Is Estelí safe? Nicaragua travel risk
Is Estelí safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Estelí scores 57/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Nicaragua Level 3 (Reconsider Travel, updated 14 May 2026); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution. GDACS lists 1 minor (green) event within 100 km in the last 14 days. CDC travel health notice: Level 2, Chikungunya in Nicaragua (3 Sep 2026). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Estelí scores 57/100 (Elevated). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Nicaragua (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Estelí: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (58/100) and crime and scams (61/100). Governments disagree: US Level 3, UK Level 1, Canada Level 2.
A score of 57 is higher than the scores of 81% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Nicaragua travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Location & Spatial Data
Estelí belongs to Estelí (Nicaragua), centered at coordinates 13.0833° N, 86.3500° W (833 m above sea level). Distance to Managua is 105.8 km towards the S.
Estelí
13.0833° N, 86.3500° W
833 m
America/Managua
112,084
Transit Links & Medical Facilities
Proximate Regional Communities (Nicaragua)
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 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Estelí happened in September and October (2 of 2 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
1 major seismic event recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M5.5 on 26 Mar 2026 (104 km away) — USGS details
CDC Traveler Health Notices for Nicaragua
- Level 2 - Chikungunya in Nicaragua (Level 2, 3 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 Nicaragua travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Nicaragua entry requirements.
Surrounding Places with Full Dossiers
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