There’s nothing better than a vacation to escape the hustle and bustle of work and daily life.
There’s a lot to do in Florida. After all, it attracts tourists. here It’s the perfect place for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, and for Florida residents, it’s packed with hidden gems, plenty of road trip opportunities, and plenty of romantic weekend getaways when you tire of the main attractions.
But even if you’re a Florida resident, sometimes you have to leave the state, and the great thing is that some of the best vacation spots are just a short walk away — or should I say, a short boat, plane, or cruise away?
Yes, we’re talking about vacations to the Bahamas, the Caribbean islands, or even the east coast of Mexico.
But nothing can ruin a vacation like being the victim of a crime or feeling unsafe. Below is a list of the latest travel advisories issued by the U.S. State Department for some popular vacation spots near Florida.
But first, let me explain what the travel advisory levels mean.
What are the travel advisory alert levels and how do they affect my holiday?
The U.S. Department of State issues four levels of travel alerts. The alerts inform U.S. citizens about safety concerns in a particular country, such as protests, crime, or weather. The State Department defines each level as follows:
- Level 1: Take normal precautions.
- This is the minimum level of recommendation regarding safety and security risks. International travel involves some risk. Conditions in other countries may differ from those in the United States and are subject to change at any time.
- Level 2: Please exercise extra caution.
- Please be aware of elevated risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides further advice in its travel advisories for travelers to these areas. Conditions in any country can change at any time.
- Level 3: Reconsider your travels.
- Please reconsider traveling due to significant safety and security risks. The Department of State provides additional advice in its travel advisories for travelers to these areas. Conditions in any country can change at any time.
- Level 4: Do not travel.
- This is the highest alert level due to the higher potential for life-threatening risks. The U.S. government may have very limited capacity to provide assistance, including in an emergency. The State Department advises U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the country or to leave as soon as it is safe. The State Department advises travelers to these countries, regardless of alert level, to write a will before traveling and leave a DNA sample in case of a worst-case scenario.
Interactive map: latest travel warnings at a glance
➤ View the interactive map.
The Bahamas is under a Level 2 travel advisory, so extra caution is advised
- Alert Level: Level 2, be even more careful.
- Issue Date: January 26, 2024.
- reason: Be extra cautious in the Bahamas because crime does occur. Violent crimes such as theft, armed robbery and sexual assault occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas.
- Please see here for the detail.
Travel advisory level 2 for Cuba, extra caution required
- Alert Level: Level 2, be even more careful.
- Issue Date: January 5, 2024.
- reason: Be extra cautious in Cuba, as crime is common. Petty crime is a threat to most tourists visiting the country, and violent crimes such as armed robbery and murder do occur from time to time.
- Please see here for the detail.
Turks and Caicos Islands is under a Level 2 travel advisory, with increased caution required
- Alert Level: Level 2, be even more careful.
- Issue Date: July 17, 2023.
- reason: Please be particularly aware that crime may occur in the Turks and Caicos Islands, as local medical and criminal investigation capabilities are limited.
- Please see here for the detail.
The Cayman Islands is under a Level 1 travel advisory, please exercise normal precautions
- Alert Level: Level 1, exercise normal caution.
- Issue Date: July 17, 2023.
- reason: Please exercise normal caution in the Cayman Islands.
- Please see here for the detail.
Jamaica is under a Level 3 travel advisory; reconsider travel
- Alert Level: Level 3, Reconsider travel
- Issue Date: January 23, 2024 (before Hurricane Beryl passed over the island)
- reason: Consider reconsidering travel to Jamaica due to issues with crime and health services. Violent crimes such as burglary, armed robbery, sexual assault, and murder are common. Sexual assaults are common, including at all-inclusive resorts.
- Please see here for the detail.
Haiti is under a Level 4 travel advisory and you should not travel there.
Alert Level: Level 4, travel ban
- Issue Date: July 27, 2023
- reason: Avoid traveling to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor medical infrastructure. Kidnappings are widespread and victims frequently include U.S. citizens. Convoys have been attacked. Kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations, and U.S. citizen victims have suffered physical harm during the kidnapping. Violent crimes involving U.S. citizens are common, including armed robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping for ransom. Protests, demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can become violent. The U.S. government has very limited capacity to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Haiti.
- Please see here for the detail.
Dominican Republic is under Level 2 travel advisory, increased caution required
- Alert Level: Level 2, be even more careful.
- Issue Date: June 18, 2024
- reason: The Dominican Republic has a high crime rate, so extra caution is advised. Violent crimes, including armed robbery, murder, and sexual assault, are a concern throughout the country. Due to the development of professional tourist police forces, the introduction of 911 systems in many parts of the country, and the concentration of resources in resort areas, resort areas tend to be better policed than urban areas such as Santo Domingo.
- Please see here for the detail.
Grenada is under a Level 1 travel advisory, please exercise normal precautions
- Alert Level: Level 1, take normal precautions (well before Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane)
- Issue Date: July 17, 2023
- reason: Please exercise normal caution in Grenada.
- Please see here for the detail.
Trinidad and Tobago is under a Level 3 travel advisory; please reconsider travel
- Alert Level: Level 3, Reconsider travel
- Issue Date: July 2, 2024
- reason: Due to crime, please reconsider traveling to Trinidad and Tobago. Take special caution in Trinidad and Tobago due to the risk of terrorism and kidnapping. Violent crimes such as murder, robbery, assault, sexual assault, burglary, and kidnapping are common. Gang activity, including drug trafficking, is also common. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist sites, transport hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.
- Please see here for the detail.
Travel advisories for popular Mexican cities range from Level 1 to Level 4
- Quintanilla state, including Cancun
- Alert Level: Level 2, more caution required
- Issue Date: August 22, 2023
- reasonBe aware of crime. Crime and violence can occur anywhere, anytime, including in popular tourist destinations.
- Please see here for the detail.
- Veracruz
- Alert Level: Level 2, more caution required
- Issue Date: August 22, 2023
- reason: Be aware of crime. Violent crime and gang activity is common in Veracruz, especially in the central and southern parts of the state near Córdoba and Coatzacoalcos. While most gang-related violence is targeted, violence by criminal organizations can also affect bystanders. Unannounced checks, for which a toll must be paid, are common.
- Please see here for the detail.
- Guerrero state, including Acapulco
- Alert Level: Level 4, travel ban
- Issue Date: August 22, 2023
- reason: Do not travel due to fear of crime. Crime and violence are widespread. Armed groups frequently block roads and may be violent towards travelers. U.S. government employees may also not travel to the tourist destinations of Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, and Ixtapa.
- Please see here for the detail.
