Are Mayan Ruins Safe From Cartels, etc?

Chichen Itza is safe. Teotihuacan (not Mayan) near Mexico City is safe. Areas around Palenque are less safe.

Merida, Riveria Maya, Cancun are all pretty safe.

Probably safer for tourists than New Orleans.

Every resort down there has tours you can buy. Around $100 person. They come with tour guides.

I have just rented a car and driven my family. It is about a 2.5 hour drive.

They don't let you climb all over the ruins like you could 25 years ago, but it is still cool.

The nicest Mayan ruins I have ever been to was Chechen Itza but that was 40 years ago. In recent years I have been to Altun Ha in Belieze and Chocchoben near Costa Maya Mexico without any hint of a problem.

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They don't let you climb all over the ruins like you could 25 years ago, but it is still cool.

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They don't let you climb Chichen Itza, but they do at Uxmal (near Merida) and Coba. You can visit Coba from Cancun/Tulum, etc.

I also have rented a car and driven. It's usually ok, although I do know someone who was shaken down by the cops and had to pay around $200. Just drive really slow and carefully.

There are also quite a few ruins in Belize.

1. Actun Tunichil Muknal - ruins in a cave that you hike to through water and then climb up to. There's a preserved skeleton and a good bit of Mayan pottery, etc. Often called ATM. Loved this tour! Safe and adventurous.

2. Xunantunich - near the Guatamala border, but not that far from San Ignacio. Really fun to walk around and climb. Safe.

3. Tikal - we did not go here. It's a full day trip from San Ignacio and you absolutely need a guide as you do not want to go to Guatamala without guides/protection.

If you've done Mexico before, Belize might really be fun. We spent a week and split it between San Ignacio (jungle stuff) and Ambergris Caye for beachy stuff. Or instead of Ambergris Caye, you could split it with Placencia. There's cool stuff around Placencia with various nature preserves, crocodiles, beachy stuff.

Just a note for Xunantunich. We enjoyed walking around the ruins. The only thing I will add for the selfie crowd is that there are no protective barriers installed. If you take one step too far back for that photo you could be in for a very bad fall.

Yeah It was about 40 years ago.

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you do not want to go to Guatamala without guides/protection.

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Oh phooey!

My parents took me to Guatemala multiple times when I was a kid and we rented cars and drove from Guatemala City to Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Tikal, Chichicastenango, etc with no guide or protection and with my grandmother to boot.

Don't be naive, but don't be afraid of people just because you're out of the country. Be smart and you'll be fine anywhere a tourist would want to go in Guatemala.

We've flown through Guatemala City twice to go to Ambergris Caye and overnighted there. Our hotel had barbed wire around it and armed guards. Maybe it's safe but it doesn't look or feel safe.

Thanks to all who answered - lots of great info!!! I want my kids to have the same experience of climbing on the ruins but I really have work to do to explore all these options.

Around that same time in the 1970’s, we went to Belize (it was British Honduras at the time) for a couple of dive trips. I think there was one small bungalow hotel on San Pedro but we stayed in a guy’s house. We had meals that his wife made with him and his family. The Jonestown Massacre happened while we were there one time and we didn’t hear about it until we got back to the U.S.

I drove to the coba ruins by myself a few years ago no issue. Not sure if you can pull this off with kids but i got there early and rented a bike and hauled arse to the pyramid. I climbed to the top fast and was able
To chill up there by myself for about 15 min before anyone else got there. Very cool ezperience.