The Pros and Cons of Mexico Family Travel

The Pros certainly outweigh the Cons regarding family Mexican travel Destinations. Having grown up on the US/Mexico border of Brownsville Texas, I am very familiar with cities and areas of Mexico. However, recent incidents have made it more cautious to travel in certain areas of the country.

The Pros include travelling to splendid beach resorts such as Cancun/Mayan Rivera in the Caribbean & Cabo San Lucas in the Baja Coast out West.  If white sand and a 4/5 star hotel resort are your thing, than Cancun/Mayan Rivera is your Destination.  There are abundant accommodations, which are “all inclusive” and regular resorts located on crystal blue waters and powder white sand.  My favorite all-inclusive family resorts for 2018 including special amenities, accommodations, rankings and Kids Club;

Cancun Kid friendly all-inclusive resorts;

• Beach Palace Resort
• Grand Vilas Rivera Maya
• Azul Beach Resort
• Dreams Tulum Resort
• Club Med Cancun

What to Do With Kids in Cancun

• First and foremost, kids love water.  If you keep them where they can swim and snorkel, they'll probably be happy.
• They can swim With Dolphins program set up just for young children which they'll love, and older kids can do the regular program which they'll remember forever.
• A popular outing with families of all ages is the Hummer Jungle Tour.  This tour visits a petting zoo, sees ruins, swims in Cenotes, and hits the beach.  For the adventure in you, there are zip lines too.
• An exciting family adventure is the Sylvatica Canopy Tour- zip lines through the jungle.   Family fun for ages 3 and up!
• A trip to Xel Ha or Xcaret will keep the kids entertained all day long, and they'll always love a day at Wet N Wild or Garrafon Park.
• New to Cancun is Xplor Adventure Park, featuring zip lines, water landings, subterranean rivers, cenotes, and self-drive amphibious vehicles.  It is taking Cancun by storm!
• The Cancun Interactive Aquarium is a family-friendly activity that is popular.
• You can have dinner at a fun restaurant like the Rain Forest Cafe - kids love that place.  You can get 2x1 discounts on the Rain Forest Cafe and many other places with the Entertainment Plus Cancun Discount Card.
• The Jungle Tour is popular with kids, as are the ATV tours (at least for older kids).
• Horseback Riding is fun for older kids, especially if you have girls.
• The Ventura Parkis a mega theme park, with many thrilling worlds of entertainment inside. Roller-coasters, bungee-jumping, zip-lines, dolphin swims and so much more to discover!
• The Isla Mujeres Fun Day cruise has a kids club that makes this a great family excursion.
• The Subsee Explorer and Atlantis Submarine are unique ways to see the underwater world of Cancun without ever getting wet.  Perfect for families with kids of all ages - they will be excite
• The drive from the Airport in Cancun is also safe, with a police presence on the road.  To the West  is Cabo San Lucas,  great for fishing and snorkeling with a rustic feel  of old Mexico.

Los Cabos Family Resorts include;

• Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos
• Hotel Riu Palace
• Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
• Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar

Cabo Submarine and Cabo Dolphins are two of the top choices for young children, and both provide memorable experiences in non-threatening environments. Cabo Submarine's yellow semi-submersible showcases the abundance of colorful marine life in the Sea of Cortés from a comfortable underwater viewing cabin, while Cabo Dolphin provides up-close-and-personal dolphin encounters in very shallow water.

Older kids, meanwhile, may prefer surf lessons at High Tide Sea Expeditions, where they can learn wave riding from a former Mexican national champion. Swimming with whale sharks tours and a snorkel/scuba hybrid called Snuba are among the cool offerings from Cabo Expeditions, and the Baja California peninsula's biggest theme park, Wild Canyon, draws raves from visiting teens for its adrenaline-pumping adventures, which range from zip-line courses to off-road racing.

Flying to both destinations is plentiful. Book early for best fares and travel off peak times within spring and fall.

The Cons include safety and security in certain areas of Mexico.  First off; do not drive across the border from Texas to the interior colonial areas and cities, such as Monterrey and Mexico City. Drug cartels rule these Highways and rapid kidnapping, carjacking and robbery are the norm.  Destinations such as Acapulco, Monterrey and border towns from the US should be off limits to tourists.  The US State department,  have the border cities at a level 4 and the rest of Mexico such as Beach resorts previously mentioned at a level 2.  As long as you fly to the beach resort cities, you are fine.

As with any destination, use common sense and always be aware of your surroundings. Mexico is still a charming beautiful hot spot for families.