Crime in Mazatlan, Mexico

I live here in a condo with my wife. We feel very safe in Mazatlan, day or night. The only reported problems of theft or assault are from tourists behaving badly and not using common sense in bars or clubs.

If you are a person interested in doing business here, or in buying property, be very careful. Corruption is the number one issue in all business dealings. Do not assume you have a contract. Contracts and pre-payments are generally not enforced. Even with a court ruling on a contract or pre-payment, enforcement is almost impossible. You can make a report to the police, but don't expect them to do anything except file a report.

Number one rule.. no matter how honest and sincere a contractor appears to be, always reserve final payment until all work is completed to your satisfaction. A small payment initially may be expected, but reserve most of the payment until the work is completed or the item is delivered.

If you are thinking of buying property here, avoid buying property that is still under development. Often projects here are never completed, and in some cases the seller may not even fully own the property. It is best to only purchase property that is 100% completed. Never make large payments in cash. Always make bank transfers and always require proper receipts for all transactions. Make friends with a local lawyer who specializes in property purchases. Have that person investigate the ownership of property you are considering purchasing.

Be aware you Mazatlan is a tourist mecca for all of Mexico. Mexican tourists are by far the majority of visitors to Mazatlan. Although Cabo San Lucas is close, the tourist culture here is not Cabo. This is good and bad news. We like the Mexican culture, but we speak Spanish. English is only spoken by maybe 10% of the population.

Learn Spanish, if you plan to live here. Also, plan on getting a Mexican bank account, a residence visa, a Mexican driver's license, and basically integrate into the culture. Forget complaining about how things are not done as it might be in your home country. You are a foreigner here and you are not going to change a country much older than Columbus.

So basically if you are just visiting as a tourist, it is safe to enjoy Mazatlan; have a great time. You'll find people who can help you enjoy your visit. If you want to live here.. learn Spanish, accept the culture, and understand the crime and violence are not a big issue here. It's the problems associated with corruption will be more of an aggravation, and this is really only an issue in business dealings.

Feb 2, 2022
I am impressed with this report on Mazatlan! I lived in Europe for twenty years plus, including Italy.
My friend, drinking buddy now visiting this, seemingly super tourist enclave of 1\2 million people!
From what I have read, this seems to be a hidden PARADISE!
Larry B Stell, Author
Feb 2, 2022