Crime/Safety - Living in Puerto Vallarta?

[Tonydavid]

HI! My wife, two kids (12 and 7) and I are seriously researching moving to Puerto Vallarta for a year or two. We currently live an hour outside Los Angeles.

We are wondering about crime and safety. What is your recent experience? What precautions would you take living in Vallarta?

We appreciate your thoughts, advice and experience.

Thanks, Tony

[sparks]

Pick a good area, don't party late and don't drive at night any more than necessary

[conklinwh]

What Sparks has said is very true but the most important thing that you can do is spend time there in both summer & winter before moving with a family for multiple years. You will get a much better view of options as well as 1st hand discussion.

[TundraGreen]

Originally Posted by sparks

Pick a good area, don't party late and don't drive at night any more than necessary

Is Vallarta more dangerous that Guadalajara? I live in Guadalajara and routinely violate two of those three prescriptions. I live in a middle class area with a typical city center mix of residences and commercial, not a gated compound. I often go to late night movies and walk home after midnight. I feel pretty safe walking around late at night. And I see single women walking alone at night as well so even the locals are not too concerned about safety. I don't have a vehicle at the moment, so I can't comment on driving at night.

I am not advocating completely ignoring safety. Just that it strikes me that some posts give a sense of imminent danger all the time that I don't feel.

Memo

[RVGRINGO]

The poster lives in the Los Angeles area! I think they'll be moving to a much safer place.

[NORM123]

I've lived in PV since April, but moving to Rosarito (so much for worrrying about crime!), can't stand the summer humidty. Americans here laugh at Americans back home who think it's dangerous here. I, and the single woman I know, walk around at night with no worries. I think this is one of the safest places I've been to, you have a better chance of violence in L.A. I'm quite sure there are areas here that could be dangerous at nite, but I have no business in those areas. Whether you can take the summer weather is a bigger concern than your safety! If the summers don't bother you, you'll love it here!

[telcoman]

Unless you are planning to get into the drug trade business or hang around in bars with people who are, you will be perfectly safe.

[simplyvallarta]

We actually just made a (satire) video about the safety of Puerto Vallarta simplyvallarta dot com slash safety-of-mexico - Hope you enjoy!

[telcoman]

Great video, I linked it on a couple of other forums

[telcoman]

Well, rv.net deleted it right away. I guess they like the scare mongering.