Andrew Lavery

Frequent Traveller
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Ecuador 2025

I was here in August and early September 2025!

Quito

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Elevated

Street crime, robbery, and transport scams for mainland city stops.

Random violence Elevated

Security deterioration and localized violence.

Governmental risk Guarded
Sources and notes

Quito, Baños, and Cotopaxi are grouped as mainland Ecuador stops; the Galapagos section uses a separate profile.

The captial of Ecuador, Quito, was pretty, high, and with great weather while I was there.

Baños

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Elevated

Street crime, robbery, and transport scams for mainland city stops.

Random violence Elevated

Security deterioration and localized violence.

Governmental risk Guarded
Sources and notes

Quito, Baños, and Cotopaxi are grouped as mainland Ecuador stops; the Galapagos section uses a separate profile.

Baños is a small town in the Ecuadorian Andes, known for its hot springs and waterfalls. A day trip was definitely not the way to do this, since the drive each way was about 4 hours.

Cotopaxi

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Elevated

Street crime, robbery, and transport scams for mainland city stops.

Random violence Elevated

Security deterioration and localized violence.

Governmental risk Guarded
Sources and notes

Quito, Baños, and Cotopaxi are grouped as mainland Ecuador stops; the Galapagos section uses a separate profile.

Cotopaxi is a volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes, known for its snow-capped peak. I only hiked to the overnight campsite at 16,000 feet, but that was quite a nasty slog. Sleet + sand + altitude = not fun.

Galapagos Islands

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

I sailed on the Grand Majestic, a 16-passenger yacht - though I was lucky enough to share the space with only 7 others. We sailed in a loop from San Cristobal around the northern edge of Isabella to Fernandina, stopping at a number of islands alonge the way. The 8-day itinerary for the Grand Majestic

San Cristobal

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

The first and last stops in the Galapagos were on the island of San Cristobal, which has the most conveient airport of the islands.

The San Cristobal Island tourist sign late in the afternoon The first bird I saw, a San Cristobal Mockingbird

North Seymour Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Swallow-tailed gull on North Seymour Island Nesting frigatebird with chick Lava lizard on volcanic rock Blue-footed booby pair on North Seymour Engorged male frigatebird displaying red pouch Another male frigatebird showing red pouch Blue-footed booby perched on rock Blue-footed booby mating dance Nesting blue-footed booby A white-tip reef shark seen from above while snorkeling, photo courtesy of 'MS'

Black Turtle Cove

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Brown pelican on lava rocks Rays swimming in mangroves Mating sea turtles Great blue heron on lava rocks

Bartolomé Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Caldera with Pinnacle Rock in the background on Bartolomé Darwin's finch camouflaged among rubble Lava lizard on Bartolomé trail Iconic Pinnacle Rock viewpoint Pinnacle Rock seen from the ocean A turtle near the surface while snorkeling, photo courtesy of 'MS'

Puerto Egas Santiago Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Great blue heron on Santiago shoreline Partially Collapsed ocean lava tunnels Lava heron among black rocks Happily sunning land iguana

Tagus Cove Isabela Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Flightless cormorant carrying seaweed View over Tagus Cove, with a salt lake in the foreground Flightless cormorant flapping stub wings

Urbina Bay Isabela Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Giant tortoise in a hole Galápagos mockingbird from below Humpback whale from the boat near Isabela Frigatebirds flying at sunset while transiting

Fernandina Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Fernandina Island shoreline Mature marine iguana warming on lava Group of marine iguanas on black lava Plump marine iguana close-up Pelicans and Galápagos hawk together on lava rocks Galápagos hawk portrait Galápagos hawk calling from rocks Clumps of lava cactus A Marine Iguana releasing bubbles while swimming, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Marine Iguana on the rocks below while snorkeling, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Marine Iguana swimming through the water, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Marine Iguana scraping algae off an underwater rock, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Sea Lion doing a backflip, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Sea Lion looking at the camera underwater, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Sea Lion swimming past the camera, photo courtesy of 'MS' A view of Isabela Island from just off Fernandina Island

Punta Vicente Roca Isabela Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Dramatic cliffs at Punta Vicente Roca Sea cave along the rocky coast Blue-footed booby perched on cliff wall Brown noddy nesting on cliffs Flightless cormorant about to dive Brown pelican along the rocks Nazca booby perched on ledge Isabela coastline in afternoon light Coastline with clouds near Punta Vicente Roca

Bucaneer’s Cove Santiago Island

The coastline of Santiago Island while kayaking Kayaking into a cave The fin of a fur seal poking above the water

Santiago Island beach

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Pinnacle Rock from Santiago Island, later in the trip Fish underwater while snorkeling, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Galapagos Penguin floating at the surface of the ocean, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Galapagos Penguin floating at the surface of the ocean, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Galapagos Penguin diving underwater, photo courtesy of 'MS' A Galapagos Penguin diving underwater surrounded by fish, photo courtesy of 'MS' 5 Galápagos penguins on lava rocks

Santa Cruz Island

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Male giant tortoise on Santa Cruz Giant tortoise stretching its neck upwards Giant tortoise relaxing in a mud wallow Many tortoises in a pond on Santa Cruz Welcome sign on Santa Cruz Island

Kicker Rock

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Kicker Rock (León Dormido) in the early morning

Return to San Cristobal

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep 2025
Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Lower visitor-crime exposure than mainland Ecuador.

Random violence Low
Governmental risk Low
Sources and notes

This profile intentionally differs from mainland Ecuador because the island itinerary had a very different risk shape.

Back at the San Cristobal Island sign again