Mexico : Safety by City
- Acapulco
- Aguascalientes
- Cabo San Lucas
- Cancun
- Chichen Itza
- Chihuahua
- Cozumel
- Cuernavaca
- Culiacan
- Durango
- Ensenada
- Guadalajara
- Guanajuato
- Hermosillo
- Huatulco
- Isla Holbox
- Isla Mujeres
- Ixtapa
- Juarez
- Leon
- Los Cabos
- Manzanillo
- Matamoros
- Merida
- Mexicali
- Mexico City
- Monterrey
- Morelia
- Nogales
- Nuevo Laredo
- Oaxaca
- Piedras Negras
- Playa del Carmen
- Puebla
- Puerto Morelos
- Puerto Vallarta
- Queretaro City
- Reynosa
- Saltillo
- San Luis Potosi
- San Miguel de Allende
- Sayulita
- Tijuana
- Tulum
- Valladolid
- Veracruz
- Zacatecas
- Zapopan
- Zihuatanejo
Puebla is the fourth biggest city in Mexico.
The city is located 132 km from Mexico City.
Puebla offers beautiful buildings from the Baroque era, colorful streets, and an amazing food culture.
Travelers come here to watch dramatic landscapes by the view of the active volcano Popocatepetl or “Popo” as called by the locals.
The natural beauty and the city vibe make this place a good travel destination.
It’s a fact but Puebla is a destination in Mexico more popular among locals than tourists.
But foreigner tourists can find a lot of interesting things to do here: Puebla’s Zocalo, with its cathedral which claims to have the two tallest towers in Mexico, Museo Amparo with a nice collection of art and a beautiful view of the city, the International Museo del Barocco, and food as a must trying in here.
Warnings & Dangers in Puebla
OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
The city is considered safe enough for tourists. The risk of being a victim of gang showdown is low. But, there is a risk of mugging and pickpocketing. Keep aware of any criminal news from the region before your trip.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
Traveling by public transport requires you to know the destination to avoid stress. Be watchful of pickpockets, especially when crowded. Taxis are safe enough. Use only licensed taxi services to avoid scams. Negotiate the price before sitting in the car - usually, a taxi has no taximeters.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
In public transport, there is a possibility of pickpocketing and being robbed. Also, it's unsafe to be in crowded places. Tourists often become a target for thieves if they wear jewelry and other valuables.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
In Puebla, the risk of the volcanic eruption remains, as it is active. It is necessary to check the news sources about this risk before visiting the city.
MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
The risk of robbery can be high for travelers who keep large amounts of money with them. You must keep your valuables in a safe at the hotel. In public transport or in public stores, it is easy to become a victim of a robbery. Park your car only in protected parking.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
There is a minimal risk of terrorism in Puebla. The city and area are quite protected from terrorist interests.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
Routine tourist fraud is possible in this city. It is necessary to buy tourist vouchers and tickets only at trusted ticket offices and licensed tourist points. You also need to be careful when withdrawing money from ATM - there is a risk of credit card scamming.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Women travel alone through Puebla in daylight is absolutely safe. You should be aware in the night time and concern the normal level of caution.
So... How Safe Is Puebla Really?
Puebla is one of the safest cities in Mexico and has not been affected by drug cartels showdown.
But across Mexico gangs showdown is a universal problem.
Puebla was named one of the top 10 cities in the world that should be visited by National Geographic Magazine.
Lonely Planet readers named Puebla as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit.
Because of that thousands of tourists come here to see this city. So it’s quite safe to be here.
The people are extremely friendly here. You can feel free to ask for help.
But follow usual precautions: don’t put too much jewelry on yourself, wear modest clothes, don’t show up drunk in bars at late night and keep your valuables in a safe place.
There are many travelers in the city, so you should avoid crowds where you can be robbed.
However, tourism and security are a priority in Puebla, so the police will respond quickly enough to all cases of violence.
It’s recommended taking precautions as when you visit any place, city or country.
Don’t take with you your personal documents if it is not necessary, don’t walk alone at night, be aware of your surroundings.
