Is Puerto Rico Safe?

The crime rate in Puerto Rico is at 75%
https://www.numbeo.com/crime/country_result.jsp?country=P...

Most likely no higher than in Chicago and New York.

My boss went to the Dominican Republic and had a great time. If you stay on the resort and don't get flashy? You'll be fine. If you have an expensive engagement ring? I'd leave it at home. But then I'd do that if I were going to Chicago or Baltimore.

This will tell you about places on the island that might help you make a decision
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147319-Activitie...

We've been to Puerto Rico many times. Like many places around the globe, vigilance is important and basic safety measures are vital. These include: not appearing too "tourist-y", like wearing all American baseball team clothing or t shirts with suggestive or offensive language. Wear basic clothing - plain t shirts or blouses, ordinary jeans, good walking shoes, nothing flashy or sloppy. Don't purchase tons of souvenirs that you'll have to carry around - that identifies you as a tourist.

Keep your IDs in a secure spot - under your clothing. Don't wear fanny packs or put your IDs in a wallet in your pants pocket. Purchase those ID holders that you wear around your neck under a shirt, or as a belt. REI and Magellan are great sites for secure travel pouches and purses that can't be pickpocketed.

One thing we noticed on the highways around San Juan is that many of the exits aren't named or numbered. That makes things interesting! We resorted to counting exits. But driving is ok as long as you're not expecting clearly marked exits. Trial and error!

If you want to truly experience the island, find a place to stay near old San Juan and walk and explore. It's beautiful. El Moro (the old fort) is gorgeous. The rain forest, El Yunque, is the only rain forest in North America and it's a magnificent experience. Our kids were young the first time we went there and we have wonderful photos of our son holding our daughter's hand as they played in the natural pool at the rain forest.

Don't stay in an inclusive resort, if you want the real experience. Those are very structured and intended to create an ambience. We loved staying in a local hotel, eating street food, buying a souvenir from a local woman who made hand-woven purses and was selling them from a pallet on the street, and drinking coco frios (ice cold coconuts, with the tops macheted off with a great display). One of our favorite photos is of our daughter, just 4 at the time, sipping on a coco frio, making the worst scrunched-up face. We paid $20 to a street vendor so the kids could pose with beautiful friendly parrots on their shoulders - yes, a tourist-y thing, but nothing we could ever replicate.

Just stay smart, stay alert, don't be afraid. Respect the locals. Go to Barrachina, the restaurant where (allegedly) the Pina Colada was invented. Our kids loved seeing the turtles in the ponds, the birds, and they loved the virgin pina coladas there.

There's crime everywhere, from Nebraska to Maine to California. Don't let that stop you. Be safe. Be smart. Don't look like a tourist. Blend in (plain clothes, not a lot of shopping bags). Keep IDs under your clothes and make sure a family member back home has copies of your itineraries, tickets and IDs. Don't fall for pickpocket schemes (people trying to sell you flowers who wave the flowers in front of your face, people who create a distraction such as dropping a briefcase full of papers and appearing very upset, people who scream that they've been robbed thus causing everyone to double check their wallets and alerting thieves to the location of easy targets).

Puerto Rico is beautiful.

the US is pretty much the safest place in the world, so we have a skewed view of 'safety.' we're also inundated by media that makes us disbelieve our eyes and feel in danger all the time. it's just not so.
puerto rico is an american territory, and while yes, there is crime there, it's not like you're headed to syria.
if you tend to be fearful, go to an 'inclusive' resort where you are thickly padded against the local flavor and as safe as you can possibly be. it will be pretty much like every inclusive resort in the world, with restaurants and private beaches and swimming pools and 'outings'. they're interchangeable, really.
or you can actually get a feel for the beautiful country you're visiting, and get out in it. you will need to take sensible precautions and be aware of your surroundings, but that's what you should be doing here too, right?
there's no guaranteed safety anywhere.
but there's way, way less danger than your well-meaning friend would have you believe.
if you are afraid of crime, save your money and staycation in your own area. there's crime in US cities and resorts and national parks too.
khairete
S.

Puerto Rico is (obviously) a US territory, so it's not like you're going to a foreign land with foreign laws. There is crime all around the world! Nothing unusual in PR. It's a beautiful place! Visit the Bioluminescent Bay. Definitely rent a car.

