WARDEN MESSAGE FROM US EMBASSY

[meroberts]

Due to recent criminal activity, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has incrementally amended its guidance on official travel in certain areas. The following information reflects those incremental changes and supplements the information found in the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning for Mexico and the Country Specific Information for Mexico:

? In Acapulco, the Embassy suggests that U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel to areas further than two blocks inland of the Costera Miguel Aleman Boulevard, which runs parallel to popular beach areas. Lodging should be limited to the ?Hotel Zone? of Acapulco, beginning from the Hotel Avalon Excalibur Acapulco in the north and going south through Puerto Marquez including the Playa Diamante area. In general, the Playa Diamante area, just south of Acapulco Bay, has been less affected by violence and criminal activity. Any activity outside the Hotel Zone should be limited to the coastal area from La Quebrada to the beginning of the Hotel Zone and only during daylight hours. Flying to/from Acapulco is the preferred method of travel. If traveling by automobile, U.S. citizens should exercise caution and limit travel to the Highway 95D toll road, staying on the toll road towards the Playa Diamante area and avoiding the highway running through the city of Acapulco.
? The Embassy also suggests that U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa. (This is a change from the Travel Warning which previously stated travel on Highway 200 during daylight hours only.) Traveling to/from Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa by air is recommended, and U.S. citizens should exercise caution while in the cities of Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa.
? The Embassy suggests that U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel on any roads between Huitzilac, Morelos and Santa Martha, Estado de Mexico, including the Lagunas de Zempoala National Park and surrounding areas.
? The Embassy has also amended its restrictions on travel to seven municipalities (Coacalco, Ecatepec, Nezahualcoyotl, La Paz, Valle del Chalco Solidaridad, Chalco, and Ixtapaluca) in the Estado de Mexico. The Embassy suggests that U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel to these municipalities unless traveling on the main thoroughfares through these seven municipalities.

As discussed in the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning for Mexico and the Country Specific Information for Mexico, crime can occur anywhere in Mexico and can often be violent. Review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security and follow instructions of local authorities.

We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in (Country) enroll in the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at https://step.state.gov/step. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don't have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.


Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from within the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter at https://mobile.twitter.com/travelgov and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/travelgov, and download our free Smart Traveler iPhone App at traveler/id442693988?mt=8ACSMexicoCity@state.gov

The U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, telephone from the United States: 011-52-55-5080-2000; telephone within Mexico City: 5080-2000; telephone long distance within Mexico 01-55-5080-2000. You may also contact the Embassy by e-mail at: You may also contact the Embassy by e-mail at: ACSMexicoCity@state.gov The Embassy's internet address is http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/.

Area consular agencies include:

Acapulco: Hotel Emporio, Costera Miguel Aleman 121 ? Suite 14; telephone (011)(52)(744) 481-0100 or (011)(52)(744) 484-0300.

Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo: Hotel Fontan, Blvd. Ixtapa; telephone (011)(52)(755) 553-2100.

Oaxaca: Macedonio Alcala No. 407, Interior 20; telephone (011)(52)(951)514-3054 or (011)(52)(951) 516-2853.

San Miguel de Allende: Centro Comercial La Luciernaga, Libramiento Manuel Zavala (Pepe KBZON), telephone (011)(52)(415) 152-2357.

U.S. citizens in other areas of Mexico should seek the assistance of the U.S. Consulates or Consular agencies located throughout the country. A directory of Consulates and Consular Agencies can be found on the Embassy website http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/. Delete Reply Reply All Forward Move Spam Actions Next Previous

[Jzmackenzie]

Thank you for keeping us so well informed Martha.

[philyrossy]

Have not heard anything on www.borderlandbeat.com about these areas of Mexico and violence, nor in news outlets. Just goes to show how much impact Pena has when he tells the States to NOT report the violence. It's still very prevalent, we just don't hear about it any more.

[jesm]

Not fully correct. Problems in Acapulco have been well documented and highly publicized. Bad incident several months ago involving Spanish tourists there caused bad publicity for Mexican travel from Europe.

[philyrossy]

I stand corrected. Thank you for keep me straight.
Have not heard anything on http://www.borderlandbeat.com about these areas of Mexico and violence, nor in news outlets, since the incidence several weeks ago involving the Spanish tourists near Acapulco.

[roberb7]

I was in Acapulco for four days at the end of February. I went to and from there by bus. I expected police/military roadblocks going through Guerrero, but it didn't happen.

Acapulco was a much nicer and more upscale place than I expected. I went through quite a bit of the city by foot, bus, and taxi, and had no problems at all. Found the people there very friendly, and a high percentage of them speak English.

My bus trip home left from the Papagayo bus station, which is outside of the State Dept.'s OK area by a couple of blocks. My hotel for the first couple of nights was the Los Flamingos, which is outside of the OK area, but most of the guests there were from the US; they are people that stay there every winter.

Now for the other side of the coin; I remember going by a restaurant/bar called El Zorrito a couple of times. Three days after I got back, I read a story in AM (i.e. a national story) about a Canadian couple who was assaulted as they left this restaurant. The two were 60 and 65 years old. I thought, I'm 63, Canadian, and was at this very same spot three days earlier. [Insert appropriate "when your number's up" cliche here.]

And two more things: I made a couple of trips out to the Fairmont Princess resort, in the Diamante area, on the way to the airport. I was told by several people (some of whom should have known better) that there were no buses to this area, and specifically not to the airport. This information turned out to be false, and I paid for a couple of expensive cab rides as a result. (Acapulco is a much bigger place than I realized.)

Traffic in Acapulco is awful, put a big part of the reason is, there's construction happening on all the major thoroughfares. And the reason for all this construction is, they're putting in a set of rapid bus lines, which are scheduled to be in operation in August.

[meroberts]

Thank you to those who appreciate this thank-less job. I volunteered to be the Warden for Guanajuato Capital for the US Embassy in Mexico City, When I receive these messages, all I do is copy and paste them here in order to keep you all informed of what THEY know.

I?d like to thank those who post messages to correct the Embassy?s info. Being there certainly changes the perception.

I am at your service, regardless of sometimes negative comments folks. It comes with the territory. I am just the Messenger here.

Perception is reality -- and so it goes... Have a wonderful, positive, and happy day. ;)

Martha Roberts
mer.gtomx@yahoo.com (new e-mail address)
"Visas y Pasaportes Plus"
Plaza San Javier #20
Tel.: 473 109 2263

[peddler665]

I spent but 2 nights in Acapulco year before last finding some good & more to my dislike. Too Big, Too Dirty & Too Crowded. I had planned on staying 3 nights but 2 were enough.
Beach is at a severe slant making walking difficult.
Good things. I walked much of the beach side street stopping at the Museo, a nice park all the way to El Centro which I found less than a attractive.
Restaurants Excellent with prices below my beloved Zihuatanejo.
While there a massacre occurred with 17 people killed something I was unaware of until I was in Zihuatanejo the next week as Acapulco is so huge I was no where near the violence.
So would I go again? Probably not as it is last on my list of beach resorts.

[roberb7]

So would I go again? Probably not as it is last on my list of beach resorts.

My main reason for going there was the Mexican Open tennis tournament. This is an excellent event, and I'll probably be going to Acapulco again to attend it.

If you leave that out of the equation, I say that if you want to go to that general area of the Pacific coast, you can't beat Puerto Escondido.

[philyrossy]

For those interested, http://www.borderlandbeat.com/ has a report on the current violence near Acapulco and the vigilantes taking over the town and stopping traffic.