SAFE TRAVELS IN
MEXICO Story and Photo by Paul Beddows
I have now spent 4 seasons in Mexico. I am retired from Telus and I always planned to become a snowbird. The problem is that I am not a fan of camping in a desert and spending my days around a pool, and nights packed in cheek to jowl in a crowded RV park. To me, Mexico seemed like the next logical choice. It has beaches, guaranteed good weather, cheap prices and people who will often give the shirt off their back to help you out.
Like most, I approached the prospect of RV’ing in Mexico with some trepidation. Considering the fact I am an accomplished world traveller, having backpacked though most of the world, including war zones, I have more tolerance to danger, so I sympathize with those who feel some fear about taking an RV down there. However, as most others have found out, that fear is misplaced. Despite the drug wars and media articles about being a war zone, I believe Mexico is a safe RV destination, provided you follow a few simple rules. Those are, do not travel at night, do not boondock alone and try to utilize the toll roads whenever possible. Statistically, as a tourist, more Canadians are murdered in the US than in Mexico.
There are some obstacles to overcome however, but to me, all those obstacles are a small price to pay for the adventure and warmer, affordable RV’ing that Mexico offers. The media, and our own government has done a very good job at discouraging RV’ers from going to Mexico. 3 years ago I was worried about being able to find RV parks with spaces, last year half were nearly empty. This is bad news for everyone if some of them do not make it, and close down.
So how can we make you feel a bit more confident about taking an RV into Mexico? Well first of all try to stick to the Cuota’s (toll roads) for at least your first trip. These are expensive, but the cheaper fuel offsets that somewhat.
W B I
They are up to US interstate standards,
well patrolled and, in my opinion, safe. Another option is to use an organized caravan for your first trip. Most of these travel the Baja peninsular, but there are a few on the mainland, although most of the current ones are French Canadian. Yet another option it is find other RV’ers to buddy up with for at least the first few hundred miles near the border. You don’t have to be that organized, and if you detest caravans, you can agree to go your own way when you feel like it.
Traveling with someone else does also provide a means of help if you break down. I started a web site last year to facilitate this, for free, at www.
mexicotravelbuddies.com . There is another one operated by Dot Bell at
http://www.mexicoroadtrips.com. Some RV Parks like “La Penita” north of Puerto Vallarta and “Celestino Resort” north of Mazatlan are running their own inexpensive or even free caravans for those who wish to use their campgrounds.
Many RV’ers to Mexico tend to find one spot they like and book year after year.
This makes for a few crowded parks at the more popular spots along the west coast in particular. However, there are many wonderful areas to explore in the interior of Mexico and some of the more offbeat coastal towns. At my last count there are nearly 500 RV Parks and campgrounds suitable for RV’s. Most are listed in “Mexico camping” by Mike and Terri Church. This book is considered the bible of RV’ing in Mexico and no RV’er down there should be without it. You can also find an overview map of Mexican RV park locations at
http://mexicorvforums.com/map.html . Mexican GPS is in its infancy, but both Garmin and BICI have somewhat decent maps for Garmin GPS units. The best map book is Guia Roji which is available in many large department stores throughout Mexico. Microsoft Streets and Trips also has quite decent maps of Mexico in its later releases.
As far as your RV is concerned, there are a few things you do need to prepare for. First of all you should be aware that overhead hazards such as low trees, arches, and power low power lines are common. You need to know your
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