Ice cubes, water used in drinks

I am sure this varies from town to town and bar to bar but how can I know whether it is safe to have a drink at the beach ( and no I do not know which beach yet, just starting to plan).

Thanks

For the most part their bottled water is safe. If you're really worried, bring your own bottle off the cruise ship.

Whatever you do, don't ask the locals if their water is safe or anything close to that. It's an insult to them and according to one poster here, it can get you some very bad service

I personally avoid drinking the water in Mexico. That includes ice. Asking a local if the water is safe will result in a yes, because they usually drink it in the tourist zones. Remember though, you are not used to drinking this water (they are) and it could leave you in the bathroom for some extended periods of unpleasantness.

We stayed in the Cancun Hotel zone a few years back and asked the bellhop if the water was okay to drink. He said that they were to tell people yes, while he rubbed his belly. That was all we needed. We bought bottled water and continue to do so when we visit Mexico.

How about water used to make ice for drinks at Mr Sanchos Resort for instance? Any problems there?

The alcohol in adult beverages will normally kill any common stomach bugs. There is generally not an issue when drinking alcoholic beverages that contain ice.

Hard to tell what goes on in some establishments.:p I only drink from sealed water and beer bottles.

We did the bar hop earlier this month. The tour company assured us that all of the ice was made with purified water. I did notice that the jugs of water at a couple of the places were marked as purified. Hopefully not just refilled from the tap.

I am sure this varies from town to town and bar to bar but how can I know whether it is safe to have a drink at the beach ( and no I do not know which beach yet, just starting to plan).

Thanks

Cozumel is one of the most trafficked cruise ports in the world. If even one bar or restaurant on the island started using unsafe or non purified water in their ice/drinks, I'd be willing to bet we would hear about it on this forum very quickly.

Cozumel is one of the most trafficked cruise ports in the world. If even one bar or restaurant on the island started using unsafe or non purified water in their ice/drinks, I'd be willing to bet we would hear about it on this forum very quickly.

Not many people are going to come on the boards and talk about how they had a day of diarrhea while on their cruise after drinking some bad water. Most people won't have issues with the water in Mexico. Yes, they do purify/filter it in the tourist areas. But this is not the same water you drink back home.

Drink bottled water right from the bottle. Whichever brand you buy, be sure it wasn't bottled in Mexico. :) We have eaten in some tourist restaurants but chose carefully. No salads or fruits we didn't have to peel. We drink from bottles/cans (I bring a few straws in my purse) :) and we have never gotten sick in Mexico. I would not use their ice cubes.

We just came back from Cozumel and did Playa Mia. They did serve bottled water that was not from Mexico (check the label) and I saw a guy moving a cart with big bags of ice and it said purified water and I can't remember where it was from but it also wasn't a product of Mexico. I think the resorts and tourist restaurants (i.e Margaritaville, etc.) are very careful about it as it would obviously be bad PR for them.

I was with a friend once at cozumel going to take the ferry and he decided to drink a glass of water from a bar, don't remember the name but close to the fery port. We literary walked 2 blocks and he was with food poising. The water? I can tell by fact but all we know as soon as he drank the water his stomach collapse.

Many trips to Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Progreso and we have never had a problem with any drinks, ice included.

Must be I've been lucky. Lots of mixed drinks, including frozen ones made with ice. Different places in Coz and not once a slight problem of queasiness or worse....

No problem in Cozumel at restaurants or "bar hopping' at well known places. :)

LuLu

I use the ice in Coz all the time. No problem.

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I can relax.

I've been to Mexico many times, both for work and for vacation. Here's what I can tell you about the water/ice in Mexico.

First, bottled water is fine. Also, you can trust the ice that is round and has a hole in the middle of it as it's made using safe water. Also, if you take any kind of heartburn medicine such as Prilosec, then you will be more susceptible to getting sick in Mexico. If you're really concerned about this, I recommend taking Pepto Bismol in pill form. When work in Mexico, I'll stop taking my Prilosec and I'll take 2 pills of Pepto in the morning and 2 pills between lunch and dinner. I used to always get sick in Mexico, but since I've done this I haven't been sick a single time.

The reason Prilosec makes things worse is because it neutralizes the acids in your stomach that kill off the germs that could be in the Mexican water.

I hope this helps guys.