Is Esmeraldas safe? Ecuador travel risk
Is Esmeraldas safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Esmeraldas scores 68/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Ecuador Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 18 Aug 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 2 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. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Esmeraldas scores 68/100 (Elevated). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Ecuador (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Esmeraldas: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (68/100) and crime and scams (94/100).
A score of 68 is higher than the scores of 90% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Ecuador travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Coordinates 0.9667° N, 79.6528° W place Esmeraldas within Esmeraldas at an elevation of 18 meters. Heading to Quito: 183.0 km SE.
Esmeraldas
0.9667° N, 79.6528° W
18 m
America/Guayaquil
155,487
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in Ecuador
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 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Esmeraldas happened in January and July (2 of 2 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
2 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M6.3 on 25 Apr 2025 (19 km away) — USGS details
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Ecuador travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Ecuador entry requirements.
Evaluated Destinations in this Region
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