Guayaquil Travel Risk — Elevated Risk (57/100)
Is Guayaquil safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Guayaquil scores 57/100 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.
Political instability (score 20)
Crime (score 55)
September 27, 2026
Guayaquil, Ecuador has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 57 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is crime at 55/100; the lowest-rated category is political instability at 20/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Ecuador 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 Guayaquil to visit in 2026?
Guayaquil currently sits at 57/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the elevated-risk tier. Travelers should plan more carefully than the global average — read the Actions section below before booking. The highest-rated risk category for Guayaquil is crime (55/100), and the lowest is political instability (20/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 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 (68/100) and health and medical access (61/100).
A score of 57 is higher than the scores of 81% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Guayaquil holds an elevated baseline safety risk with a composite score of 57 out of 100 and a US State Department advisory level 2. Travelers should also be aware of 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 07:23 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Crime (score 55/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Transport safety (score 40/100): Use the safest available transit. For high-risk routes, prefer reputable carriers and avoid late-night driving.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Guayaquil
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 Guayaquil
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 Guayaquil, so also check the live official advisory above and local women-traveler communities.
Business travelers
Digital/money risk is elevated. Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive work, use a VPN, watch for card-skimming at ATMs, and carry minimal cash.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Guayaquil for families with children (Health 30/100 · Natural disaster 35/100), older travelers (Health 30/100 · Transport 40/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 40/100 · Political 20/100): 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 | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | high |
| Night safety | medium |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Guayaquil
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.
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Ecuador - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Green flood alert in Ecuador GREEN · ~86 km away · 2026-09-17
On 15/09/2026, a flood started in Ecuador, lasting until 14/10/2026 (last update). The flood caused 6 deaths and 7 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 07:23:59 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 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wildfires | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Most wildfire events within 100 km of Guayaquil happened in November (3 of 3 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: M6.8 on 18 Mar 2023 (66 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.
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 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 Guayaquil
The most weather-stable two-month window for Guayaquil is September–October, when typical daily temperatures run from about 21°C to 28°C and monthly rain averages 70 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include heavy rain season in January–May. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 16, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Emergency numbers (Ecuador)
| Police | 911 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 911 |
| Fire | 911 |
| General | 911 |
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 |
No specific information on hospitals, emergency services, or pharmacy availability was found in the search results. Travelers should research medical facilities and arrange travel insurance before visiting.
Common scam patterns
- pickpocketing. Pickpocketing is a common street scam in Guayaquil, especially in crowded tourist areas. Thieves work quickly to steal wallets and phones from unsuspecting visitors. Tip: Keep valuables in a money belt and stay aware of your surroundings.
- distraction theft. Distraction thieves create a diversion, such as spilling a drink or asking for help, while an accomplice steals belongings. This tactic is frequently reported in Guayaquil’s busy streets. Tip: Never leave bags unattended and be cautious when strangers approach you.
- fake petitions. Scammers pose as officials or charity workers and ask tourists to sign bogus petitions or donate money. The scheme is listed among the high‑risk scams for Guayaquil in 2026. Tip: Politely decline any unsolicited requests for signatures or donations.
- street hustles. Street hustlers offer overly cheap tours, counterfeit tickets, or rigged games to extract money from travelers. These scams are documented as part of Guayaquil’s street‑level fraud landscape. Tip: Use reputable tour operators and verify prices before agreeing to any deal.
Area notes
- Old Guayaquil (Historic District). The historic centre attracts many visitors but has reported petty crime, so stay alert.
- Malecón 2000. This waterfront promenade is a popular tourist zone with many restaurants and shops.
- Durán. Located across the river, Durán is mentioned as a UNESCO Creative City but lacks specific safety details.
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Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | 65 → 57 | elevated | Data update scoring v2 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 39 → 65 | moderate → elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
Every editorial change to Guayaquil'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 Guayaquil
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Guayaquil, 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.