Barranquilla Travel Risk — Elevated Risk (60/100)
Is Barranquilla safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Barranquilla scores 60/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Colombia Level 3 (Reconsider Travel, updated 31 Mar 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 15 Oct 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. CDC travel health notice: Level 2, Yellow Fever in Colombia (18 Sep 2026). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Official US advisory · Level 3
Reconsider Travel
This decision takes precedence over the analytical composite shown on this page.
Natural disasters (score 20)
Government advisory (score 65)
October 3, 2026
Barranquilla, Colombia has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 60 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is government advisory at 65/100; the lowest-rated category is natural disasters at 20/100; last updated October 3, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Colombia travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Barranquilla to visit in 2026?
Barranquilla is currently under a US State Department Level 3 Reconsider Travel advisory. That official decision takes precedence. The 60/100 elevated composite remains visible only as analytical context and must not be read as permission to disregard the advisory. The highest-rated risk category for Barranquilla is government advisory (65/100), and the lowest is natural disasters (20/100). This page was last updated on October 3, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (80/100) and natural hazards (57/100).
A score of 60 is higher than the scores of 84% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 16, 2026
Barranquilla, Colombia currently has a baseline safety score of 60 out of 100, indicating an elevated risk with a US State Dept advisory level of 3. Travelers should also be aware of an active green flood alert in Colombia and a Level 1 global Dengue health notice from the CDC.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 03:37 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Government advisory (score 65/100): Read your country's current official advisory within 7 days of travel. Register with your embassy on arrival if available.
- Crime (score 51/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Barranquilla
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Exercise heightened caution even during daylight hours. Stick to primary thoroughfares, travel in groups where possible, and avoid navigating quiet residential side-streets alone.
Nighttime movement carries significant risk. Strictly avoid solo walking after dark; rely exclusively on hotel-arranged transportation or registered radiotaxis, and confirm destination security before leaving your accommodation.
Safety by Traveler Type in Barranquilla
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Solo travelers
Crime risk is elevated. Solo travelers should avoid quiet areas at night, keep a charged phone and offline map, and share a live location with someone.
Women traveling solo
General crime risk is elevated. Plan arrivals in daylight, avoid isolated areas, and prefer accommodation with 24h reception. We do not hold gender-specific incident data for Barranquilla, so also check the live official advisory above and local women-traveler communities.
LGBTQ+ travelers
Local laws and social attitudes toward LGBTQ+ travelers vary widely by country and are not captured in our category scores. The official advisory/political indicators are elevated. Read your government LGBTQ+ travel guidance carefully and weigh trip purpose against current conditions.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Barranquilla for families with children (Health 35/100 · Natural disaster 20/100), older travelers (Health 35/100 · Transport 45/100) and business travelers (Digital 35/100 · Money 45/100 · Transport 45/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | low |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | high |
| Night safety | high |
| Last updated | October 3, 2026 |
Live conditions in Barranquilla
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Today's weather
🌙 Clear
Barranquilla, Colombia
| Today's high / low | 32.1°C / 25.8°C | Wind now / max | 21 km/h / 21.3 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humidity | 81% | Precipitation today | 0.1 mm · 18% chance |
| UV (max today) | 8.5 | Sunrise / Sunset | 05:48 / 17:41 |
- Very high UV
Source: Open-Meteo (free public weather API) · fetched 2026-10-16 03:19:04 UTC · cached
Air quality
Air Quality
Good
| PM2.5 / PM10 | 8.4 / 11.7 µg/m³ | O₃ / NO₂ | 43 / 6.8 µg/m³ |
|---|
Source: Open-Meteo Air Quality · fetched 2026-10-16 03:19:04 UTC · cached
Official travel advisory
Level 3 · Reconsider Travel
Colombia - Level 3: Reconsider Travel
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Green flood alert in Colombia GREEN · country-wide · 2026-09-30
On 26/09/2026, a flood started in Colombia, lasting until 14/10/2026 (last update). The flood caused 0 deaths and 15 displaced .