How Does Puebla Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Puebla | 80 |
| Playa del Carmen | 69 |
| Cabo San Lucas | 68 |
| Acapulco | 63 |
| Cancun | 71 |
| Guadalajara | 62 |
| Mexico City | 45 |
| Brussels (Belgium) | 60 |
| Shanghai (China) | 66 |
| Belize City (Belize) | 37 |
| La Paz (Bolivia) | 52 |
| Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 45 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
Useful Information
Visas
No visas required for tourist proposals to enter Mexico for many countries of Europe, US citizens and so on. You should have a valid passport and a tourist permit. The maximum possible of stay is 180 days. For a longer stay or other options, you should visit the Mexican embassy.
Currency
The Mexican peso - is the official currency in Mexico. There are one hundred Mexican centavos to every peso. The symbol for the Mexican Peso is $, so you can see MX$ or MN$ in banks and exchange points.
Weather
The best time to visit Puebla is from the end of March to June or from August to November. The average temperatures in Puebla vary little. The area has mild weather during the year. The chance of precipitation is low.
Airports
Puebla has an International Airport - Hermanos Serdán International Airport. It handles national and international air traffic for the city of Puebla. It also works as an alternate airport for Mexico City, being part of the metropolitan airport group for the Mexican capital, comprising the airports of Mexico City, Toluca, Cuernavaca, and Querétaro.
Travel Insurance
The medical travel insurance is required for travelers in any country as well as Mexico. On the border, any traveler may be asked by a customs officer to show insurance.
Puebla Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 21 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
| Low °C | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| High °F | 70 | 73 | 75 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 68 |
| Low °F | 37 | 39 | 43 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 50 | 48 | 48 | 45 | 39 | 37 |
viví en Puebla y el riesgo para las mujeres es muy alto, pero no han querido activar la alerta de género por no acabar con el turismo.
Just Be Careful
I’m originally from Puebla so here are my advices. Be extra careful with car accidents scams, they provoke accidents to scam you and make you pay. Also be careful with crooked cops because its really like 95% of cops that are corrupted so good luck finding the other 5% to get help. Don’t expect help from anybody when being attack so carry something to defend yourself at the very least a pocket knife or bear pepper spray if possible. Be careful with cabs and uber drivers, DO NOT TRAVEL BY YOURSELF specially if you are a female. Remember this is not to scare you away because at the end of the day its dangerous anywhere so just take this precautions and you’ll be fine. Remember that as a tourist, you have more protection from the Mexican government than myself as a Mexicano so enjoy your stay and your Mole Poblano;)
Good City
Puebla is absolutely one of the best cities in Mexico. It’s architecture, food and people make it a most-go for travelers in Central Mexico. It’s centric geographic position makes it an easy stop for travelers going north to Mexico City or Queretaro and those going south to Oaxaca or Chiapas. In a nutshell, Puebla is worth visiting. Yes there may be some crime, just as everywhere in the world but the atmosphere makes you feel safe. I wouldn’t recommend waking around in the “centro” to late at night though.
Must visit, but...
I’m from Puebla and don’t agree with such a high score in safety (pretty similar to Montréal’s) There’s armed robbery in downtown, we have a big issue with violent mugging after retiring cash at ATMs or banks as there are many gangs that focus on this kind of crime.
Another big issue is armed mugging of high end watches, this is particularly frequent for drivers, most likely in the Angelopolis area (the “rich”part of the city), this normally happens to locals, but if you rent a car keep this in mind.
For travellers: try to blend in by not using shorts, sport sunglasses, etc. (In general, avoid this in Mexico if you are not in a beach destination).
Downtown Puebla is relatively safe for tourists, but don’t be walking around after 9 pm. Try to book a guided tour with a local as we are more aware of suspicious people/situations. Avoid the upper (northern) part of downtown (no more than three blocks from the cathedral/zócalo), as it’s home for muggers, drug dealers, prostitutes and pimps; not even police dare to patrol around…
Leave your fancy watch in your hotel’s safe box. Ask for a taxi at the front desk or use Uber.
If you need cash avoid going into a bank, there are ATMs in many hotels or malls.
Women may get verbally harassed by groups of men, just keep on walking, it’s a good idea to not show too much skin…
Cholula (where the pyramid is located) is a small town, 20 min from Puebla’s downtown full of students so it’s way safer to go there for nightlife and the downtown is pretty safe even at night as long as you are aware and don’t carry expensive items.