Is Ecuador Safe? - First 48 hours in QUITO

We travel to Quito, Ecuador a few months after the national crisis and see whether Ecuador is a safe place to travel to! We explore the city, speak to locals and tell you how to keep safe while you're in Ecuador!

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0:00 - Intro
0:38 - Travelling to Ecuador
2:38 - Taxi driver thoughts on safety
3:25 - Energy blackout in Ecuador
5:41 - FREE walking tour
7:01 - Walking the streets by ourselves
9:35 - most popular thing to do in QUITO
12:03 - 5 SAFETY TIPS for Ecuador

[vibes]

Me watching this from Ecuador chill and relax it’s not bad if your in the right areas like any city

[luchinr]

Ecuadorian main hydroelectric dams in the south of the country have been having low water levels, so we're rationing our electricity. We heavily rely on hydroelectric generated energy. That is happening in Colombia too, due to insufficient rains, but the last governments have spent 0 money to improve national infrastructure. There are definitely no go zones in Ecuador as a non hispanic tourist, like the whole Esmeraldas province, many cantons of Manabí, El Oro, Los Ríos and Guayas province, and so on. Even in Guayaquil city you may find safer areas and no go areas. Cities like Cuenca, Loja, Baños or Otavalo/Ibarra are much of a safer experience. Sadly international media makes a lot of people believe in the 100% of our territory we're skipping bullets 24/7. I do walk during the evening in Quito, but it will always depend on where. Hope you had enjoyed your stay and let yourselves enjoy our local cuisine.

[Fiwithoptions]

I stayed Quito one week recently. Didn’t experience anything bad. Actually hospitality was top notch. Super friendly people❤

[horseconfused]

I live in Cuenca, i’m Ecuadorian, i think it’s safe to say that as long as you don’t go to the coastal slums, like some places in Esmeraldas and ESPECIALLY downtown Guayaquil, you’ll be just fine.
Not to scare anyone off, but it is very known in Latin America that Guayaquil is an extemely unsafe city as there are so many people, so much poverty, so much crime and government crap, but weirdly enough, as soon as you leave the main city, things become much safer, i go every month to Samborondón to visit family and it’s like a preppy rich people city, high end malls, huge gated communities, fashion and very instagram oriented type place, Durán is also much safer to be in, although it may not be the most “ attractive “ place to be, still be careful everywhere.

As for the Azuay province, it is the safest in Ecuador, Cuenca is the most well-known city despite not being the capital, living here my whole life as a woman it is very safe, as long as you’re smart and don’t leave expensive things around downtown, there is rarely any physical risks (kidnapping, death, accidents, etc) here.

People never come to visit us because 1. They think Ecuador is just pure poverty and like some kind of 5th world african country that barely has electricity, and 2. Because, crime. Even though it’s common sense to do your research and not go to dangerous places, and Ecuador yet is by far one of the safest Latin American countries despite it all, much safer than say, Mexico or Peru.

Next time visit Cuenca(city), Vilcabamba(small andean town under Loja known for its national park, horseback riding, nature, and many shops selling locally sourced crystals, purifying rocks, whatnot) And Montañita!(our famous small beach town).
We are honored to have you here in our country, spread the word that it’s not that bad here!

[mind-ful-music]

Fellow Brit here, bienvenidos a Quito! I’m 36 years old, I’ve lived here for almost 6 years having moved from London.

Ecuador is amazing in every sense. People, food, culture, scenery. The news somewhat sensationalizes the safety situation. There are obviously dangerous areas, but Quito on the whole has avoided the worst of it.

As you can imagine I stick out a bit as a foreigner despite living here many years, and I have never had one bit of trouble, or even really felt threatened. You got good advice - just be sensible. Use secure taxis (I wouldn’t flag one down off the street at night for example, Uber always going to be better option). Keep valuables hidden, and stick to the safe areas (the touristic areas for you) and you’ll be fine.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

[mariajosepena]

As a person who’s lived in Quito for the past 15 years, it might not be as safe as it once was but to this day it hasn’t affected my daily life

[rotten.dandelions]

currently in ecuador. its safe unless you're in certain areas on the coast where theres some civil unrest and problems with drugs & crime. lovely country, so happy to be here.

[gregnm]

US citizen who moved permanently to Quito here! It’s safer than major US cities.

[aroundtheworldatthespeedof]

I spent a couple days in Quito and loved it. That being said, within two hours of arriving in old town via the metro and taking pictures of the old buildings at night, a man walked up from behind and grabbed me by the strap of my backpack and demanded $20. I said no several times till looking down to see if he had a knife or something else in his hand, which he did not, so i continued to raise my voice saying no get off me and he let go, smiled, and walked away. This was January 2024 2-3 days after that big gang vs government battle so there was a ton of army in the city.

[jeanaprewitt]

Now is't a good time to visit Ecuador because of the drought and water crisis. Resevoirs for hydro power are dangerously low. This week, power outages have gone to between 14-16 hours a day, nationwide. Major places have generators but a lot of places don't. Wail till the drought has broken and the blackouts are behind us. It's a beautiful country with wonderful people, but you want to visit when there's power. Edited to add: Before planning a trip, check with hotel in the area you wish to travel to and ask when is the dry season there. For the Andes, vernally avoid March, April, May, and early June. December and January are usually a good bet for the most dry days. In any event, bring rain gear.

[triquiblue]

Hi! As an equatorian, Quito is a beautiful place, but not only in Quito, it's almost in all the country where the levels of robbery are high, mostly because the lack of military activities in the cities. In my opinion, I think you should also visit the Galapagos Islands, cause they are really safe and has a lot of things, it gives you like a chill vibe, I don't know :D
Sorry, if you didn't understand the message, my english is not very good :D But, I'm quite happy people visit the country, because Ecuador is a wonderful place, but it doesn't encourage travelers to visit it, I think that is one of the reasons why many people don't know of it :D Thanks a lot to do the video :D

[mayttemendozac]

Thanks for coming to my country despite the situation. I really appreciate you can show the beauty of Ecuador!

[contraparte]

Bienvenidos a Ecuador, no olviden ir a Mindo is very beautiful too...

[lh]

Wonderful video!!! As with any travel, whether it's Ecuador, the US, the UK, etc. it's best to use common sense and stay away from high crime areas. Here in Cuenca, we can walk around using our cell phones and cameras just like back in Los Angeles. Also, we can walk around at night and go to restaurants, clubs, and concerts around Cuenca-- no problem. Enjoy Ecuador!!!

[jessicapavon]

Quito pertenece a la zona sierra de nuestro país, es mucho mas seguro que cualquier ciudad de la costa. La mayoría de la gente es amable y buena y tratamos de cuidar a los turistas que vienen. Deberían visitar la amazonía, es bellísima y solo esta a unas pocas horas de Quito. Si necesitan información con gusto se las doy. Que sigan disfrutando de mi hermoso país

[emilioauz]

Metro is very safe! 100% recommended for traveling from the northern part of the city (La Carolina Park) to the old town

[pendleton]

Just came from there and back in the states. Stayed in Quito, Ecuador for a wedding. It was safe. Main thing are pickpockets. Keep bags in front and don't keep your phone out. Honestly I felt safe. Just don't walk the streets at night.

[alexanderschwarm]

Ah! there is my calming, therapeutic, inspiring and hopeful Sunday video from Joel!

[Ethanmillertrevor]

Ecuador is beautiful, I am in Quito, the best city and then I will visit Cuenca

[WildSantiago]

Awesome video! Ecuadorean here, yeah just stick to safe places like anywhere in the world, you will be fine as long as you dont do something crazy haha Lmk if you need anything ♥