Is It Safe to Leave Your Phone At A Cancun Pool Chair? Here’s What Veteran Travelers Say

Share The Article

Let’s get one major thing out of the way right off the bat: Cancun is objectively one of the safest beach destinations in the world for international tourists. If you are staying within the designated Hotel Zone, the security presence is massive, and overall, the vast majority of travelers feel incredibly secure.

In fact, according to the Traveler Safety Index (TSI) which measure real time traveler votes on the ground, Cancun currently holds a very strong safety score of 91. This means the vast majority of recent travelers visiting Cancun feel totally safe.

But while you don’t need to worry about your personal safety, a different question always pops up when you finally claim your spot by the water: Is it so safe that you can actually leave your smartphone, wallet, and other valuables sitting on your beach chair while you go for a long swim?

We spent this past week talking to dozens of travelers and staff members at multiple resorts across the Hotel Zone to find out exactly how secure your unattended belongings really are.

Here is the short, honest answer: It can be a gamble.

The “Towel Forcefield” Mentality

If you ask the seasoned Cancun veterans, most will tell you not to stress about it at all. Nine times out of ten, the people we spoke to who have been coming down to the Mexican Caribbean for years do not even think twice about leaving their gear behind.

Their strategy is incredibly simple: they pop their cell phones, room keys, and tipping cash into their beach bag, completely cover it with a resort towel, and head straight to the swim-up bar. For the vast majority of these travelers, this makeshift “towel forcefield” works perfectly. They have been doing it for years and have never had a single problem.

The Reality Check

However, we also spoke to a traveler named Sandra from Milwaukee, who offered a sobering reality check. Sandra has been vacationing in Cancun for over 15 years. For the longest time, she operated exactly like the other veterans. But recently, while staying at a popular four-star resort, her phone quietly went missing from her bag while she was out swimming in the ocean.

When a valuable goes missing at a sprawling mega-resort, it is incredibly difficult to track down. It could have been another guest who had a few too many drinks, or it could have been an employee. At the end of the day, who took it doesn’t matter nearly as much as why they took it.

Theft at resorts is almost exclusively a crime of opportunity. If an expensive phone or a stack of cash is easily seen sitting out and you get a little too comfortable, there is always a chance someone walking by might do a quick grab and keep right on walking.

So, how do you protect your valuables while still actually enjoying your vacation? Depending on your personal comfort level, here are the two main strategies you should use.

1. Make It Difficult (The Casual Approach)

At the very absolute least, you need to make it physically difficult for someone to rummage through your stuff. Thieves are looking for an easy, frictionless target.

Do not bring unnecessary attention to your valuables by leaving your brand-new Ray-Bans sitting out on the plastic table or leaving your cash tips right beside your drink. Put your phone and cash inside a zipped pouch, place that pouch at the very bottom of your beach bag, and cover the entire bag with a towel.

Additionally, use the social contract to your advantage. Strike up a conversation with the person in the lounger next to you. Ask them, “Are you going to be here for a while?” If they say yes, simply ask them to keep a quick eye on your chair while you jump in the pool. Most travelers are more than happy to look out for one another.

2. Lock It Down (The Veteran Strategy)

I have been traveling to Cancun for over 20 years, and I absolutely hate having a nagging sense of worry while I am trying to relax in the water. Because of that, this second strategy is my personal favorite. I simply lock my valuables down so I do not have to watch my chair or be nervous at all.

Pick up a Master Lock Portable Small Lock Box before your trip. You can set your own easy four-digit combination, and it opens with a simple click. The cable easily and securely wraps directly around your heavy lounge chair leg or the pole of your beach umbrella. Not only does it provide ironclad security, but it also keeps your phone, cash, and room key completely dry and free of sand.

Anyone walking the beach looking for a crime of opportunity will spot the lockbox and immediately walk right by, knowing how secure it is. It is an absolute game-changer for your peace of mind.

One quick tip: The lockbox is dark grey, and it will get incredibly hot baking in the Mexican sun. Be sure to throw a towel over the locked box to keep your phone and electronics cool while you are out enjoying the water!

---