangerous cities are a true representative of the entire United States”.

This is the truth about drug related violence in Mexico. Anyone can check facts by doing a simple search, and you are certainly encouraged to do so before making Mexico your home.