Is Ecuador Safe? Important Safety Tips before traveling to Ecuador!
Many travelers have a quite normal question or concern to know if a country is safe or unsafe before traveling, and this questions we will answer for travelers like you!
Is Ecuador safe to travel?
Well let me put it this way, once we step out of your house anything can happen to us, the same thing happens when we travel, we are taking a risk, and traveling to Ecuador is not the exception.
Ecuador has raised its risk level in the last years, especially with the world crisis which has hit most countries all after the pandemic, prices are skyrocketing and unemployment has hit its highest, in the last 20 years, and as we all know poverty goes along with crime. In Ecuador crime has increased and as a result, yes travelers need to take extra cautions, this are some tips in order to make make your trip nice and smooth.
In general terms Ecuador is a safe country for tourists, you only need to avoid making the wrong moves.
Is Ecuador safe for American tourists?
Please remember you are not American you are front the USA, or a US citizen, since America is the whole continent.
On this side of the world most of the time we cannot tell if you are from the USA or Australian, European or from the UK unless you let us know, Ecuadorians can only tell that you are Caucasian and see you just a tourists in general in terms your nationality has nothing to do with the local crime.
Therefore anybody who is white looking is simply called gringo or gringuito, no matter which country they are from as long as they are white looking, which by the way this is not an insult is just a way to be able to differentiate. If your main worry is that you will be a target for being from the USA you are wrong, you can be a target because you are a tourists in general terms, therefore you need to take the same safety precautions that we will suggest on this post.
So let’s start with some safety tips when traveling to Ecuador and make your ecuador visit as safe as possible.
- When arriving to Quito or Guayaquil airport, take the official taxis from the airport or hire a company which offers airport pick up (meet and greet style) before hand. Or take a taxi from the airport, avoid at all means taking a random taxi passing by.
- Try to avoid arriving on late flights passed 10pm. Or if you do try to stay at an Airport hotel till next morning.
- Pack for Ecuador just what you need, big heavy bags can become a target as well.
- Take a picture of your passport and carry it on your cellphone you don’t need to take the passport with you, leave it in a safe-box at the hotel.
- Never carry your phone on your hand showing, take the pictures you need and put it away.
- Avoid at all times using massive public transportation, especially in big cities as Quito or Guayaquil.
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7. In case you use public buses from city to city, don’t put your belongings away, have your personal belongings with you.
8. If you are going out of your hotel (i.e for dinner) passed 5 pm ask the hotel to call a cab for you and the same thing when you go back to the hotel, even if it’s a two or three block ride, avoid walking in the streets at that time is very lonely and you can easily be robbed if you encounter with a thieve that happens to be around.
9. Try to do the activities in the morning hours, before 6pm.
10. Try to walk on places and streets where you see more people as you (tourists walking), visit the touristic places, since there you will see more police than at other places.
11. If you are in Quito, try to take day trips from Quito Ecuador, and the same if you are in Guayaquil, when thieves see you with a local guide they normally stay away, if you have not taken a whole tour for the days you will be in Ecuador, this is a good practice explore with a local guide.
12. If you rent a car, travel in the day time, but it can be a better idea to hire a driver for the same reason mentioned before, if thieves see you with a local normally they will stay away, unlikely if they see you are by yourselves.
13. And last but one of the most important, please be aware of pick pocket scams, unknown people who seem to come out of nowhere, will throw a liquid substance like mustard or mayonnaise on your shoulders and will llook at the sky and say its bird poop, and help you clean it, while doing that, the other person will take your belongings without you noticing it from your bags or pockets, money, cellphones, cameras, credit cards is what they are normally after. Therefore, take just the cash money you need for the activity you are doing that day and only one of the credit cards. And don’t anyone touch you for no reason.
14. If you are clubbing, make sure you don’t accept drinks from strangers.
For now, things are generally safe for people with typical precautions (situational awareness, don’t flash expensive electronics, and take of any jewelry off your body.