Well so is Chicago, New York and Houston for that matter.

As with any traveling, blend in and be aware of surroundings. I will be honest, I do that any place I go. Find a place to stay, check your routes you plan to drive and have fun!!! I hear its beautiful there!!

As safe as many other destinations you could travel to. I let my daughter go there on a high school trip recently with a bunch of high school students and only a couple of chaperones and she had the best time! Honestly, if anyone is a target, it is a bunch of silly high school kids running around :) They did all the touristy things, but also did a lot of "off the beaten track" things, too.

I'd totally go - but then again, I've travelled the world over, both with and without kids of all ages! Good luck!

My sister vacationed there a few years back and we had a stop there on our cruise when our kids were 5, 7, and 9. I think it's fine if you keep your street smarts about you, same as anywhere else.

...I wasn't aware of it NOT being safe. It's not like Mexico, with all the kidnappings and drug cartels running the place, or Syria, with a terrorist organization running the place. The crime rate in the U.S., especially in large cities, is as high, if not higher than Puerto Rico, and no matter where you go in the world, there are dangerous/risky activities and neighborhoods everywhere. As long as you practice common sense and don't wander off to an area known for violence in the middle of the night, you are no more in danger than you would be in this country.

My co-worker is from there and goes there every year. Never had issues. My family has traveled there too, and again, no issues. People abroad think I am crazy for living in Miami, because they saw Miami Vice and think all there is here is violence and drugs and shootings. Yes, there are plenty of areas with drugs and violence but no, this is not the Wild West where the only way to survive is to duck and shoot back, nor do the tourists have a death wish. It's about avoiding areas with high crime, not flaunting your wealth, not upsetting people or being offensive, and not being out at night alone in some dark alley -- same as you'd do anywhere.

My advice? Research all the places you plan to visit. See what people say, in terms of safety. Obviously, getting places in the day time will be your best bet, as crimes tend to occur at night, not in broad daylight. If you still feel uneasy, you can either do the resort thing people mention, hire a local native to cater and customize a tour for you based on your top places to visit (the guide would know which areas to avoid, etc.), or go with a tour company. They're not going to lead you to danger. You may not get to see all the things you'd want to see, which is why going on your own or hiring a local native to give you a tour would be your best bet, especially if you're the kind of person who likes going off the beaten path. Good luck, and don't let people scare you into not traveling.

Internet searches are not a good way to get an accurate impression about the 'safety' of a place because people are unlikely to write an article saying 'We had no troubles in this place.' Your search is much more likely to turn up articles about problems, and therefore give you a skewed impression because the many people who had good experiences are unlikely to report their experiences. Yes, there is surely some crime there, however as other posters said, it is probably no higher than the rate in any large American city. Perhaps you can find some friends or parents of your kids' classmates who have gone there and can share their experiences?

Check the State Department website for travel advisories. I'd guess that staying at an all inclusive resort would be "safer".

Hi, My husband and I have both worked in the airline industry for many years. We have had many layovers in San Juan. Anywhere that you would stay as a tourist will be safe. You say you are traveling with kids so I recommend staying in one of the Hotels that are ON the beach in Isla Verde. There aren't really beach access hotels in the Condado. Beach is rather rocky like...maybe rocky shores in swampscott. The beach in Isla Verde is very serene and not rocky at all. For Kids I would definitely say Isla Verde. I particularly like the Intercontinental Hotel. The Casino scene is more 'active' in the Condado than the 'beach' scene. I would definitely try to get down to old San Juan but probably wouldn't stay there. There's a lot of history down there and the colonial architecture is beautiful. How long are you staying? I think that if it's more than five days it may be too much unless you were making a side trip to culebra. I've never been but I've heard from others that it's amazing. I have rented a car and gone to El Yunque. That was very cool and other than the PR crazy drivers and the signs being in spanish(luckily still american style street signs so you 'know' what they say), I had no problems at all. Have a great trip you should be fine!

It is like any other city downtown here in the U.S. Wherever you go, you have to follow safety rules and have common sense. Every country has its own paradise and its own hell.
Traveling is beautiful and interesting, enjoy your trip!