Safety

Travelling safely in Ecuador requires effort and vigilance. Your safety is your own responsibility here, nobody else will keep you out of trouble. Travel only by daylight, keep your valuables out of sight, avoid the drugs scene, and you should be OK. Read this section to learn about additional precautions and hazards. There is no need to be frightened - but you do have to be careful. Start by purchasing travel insurance before you leave home.

The countryside and small towns are generally the safest areas of Ecuador, and fortunately account for the largest and most interesting parts of the country. The big cities - Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Santo Domingo - call for the greatest care. During the first six months of 2009, an average of three robberies a day were reported by tourists in Quito.

The northern border with Colombia, including the provinces of Esmeraldas, Carchi and especially Sucumbíos, also call for caution. Enquire locally before travelling in any of these areas.

Almost all foreigners serving long sentences in Ecuador's squalid jails are there on drug charges. The authorities carry out sporadic raids in bars and clubs, anti-narcotics police set up checkpoints along the country's roads, and drug searches may be conducted at international departures areas of airports.

Anyone found carrying even the smallest amount of drugs may be automatically considered a trafficker. If arrested, the wait for trial in prison can take several years. Your foreign passport will not shield you in this situation, indeed you may be dealt with more harshly because of it. If you are unconvinced, then visit an Ecuadorean prison to see for yourself. Your embassy can give you the names of citizens of your country serving sentences who would appreciate a visitor.

The cheapest hotels are usually found near markets and bus stations but these are also the least safe areas of most Ecuadorean towns. Look for something a little better if you can afford it, and if you must stay in a suspect area, try to return to your hotel before dark. If you trust your hotel, then you can leave any valuables you don't need in their safe deposit box, but always keep an inventory of what you have deposited.

An alternative to leaving valuables with the hotel administration is to lock everything in your luggage and secure that in your room; a light bicycle cable and a small padlock will provide at least a psychological deterrent for would-be thieves. Even in the safest hotels, never leave valuables strewn about your room.

Make photocopies of important documents and give them to your family or travelling companion, this may speed up replacement if documents are lost or stolen and will allow you to have some ID while getting replacements. Keep all documents (including your passport, credit and debit cards) secure and hide your main cash supply in several different places. If one stash is lost or stolen, you will still have the others to fall back on.

The following means of concealing cash and documents have all been recommended: extra pockets sewn inside shirts and trousers, pockets closed with a zip or safety pin, money-belts (best worn below the waist and never within sight) and neck or leg pouches. Never carry valuables in an ordinary pocket, purse or daypack. Keep cameras in bags or daypacks and generally out of sight. Do not wear expensive wrist watches or any jewellery. If you are wearing a shoulder bag in a crowd, carry it in front of you. In crowded places wear your daypack on your chest with both straps looped over your shoulders. Whenever visiting an area which is considered unsafe, take the bare minimum of belongings with you.

Pickpockets, bag snatchers and slashers are always a hazard for tourists, especially in crowded areas such as markets. Keep alert and avoid swarms of people. Crowded city buses and the various Quito and Guayaquil mass transit lines are notorious for thieves. Likewise avoid deserted areas, such as parks or plazas after hours. If someone follows you when you're in the street, slip into a nearby shop or hail a cab. If you are the victim of an armed assault, never resist or hold back your valuables; they can always be replaced.

More sinister but fortunately less frequent is drugging people in order to rob them. The drugs can be added to food, drink or cigarettes, usually offered by a fellow passenger on an intercity bus. Politely refuse these and keep an eye on your drink in bars. Victims usually awaken hours or days after the fact with a splitting headache and without their belongings.