Puerto Vallarta

Is Puerto Vallarta safe?

Mostly, yes. Puerto Vallarta is a resort city where most visitors have a quiet trip, and its everyday crime figures are moderate for Mexico. SESNSP, the federal crime statistics office, recorded 24 victims of intentional homicideHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary in the municipality from January to September 2026. On the 2020 census population of 291,839, that is about 11 per 100,000 a year, up from 18 murder cases in all of 2025.

The catch is the state it sits in. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes high levels of violence between rival criminal groups in parts of Jalisco, and in February 2026 that violence reached the city. We score Puerto Vallarta 60, level with Los Cabos and above Cancún (57).

This page covers the municipality of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco: the Malecón, the old town, the hotel zone and Marina Vallarta. Nuevo Vallarta and Punta Mita, a short drive north, are in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, a different state with its own figures.

What happened in February 2026

On 22 February 2026, after a federal operation against organised crime in the municipality of Tapalpa, serious security incidents were reported across Jalisco, including in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. According to FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advice of 23 February 2026, authorities in Puerto Vallarta told people to stay indoors, some local transport was suspended and flights in and out of the city were cancelled or diverted at short notice.

The FCDO advised against all but essential travel to the whole of Jalisco from 23 February and lifted that advice on 27 February, when flights had resumed. Its standing advice against all but essential travel covers only the areas south and south-west of Lake Chapala and a group of northern municipalities, far from the coast.

The US State Department's state map, shared by the US embassy in June 2026, puts Jalisco at Level 3, reconsider travel, one level higher than Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur. Nayarit, where Nuevo Vallarta is, is at Level 2. The lesson from February is practical: violence of this kind is rare in the tourist zone, but when it happens, airports and roads can close with no warning. Keep some flexibility in your plans and register with your embassy's alert service.

Theft, scams and nights out

Street crime is lower than in Cancún. Police opened 119 cases of robbery from pedestrians in 2025, about 41 per 100,000 people, against about 87 in Cancún. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta among the resorts where British travellers have been physically and sexually assaulted, in some cases with hotel staff, taxi drivers or security guards involved. It also warns about:

• Fake police who stop drivers and demand on-the-spot fines. Ask for a written fine instead.
• ATMs. Use machines inside shops or malls in daylight.
• Drinks. Spiking happens in bars, and methanol in alcohol has caused deaths in Mexico.

The FCDO does not single out any part of Puerto Vallarta at night, unlike downtown Cancún and Tulum. Gallup's 2025 survey found 51% of Mexicans feel safe walking alone at night. Take a ride app or a taxi from a regulated stand after a late night, as US government staff are told to do.

Roads, sea and crocodiles

Traffic is less deadly here than in the other big Mexican resorts. SESNSP counted 14 road deaths from January to September 2026, about 6.4 per 100,000 a year, half the rate of Cancún and Los Cabos. US government staff may not drive between cities after dark, which is a good rule for trips along the coast.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary notes that crocodiles live in lagoons and coastal areas of Pacific resorts and have seriously injured tourists. Respect warning signs and keep away from the water's edge around estuaries and lagoons. Some beaches have no lifeguards, so follow the flags.

Hurricanes and floods

Hurricane season runs from June to November. In October 2023, Hurricane Lidia came ashore as a Category 4 storm near Las Peñitas, about 35 nautical miles south-west of the city, according to the US National Hurricane Center. It brought down trees and roofs around Puerto Vallarta, and a man was killed by a falling tree near Punta Mita. In August 2021, Hurricane Nora passed close to the city; flooding and landslides caused a hotel to collapse, killing a teenager.

Both storms caused flash and river flooding, and during Lidia a man drowned south of the city trying to drive across an overflowing stream. In a storm, keep away from rivers and follow civil protection orders. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary also notes that earthquakes are a risk in most of Mexico.

How to stay safe in Puerto Vallarta

• Check UK and US advice and local news before you travel, and again if unrest is reported in Jalisco.
• Use app rides or taxis from regulated stands, especially at night.
• Keep away from lagoons and estuaries where crocodiles live.
• Travel between cities only in daylight.
• In hurricane season, buy insurance that covers storm and flight disruption.

For the state-by-state picture, see our Mexico page.

How we scored it

Health and environment (70) is the strongest factor: clean air and private hospitals that treat visitors. Natural hazards (52) and violent crime (58) are the weakest. The first reflects hurricanes and floods, the second a murder rate of about 11 per 100,000 in 2026 and the February unrest. Road safety (58) is clearly better than in Cancún or Los Cabos.