{"license":"CC BY 4.0 — attribution: IsMyTripSafe.com","source":"https://ismytripsafe.com/colombia/cartagena","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T15:13:28.489Z","place":{"city":"Cartagena","country":"Colombia","countryCode":"CO","lat":10.39817,"lon":-75.49328},"safety":{"score":45,"level":"CAUTION","answer":"Caution advised","saferThanPctOfCountries":33,"confidence":0.53,"caps":[],"databaseScore":41,"travellerSentiment":{"score":64,"label":"Mostly positive","summary":"Travelers report feeling safe in Cartagena’s main tourist zones during the day and early evening, citing visible police presence and welcoming locals, but express caution about nighttime scams and petty theft in less familiar areas.","weightInScore":0.18,"components":[{"label":"Reported feel","score":70,"weight":0.35},{"label":"Robbery risk","score":62,"weight":0.45},{"label":"Pickpocket risk","score":58,"weight":0.2}]},"categories":[{"key":"crime","label":"Crime","score":41,"tier":1},{"key":"sentiment","label":"Traveller Sentiment","score":64,"tier":1},{"key":"advisories","label":"Advisories","score":41,"tier":2},{"key":"stability","label":"Stability","score":53,"tier":2},{"key":"health","label":"Health & Air","score":67,"tier":2}]},"advisories":[{"source":"U.S. Department of State","level":3,"label":"Reconsider Travel","updated":"Thu, 17 Apr 2025","url":"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/colombia-travel-advisory.html"},{"source":"UK Foreign Office (FCDO)","level":3,"label":"Advises against all travel to parts of the country","updated":"2026-09-23T18:02:49Z","url":"https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/colombia"},{"source":"Government of Canada","level":2,"label":"Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)","updated":"2026-09-29T11:17:39.7219439-04:00","url":"https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/colombia"}],"indicators":[{"key":"homicide","label":"Homicide rate","value":24.9134420347488,"display":"24.9 / 100k","year":"2023","score":21,"source":"World Bank Open Data"},{"key":"crime_major_constraint","label":"Crime seen as a major business constraint","value":3,"display":"3.0%","year":"2017","score":91,"source":"World Bank Enterprise Surveys"},{"key":"terrorism_deaths_pm","label":"Terrorism deaths (latest year)","value":1.3289500442998947,"display":"1.3 / million","year":"2021","score":70,"source":"Global Terrorism Database"},{"key":"road_deaths","label":"Road traffic deaths","value":16.2,"display":"16.2 / 100k","year":"2021","score":50,"source":"WHO Global Health Observatory"},{"key":"stability","label":"Political stability & no terrorism","value":49.3103253,"display":"49/100","year":"2024","score":49,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"rule_of_law","label":"Rule of law","value":47.3311328,"display":"47/100","year":"2024","score":47,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"corruption","label":"Control of corruption","value":41.90949,"display":"42/100","year":"2024","score":42,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"gov_effectiveness","label":"Government effectiveness","value":49.1802654,"display":"49/100","year":"2024","score":49,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"regulatory","label":"Regulatory quality","value":55.0740059,"display":"55/100","year":"2024","score":55,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"voice","label":"Voice & accountability","value":57.4541954,"display":"57/100","year":"2024","score":57,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"city_population_scale","label":"Urban scale factor","value":914552,"display":"915k residents","year":null,"score":68,"source":"City Geocoding"},{"key":"numbeo_crime_index","label":"Crime index (crowdsourced)","value":61.3,"display":"61.3 / 100","year":null,"score":40,"source":"Numbeo Crime Index"},{"key":"safe_walking_dark","label":"Feel safe walking alone after dark","value":52.7,"display":"52.7%","year":"2024","score":51,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"human_trafficking_victims","label":"Detected human-trafficking victims","value":0.09,"display":"0.09 / 100k","year":"2024","score":91,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"bribery_contact_rate","label":"Bribery during public-official contact","value":22.4,"display":"22.4%","year":"2023","score":54,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"air_quality","label":"Air quality","value":55,"display":"US AQI 55 · Moderate","year":null,"score":88,"source":"Open-Meteo Air Quality"},{"key":"health","label":"Travel health notices","value":2,"display":"1 notice · max Alert","year":null,"score":60,"source":"CDC Travelers' Health"},{"key":"hospitals","label":"Hospitals nearby","value":16.991310507,"display":"17 beds / 10k · country avg","year":"2020","score":65,"source":"WHO Global Health Observatory"},{"key":"weather","label":"Extreme weather","value":31,"display":"September: highs ~31°C · heavy rain / flooding","year":null,"score":82,"source":"Open-Meteo"},{"key":"natural_hazards","label":"Natural hazards","value":1,"display":"1 active alert · Flood (green)","year":null,"score":96,"source":"GDACS / USGS"},{"key":"advisory","label":"Government travel advisory","value":2.5,"display":"Level 3 — Reconsider Travel · 2 govts","year":null,"score":50,"source":"CA / US"}],"healthNotices":[{"level":"Alert","title":"Yellow Fever in Colombia","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level2/yellow-fever-colombia"},{"level":"Alert","title":"Global Polio","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level2/global-polio"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Dengue","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/dengue-global"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Measles","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe"}],"hazardAlerts":[{"kind":"Flood","severity":"green","title":"flood alert in Colombia","distanceKm":169}],"fieldResearch":{"verdict":"Yes — Cartagena is generally safe for travelers who stay in well-patrolled tourist zones and take standard precautions against petty crime and scams.","summary":"While Colombia overall faces elevated risks, Cartagena’s main tourist areas — the Walled City, Getsemaní, Bocagrande, and El Laguito — benefit from a permanent police presence and are walkable day and night. Violent crime against visitors is rare in these zones, but pickpocketing and robbery increase in peripheral neighborhoods after dark, and scams targeting tourists remain common.","robberyRisk":{"level":"Moderate","note":"Armed robbery against tourists is rare in the historic center and beach zones but increases in peripheral neighborhoods after dark"},"pickpocketRisk":{"level":"High","note":"Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common in crowded tourist areas, markets, and on public transport, especially in Getsemaní and the Walled City"},"safeAreas":["Walled City (Ciudad Amurallada)","Bocagrande","El Laguito","Castillo Grande"],"avoidAreas":["Peripheral neighborhoods (e.g., Pozón, Las Flores)"],"scams":["Fake police demanding ATM withdrawals for bogus fines","Drink spiking with scopolamine in bars and clubs","Taxi overcharging and unlicensed boat operators"],"zones":[{"name":"Walled City (Ciudad Amurallada)","level":"safe","note":"Well-patrolled historic center, safe day and night with normal precautions"},{"name":"Getsemaní","level":"caution","note":"Safe by day; aggressive beggars, drug offers, and scopolamine risk increase after dark"},{"name":"Bocagrande","level":"safe","note":"Tourist beachfront zone with permanent police presence and hotel security"},{"name":"El Laguito","level":"safe","note":"Upscale peninsula area with low crime and strong tourist infrastructure"},{"name":"Castillo Grande","level":"safe","note":"Residential beach area popular with tourists, generally safe with standard precautions"},{"name":"Manga","level":"caution","note":"Residential zone near tourist circuit; avoid walking alone at night outside main areas"},{"name":"Peripheral neighborhoods (e.g., Pozón, Las Flores)","level":"avoid","note":"Higher crime rates, including robbery and theft; not recommended for tourists, especially after dark"}]}}