State Department Cautions Travelers Visiting Playa Del Carmen

The U.S. State Department advised travelers visiting the popular Mexican resort town of Playa del Carmen to take extra precautions, after the U.S. Embassy received an unspecified threat.

The agency said it had “received information about a security threat” on Wednesday, and the U.S. Consular Agency in Playa del Carmen will be closed until further notice. All government employees have been prohibited from traveling to the town.

Playa del Carmen is near Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, including Cancun and Cozumel.

The State Department is also recommending that travelers purchase travel insurance that specifically covers Mexico and includes medical evacuation insurance.

Mexican officials contested the alert, saying in a statement “all tourism and economic activity in Playa del Carmen continues in a normal manner.”

The travel warnings come after a bomb exploded on a ferry in February that runs between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, injuring 25 people, including two Americans. A week later, “undetonated explosive devices” were found on the ferry by Mexican law enforcement. The State Department then warned Americans to “exercise caution” and prohibited employees from traveling on that ferry route.