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 03:37:34 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Barranquilla happened in June (2 of 4 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
CDC Traveler Health Notices for Colombia
- Level 2 - Yellow Fever in Colombia (Level 2, 18 Sep 2026)
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Domain).
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Colombia travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Colombia entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 2 - Yellow Fever in Colombia ALERT · 2026-09-18
An increased number of cases of yellow fever have been reported in Colombia.
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Barranquilla
The most weather-stable two-month window for Barranquilla is January–February, when typical daily temperatures run from about 25°C to 28°C and monthly rain averages 7 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include heavy rain season in May–June and August–November; hurricane season in June–November. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 12, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Barranquilla
Barranquilla has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 1 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Clínica El Carmen
- Hospital: Clínica General del Norte
- Hospital: Clínica La Asunción
- Hospital: Clínica La Merced
- Hospital: Clinica San Martin
- Hospital: Clínica Santa Ana de Dios
- Hospital: Cruz Roja Colombiana
- Hospital: Cruz Roja Colombiana
- Hospital: Hospital CARI - Sede Salud Mental
- Hospital: PASO - SAN FELIPE
- Police: CAI - Plaza de la Paz
- Police: CAI - Romelio Martinez
- Police: CAI - SURI
- Police: CAI de los andes
- Police: Comando Policia Nacional Metropolitana De Barranquilla
- Police: GAULA
- Police: Immediate Assistance Center "Las Mercedes"
- Police: inmaculada
- Police: Laboratorio Criminalistica #8
- Police: SIJIN
- Embassy: Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic
- Pharmacy: AUDIFARMA
- Pharmacy: Dorguería Farmapunto
- Pharmacy: Drogueria Inglesa
- Pharmacy: Droguería La Piragua
- Pharmacy: Farma Vida
- Pharmacy: Farma Vida
- Pharmacy: Farmacia Nueva York
- Pharmacy: Farmacia Torres
- Pharmacy: Farmatodo
- Pharmacy: Reino de Sion
- Fire station: Cuerpo de Bomberos de Barranquilla
- Fire station: Estación de Bomberos - Calle 17
- Fire station: Estacion de Bomberos - Ciudadela 20 de Julio
- Fire station: Estación de Bomberos - El Edén
- Fire station: Estación de Bomberos - Las Flores
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (Colombia)
| Police | 123 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 125 |
| Fire | 119 |
| General | 123 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Essential local emergency phrases
Show this screen to first responders, hotel staff, or passersby if you cannot speak the local language during an emergency.
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | medium |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | medium |
Healthcare facilities in Barranquilla are generally accessible for basic and moderate needs, but travelers should verify international coverage. Emergency response capabilities and English-language medical care vary across local providers.
Common scam patterns
- Taxi Scams and Street Muggings. Criminal bands have utilized taxis to commit robberies and target tourists in the streets, including incidents involving luggage theft. Street muggings also present a high risk to visitors. Tip: Use trusted radio dispatch or app-based taxi services rather than hailing random cabs off the street.
- Drink Spiking and Dating-App Setups. Travelers face risks related to drink spiking and setups originating from online dating applications. These situations are designed to incapacitate victims and lead to robbery. Tip: Never leave your beverage unattended and arrange first dates only in safe, public venues.
- Pickpocketing and Phone Theft. Visitors face a moderate risk of petty theft, particularly pickpocketing and having their mobile phones snatched in public areas. Perpetrators target distracted individuals who fail to guard their belongings. Tip: Keep valuables secured in hard-to-reach pockets and avoid using your phone openly on the street.
Area notes
- Boston. An area where local authorities have intercepted criminal groups using taxis for street robberies.
Run a personalized assessment for Barranquilla
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | 68 → 60 | elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Oct 3, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 70 → 68 | extreme → elevated | Data update scoring v2 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 50 → 70 | elevated → extreme | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
Every editorial change to Barranquilla's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Barranquilla
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Barranquilla, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.