Is Jalapa safe? Guatemala travel risk
Is Jalapa safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Jalapa scores 69/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Guatemala Level 3 (Reconsider Travel, updated 12 Mar 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 13 Aug 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). GDACS lists 1 minor (green) event within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Jalapa scores 69/100 (Elevated). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Guatemala (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Jalapa: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (70/100) and crime and scams (78/100).
A score of 69 is higher than the scores of 90% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Guatemala travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Location & Spatial Data
Situated in Jalapa at 14.6333° N, 89.9833° W (elevation 1360 m), Jalapa lies in Guatemala. Time zone: America/Guatemala.
Jalapa
14.6333° N, 89.9833° W
1360 m
America/Guatemala
192,676
Transit Links & Medical Facilities
Proximate Regional Communities (Guatemala)
Climate by Month
Hottest: April (31 °C avg high); Wettest: September (189 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 28° | 29° | 30° | 31° | 29° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 27° | 27° | 27° |
| Low °C | 17° | 17° | 18° | 19° | 20° | 20° | 19° | 20° | 20° | 19° | 18° | 17° |
| Rain mm | 5 | 6 | 14 | 58 | 131 | 160 | 162 | 178 | 189 | 114 | 45 | 12 |
Normals: Jutiapa (40.2 km away).
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 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Wildfires | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Volcanoes | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Jalapa happened in September (3 of 9 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
9 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M6.4 on 17 May 2023 (103 km away) — USGS details
- Most recent: M5.7 on 29 Jul 2025 (64 km away) — USGS details
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Guatemala travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Guatemala entry requirements.
Surrounding Places with Full Dossiers
Need custom travel risk intelligence for Jalapa?
Submit an evaluation request to prioritize municipal scoring.
Launch Calculator