Here Is How Likely You Are To Get Sick In Los Cabos

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Forbes magazine has presented its “Holiday Sickness Index”, which is essentially a ranking that they put together to see where travelers are more likely to get sick.

Los Cabos was ranked as the fifth destination where travelers were more likely to get sick. The article gave Cabo a 63.3 rating out of 100.

That doesn’t necessarily mean, though, that 63% of the people that come to Los Cabos will get sick. 

The index is put together through very basic investigative work.

That’s not to say that it doesn’t reflect a certain reality, but the index can’t be considered truly scientific research.

According to Forbes, their ranking is based on the number of times travelers to different destinations take to TripAdvisor to complain about getting sick at a particular destination. 

The article says that Forbes researchers filter the comments section to include the names of illnesses like food poisoning or e-coli.

They then assign their rating based on the number of comments they find and the different illnesses that people report contracting at a particular destination. Forbes found that there are 4,987 posts related to illness on Los Cabos’ Trip Advisor page.

That’s about 8% of the total posts from travelers talking about the destination. Although the methodology is basic, the rating Los Cabos received may be concerning to travelers.

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Mexican Water May Be Largely To Blame For The Poor Ratings 

There’s actually one other Mexican destination that scored even lower than Los Cabos in the Forbes index. Playa del Carmen — taking the 4th spot of the destinations where travelers are most likely to get sick.

Forbes goes on to recommend that travelers don’t drink the local tap water at either of the Mexican destinations. Tap water can be one of the reasons why many travelers to Mexico do get sick. It comes down to a little more than just not drinking directly from the faucet. 

Unfortunately, the water is used to wash dishes and silverware that you’re going to use to eat at local restaurants.

Without a doubt eating at street food venues is likely going to put travelers at an even higher risk of getting sick.

Since it’s more likely that local tap water is being used in the cooking process. At high-end restaurants, you can get your food served on heated plates that, besides keeping your food warm, also are able to kill off more bacteria. Their cleaning methods also tend to be more thorough. 

Staying Off Spicy Foods Can Also Be A Way To Avoid Getting Sick

Local water may not be the only reason why travelers to Los Cabos and other parts of Mexico report getting sick.

Most of the illnesses reported by tourists that come to Mexico have to do with some type of stomach issue. Another tip for travelers to Mexico would be to stay off the spicy food that is offered in the region.

Mexicans are known to downplay how spicy a dish might be. Locals are very much accustomed to the flavors and the heat, but foreign tourists could literally have trouble digesting overly spicy foods. 

Another element that could contribute to people getting sick while in Los Cabos are actually buffets. When the food has been out there for too long at your all-inclusive, you may be more at risk of developing an illness.

To try and avoid that make sure that you head out early to buffets, whether they be at a resort or a specific restaurant.  

Is It Likely To Get Sick While In Los Cabos?

If you go all in on the tequila or mezcal drinks that you get at the resort, and then you add some tacos with spicy salsa to the mix, there’s a good chance you’ll at least have an upset stomach.

There are, however, active ways to try and make sure that you don’t get sick while vacationing in Cabo. Not drinking tap water is step one, and trying to avoid eating street food would likely be step two.

The desert climate that Cabo boasts gives it an advantage over spots like Playa del Carmen. That is the fact that you won’t have to worry too much about mosquitoes transmitting tropical diseases like dengue fever. Like you would in tropical destinations such as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, which tops Forbes’ index.