Safety is a concern for many travellers going to Ecuador. In comparison to many other Latin American countries Ecuador is a very safe and comfortable place to travel.

Safety in Quito

Most tourists travelling to Ecuador either arrive or leave through the capital of Quito. It has a lot to offer to tourists, but some people are very uncomfortable arriving there. The safety of big cities in Latin America have terrible reputations and this includes Quito.

Most tourists, however, will never have any problems in Quito regarding safety. Like all big cities Quito has areas that are safer and areas that are more dangerous to walk around. Here are some tips for travellers in Quito:

• The Mariscal and the historical center of Quito are very safe, especially during the day. After a night of going out, just take a taxi to your hostel, people have been robbed during the night after having a few drinks.
• Stay out of the parks during the night. After eight o'clock it gets quite dangerous there.
• Keep your wallet close to your body. This way it will be more difficult for pickpockets to do their job.
• If you do get robbed, give them what they want. The robbers are relentless and will stab you if they have to. No need to get hurt over a few dollars.
• BUT: ENJOY YOUR TIME IN QUITO! Hardly anybody gets robbed and almost everybody just has a great time!
  

Safety in the countryside

The people in the countryside are very trustworthy. There is hardly any danger in the small communities. Theft is something that never happens in small communities. If it does, it will be picked up by the other community members immediately.

Safety for female travellers

There are some additional risks to being a female traveller in Ecuador. Some single female travellers have reported that Ecuadoreans were very direct in their comments about the feminine beauty of the traveller. As long as you are direct and honest nothing will happen. Just be careful about who you trust while travelling.