Safety in Ecuador

Cities: In Guayaquil and Quito, take care and do not display expensive electronics. Pickpockets here are highly skilled, particularly on public transport and in markets.

Areas to avoid: Stay away from the Colombian border regions and the port districts of Esmeraldas province. After dark, take a taxi even for a few blocks back to your hotel.

Altitude: Quito sits at 2,850 metres, which causes headaches and breathlessness in unacclimatised visitors. Drink more water for the first few days, skip heavy food and alcohol, and try coca tea if it hits hard.

Mountains: On volcanoes and in national parks, stay on marked trails. Weather changes instantly, and clear sun can become freezing fog within ten minutes, in which people genuinely get lost.

Valuables: Leave your passport and the bulk of your money in the hotel safe. Carry a copy of your documents and a small amount of cash in small notes for the day.

Galápagos rules: You may not approach wildlife closer than two metres, let alone touch it. The animals have no fear of people, but breaking the rules brings heavy fines and immediate removal from the islands.

Advisories: Security conditions on the coast have shifted in recent years, so read your own government's travel advisory before finalising a route.

Ecuador was considered one of South America's calmest countries only a few years ago, but conditions have deteriorated sharply: the growth of organised crime has changed the picture, especially on the coast.

Guayaquil and Esmeraldas. The coast has suffered most. Guayaquil, Durán, Machala, Esmeraldas and Manta require serious caution: robberies, armed ones included, happen in daylight. Nobody walks these cities.

Quito. The old town is patrolled and visited by day and empties in the evening. La Mariscal after dark is not for walking. Robberies in Itchimbía park and on the climb to the Panecillo occur regularly — go there by taxi only.

Taxis. Apps only (Uber, Cabify, InDriver) or a hotel car. Street taxis carry a risk of express kidnapping.

Scopolamine. As in Colombia, it is used. Do not accept drinks or cigarettes from new acquaintances.

ATMs. Withdraw in daylight and inside malls.

States of emergency. The authorities have repeatedly declared states of emergency and curfews in particular provinces because of rising crime. This means restrictions on night-time movement and troops on the streets. Check current status before travelling.

Regions. Guayas, Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena and Los Ríos provinces and the Colombian border area (Sucumbíos, Carchi) are higher-risk zones. Quito, Cuenca, Baños, Otavalo and the Galápagos are noticeably calmer.

Drugs. Ecuador has become a key transit point; the law is strict and airports are screened thoroughly.

The Galápagos. A separate jurisdiction with strict rules: a compulsory transit card, an entry fee, bans on importing food and seeds, movement around the islands only with a naturalist guide, and no leaving the trails.

Drones. Prohibited on the Galápagos; permission required on the mainland.

Antiquities. Exporting pre-Columbian artefacts is a criminal offence.

Roads. Nobody drives between cities at night.

Altitude is the defining factor. Quito sits at 2,850 metres, among the world's highest capitals. Altitude sickness on the first day is ordinary. Cotopaxi rises to 5,897 metres and Chimborazo to 6,263. Trekking and climbing require serious acclimatisation.

Yellow fever. Vaccination is advised for the Amazon, and a certificate may be required when travelling on to neighbouring countries.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A and typhoid; malaria prophylaxis and rabies for the jungle.

Dengue. On the coast and in the lowlands year-round.

Water. Tap water in Quito and Cuenca is formally drinkable, but visitors are better off with bottled. On the coast, bottled only.

The Galápagos. Equatorial sun that is very harsh, and cold water thanks to the Humboldt current. Seasickness on inter-island crossings is a common problem.

Healthcare. Quito and Guayaquil have good private clinics. The Galápagos have little, and anything serious means evacuation to the mainland. Insurance is needed.

Emergency number is 911.

Ecuador sits in the lower half of the Corruption Perceptions Index, and the police are overstretched by rising crime.

What has changed. Until recently Ecuador was the region's "quiet" country. The arrival of international drug cartels changed that radically, especially on the coast and in the prison system. Bear this in mind: advice five years old is out of date here.

Do not resist a robbery.

Tourist police. Operating in Quito, Cuenca and Baños.

Reporting theft. A denuncia is filed with the Fiscalía, with online filing available. That satisfies insurers.

Troops on the streets. Normal during states of emergency; respond calmly.

Geography. Quito (the historic centre by day), Cuenca, Baños, Otavalo, Mindo and the Galápagos are calm destinations. The coast apart from certain resorts, and the Colombian border area, are not.

Emergency number is 911.