{"license":"CC BY 4.0 — attribution: IsMyTripSafe.com","source":"https://ismytripsafe.com/ecuador/cuenca","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T14:00:48.254Z","place":{"city":"Cuenca","country":"Ecuador","countryCode":"EC","lat":-2.8953,"lon":-78.9963},"safety":{"score":68,"level":"SAFE","answer":"Yes — generally safe","saferThanPctOfCountries":69,"confidence":0.88,"caps":[],"databaseScore":63,"travellerSentiment":{"score":90,"label":"Very Positive","summary":"94% of visitors report trouble-free stays, crediting simple safety habits for their positive experiences.","weightInScore":0.18,"components":[{"label":"Reported feel","score":94,"weight":0.35},{"label":"Robbery risk","score":92,"weight":0.45},{"label":"Pickpocket risk","score":78,"weight":0.2}]},"categories":[{"key":"crime","label":"Crime","score":63,"tier":1},{"key":"sentiment","label":"Traveller Sentiment","score":90,"tier":1},{"key":"advisories","label":"Advisories","score":72,"tier":2},{"key":"stability","label":"Stability","score":60,"tier":2},{"key":"health","label":"Health & Air","score":66,"tier":2}]},"advisories":[{"source":"U.S. Department of State","level":2,"label":"Exercise Increased Caution","updated":"Tue, 14 Oct 2025","url":"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/ecuador-travel-advisory.html"},{"source":"UK Foreign Office (FCDO)","level":3,"label":"Advises against all travel to parts of the country","updated":"2026-09-16T16:13:24Z","url":"https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador"},{"source":"Government of Canada","level":2,"label":"Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)","updated":"2026-09-24T08:53:33.120000-04:00","url":"https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador"}],"indicators":[{"key":"homicide","label":"Homicide rate","value":45.7228145164847,"display":"45.7 / 100k","year":"2023","score":6,"source":"World Bank Open Data"},{"key":"crime_major_constraint","label":"Crime seen as a major business constraint","value":2.7,"display":"2.7%","year":"2017","score":92,"source":"World Bank Enterprise Surveys"},{"key":"terrorism_deaths_pm","label":"Terrorism deaths (latest year)","value":0,"display":"0 recorded","year":"2021","score":100,"source":"Global Terrorism Database"},{"key":"road_deaths","label":"Road traffic deaths","value":23.4,"display":"23.4 / 100k","year":"2021","score":35,"source":"WHO Global Health Observatory"},{"key":"stability","label":"Political stability & no terrorism","value":54.3635732,"display":"54/100","year":"2025","score":54,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"rule_of_law","label":"Rule of law","value":41.6008755,"display":"42/100","year":"2025","score":42,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"corruption","label":"Control of corruption","value":33.1892421,"display":"33/100","year":"2025","score":33,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"gov_effectiveness","label":"Government effectiveness","value":51.7061578,"display":"52/100","year":"2025","score":52,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"regulatory","label":"Regulatory quality","value":43.2076327,"display":"43/100","year":"2025","score":43,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"voice","label":"Voice & accountability","value":56.249015,"display":"56/100","year":"2025","score":56,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"city_population_scale","label":"Urban scale factor","value":636996,"display":"637k residents","year":null,"score":73,"source":"City Geocoding"},{"key":"numbeo_crime_index","label":"Crime index (crowdsourced)","value":61.7,"display":"61.7 / 100","year":null,"score":40,"source":"Numbeo Crime Index"},{"key":"air_quality","label":"Air quality","value":49,"display":"US AQI 49 · Good","year":null,"score":90,"source":"Open-Meteo Air Quality"},{"key":"health","label":"Travel health notices","value":null,"display":"3 global notices","year":null,"score":92,"source":"CDC Travelers' Health"},{"key":"hospitals","label":"Hospitals nearby","value":77,"display":"77 within 15 km · nearest ~0.3 km","year":null,"score":95,"source":"OpenStreetMap"},{"key":"weather","label":"Extreme weather","value":23,"display":"September: highs ~23°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":69,"source":"GDACS / USGS"},{"key":"advisory","label":"Government travel advisory","value":2,"display":"Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution · 2 govts","year":null,"score":50,"source":"CA / US"},{"key":"research_robbery_risk","label":"Mugging & robbery risk","value":4,"display":"Low risk","year":null,"score":92,"source":"City Web Research"},{"key":"research_pickpocket_risk","label":"Pickpocketing & theft risk","value":3,"display":"Moderate risk","year":null,"score":78,"source":"City Web Research"},{"key":"research_sentiment_score","label":"Visitor safety sentiment","value":94,"display":"94 / 100 (Very Positive)","year":null,"score":94,"source":"City Web Research"}],"healthNotices":[{"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 Ecuador","distanceKm":126}],"fieldResearch":{"verdict":"Yes — Cuenca is one of South America's safest major cities for visitors.","summary":"Cuenca stands out as a safe destination within Ecuador, with significantly lower crime rates than coastal regions. While petty crime like pickpocketing exists, violent crime is rare and primarily concentrated in outlying areas, not typically visited by tourists. Normal precautions for a European city are generally sufficient.","robberyRisk":{"level":"Low","note":"Violent crime is rare and concentrated in outlying barrios, with little risk to tourists in typical visitor areas."},"pickpocketRisk":{"level":"Moderate","note":"Pickpocketing is the main tourist risk, particularly in crowded markets and popular tourist zones like Parque Calderón."},"safeAreas":["Historic Center (Centro Histórico)","El Barranco","Yanuncay"],"avoidAreas":["Gran Colombia (violent crime concentrated here)","Las Orquídeas (high-crime zone per 2026 reports)"],"scams":["ATM-side card skimming","Distraction scams in tourist areas","Taxi scams"],"zones":[{"name":"Historic Center (Centro Histórico)","level":"safe","note":"Well-patrolled UNESCO zone; safe by day, pickpocket risk in crowds"},{"name":"El Barranco","level":"safe","note":"Scenic river area with expat cafes; avoid poorly lit sections after dark"},{"name":"Yanuncay","level":"safe","note":"Popular expat residential zone; walkable, strong community, low crime"},{"name":"San Sebastián","level":"caution","note":"Residential area; petty theft increases after dark, stay alert"},{"name":"Totoracocha","level":"caution","note":"University vicinity; moderate pickpocket risk near markets and transit"},{"name":"Gran Colombia","level":"avoid","note":"Outlying barrio with concentrated violent crime; avoid day and night"},{"name":"Las Orquídeas","level":"avoid","note":"High-crime zone per local reports; violent incidents reported in 2026"}]}}