Is Ocotal safe? Nicaragua travel risk
Is Ocotal safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Ocotal scores 59/100 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.
Ocotal scores 59/100 (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 Ocotal: 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 59 is higher than the scores of 84% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Nicaragua travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Coordinates 13.6333° N, 86.4833° W place Ocotal within Nueva Segovia at an elevation of 600 meters. Heading to Managua: 168.3 km S.
Nueva Segovia
13.6333° N, 86.4833° W
600 m
America/Managua
48,765
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in 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 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Wildfires | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Ocotal happened in June, September and October (6 of 7 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
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.
Evaluated Destinations in this Region
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