Is there crime on Isla Mujeres?

If you were to forget your phone when sitting on an Isla Mujeres beach, there is a chance you may not recover it, although recently a member of our staff, whilst sitting on the sidewalk outside a restaurant left her brand-new phone behind on the sidewalk and only realized what she had done when she got home; A local girl walking past found the phone and took it into the restaurant, people on the island are generally very honest.

So if not recovering you lost phone, is a crime on the part of the person who doesn't return it, then yes there is crime on Isla Mujeres. Apart from the most minor of things such as the aforementioned then no; crime is virtually non existent. We have been building homes and renting property on Isla Mujeres for over twenty years and yet have never witnessed a crime in that time.

We have projects in southern Spain and Portugal and there it's a different story, although less so in Portugal; in the more expensive resorts in Spain, there is street robbery particularly of expensive watches. As in many American cities, as the demographics have changed in Spain so has crime. You can relax during the day but you have to be aware of your surroundings at night.

Isla Mujeres must be one of the safest places in the world, The island is very peaceful and the local people are friendly. It is particularly safe when compared with other Caribbean islands. In Jamaica for example it is difficult for tourists to feel relaxed unless staying in a secure guarded resort. High-risk neighborhoods in Montego Bay, Spanish Town and parts of Kingston, should be completely avoided as they are dangerous.

You don't have to stray far from Isla Mujeres to experience crime; Cancun is reasonably safe during the day, but at night the risks increase substantially. It is therefore understandable that there are those who arrived on Isla Mujeres ten years ago and never left, not even for a shopping trip to Cancun. Part of the safety is due to the island's size; it's just four miles long and not even half a mile wide.