, said: 'Like many parts of the world, we do see issues with organised crime and gang-related violence in parts of Mexico, but I don't think it will have a huge impact on tourism to the country. 'The issues are not targeted towards tourists, so unless a tourist ignores local advice, or is very unlucky, there is no reason for them to be in any greater danger than they face wandering around some parts of London. Go with a reputable tour operator and they will make sure you have quality local guides, so tourists can just have a great holiday in this amazing part of the world.' Mexico's legendary rail journey, the Copper Canyon, is not off-limits. Nor are the nicest parts of Baja California. All of Yucatán, including the Mayan sites, is still shaded green, as are Oaxaca and Chiapas. Mexico City – the most exciting and dynamic metropolis south of New York – is fully open and, with the usual big-city caveats, safe. And, if you fancy repeating my first, transformative experience of Mexico (I'd go back tomorrow), then plan a route through San Miguel, San Luis Potosí, Real de Catorce and the city of Guanajuato. These contain enough churches, plazas, cobbled streets and treasure-filled mining museums for anyone – and the only colour you need to think about is silver. The FCDO's Mexican no-go zones, in full The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to: The state of Chihuahua except: The city of ChihuahuaThe border crossing in Ciudad Juárez (accessed by federal toll road 45)Federal toll road 45D connecting the cities of Chihuahua and Ciudad JuárezThe Copper Canyon rail route to/from Chihuahua and towns immediately on this route including CreelThe road from Creel via San Juanito to San PedroState highway 16 from San Pedro to Chihuahua The state of S){kind=link}
The FCDO page for the country has no fewer than 27 bullet points outlining where Britons can and cannot go – should tourists be worried?
Some countries are always safe, or green, on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel website. Those that feature orange (leisure travel not recommended), or are painted entirely red (all travel not recommended), vary with the times – one decade’s “axis of evil” nation is another’s edgy adventure-travel destination.
Mexico has always fallen somewhere in between. Drug-related crime and violence have been features of everyday life in certain regions for a long time – with places like Sinaloa state and Ciudad Juárez synonymous, in the unsubtle gaze of foreign media, with gruesome killings and lawlessness.
Even allowing for this, the FCDO map for Mexico has rarely looked so concerning. It resembles – appropriately enough – military camouflage, with numerous swathes of orange abutting a dwindling number of green zones. The small print on its website now features no fewer than 27 bullet points outlining exactly where tourists should and should not go.
Among the orange areas is the state of Zacatecas, which I find both surprising and dispiriting. One of my first trips to Mexico, in 2006, was to write about the so-called “Silver Cities” – former mining towns that grew rich in colonial times through precious metals.