Is San Rafael La Independencia safe? Guatemala travel risk
Is San Rafael La Independencia safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
San Rafael La Independencia scores 67/100 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). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
San Rafael La Independencia scores 67/100 (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 San Rafael La Independencia: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (70/100) and crime and scams (78/100).
A score of 67 is higher than the scores of 89% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Guatemala travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Local Geographic Profile
Charted at coordinates 15.7167° N, 91.5333° W in Huehuetenango, San Rafael La Independencia maintains a regional distance of the capital.
Huehuetenango
15.7167° N, 91.5333° W
2518 m
America/Guatemala
18,733
Emergency & Transport Infrastructure
Surrounding Localities in Guatemala
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 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Most flood events within 100 km of San Rafael La Independencia happened in May (2 of 6 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
4 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: M5.8 on 28 Nov 2025 (72 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.
Nearby Destinations with Scored Guides
Calculate personalized safety score for San Rafael La Independencia
Run our threat engine with tailored traveler parameters.
Launch Calculator