Ecuador has long been one of South America’s most accessible adventure destinations—where travelers can move quickly between colonial cities, Andean peaks, Amazon rainforest lodges, and the wildlife-rich Galápagos Islands. But a new joint military operation between Ecuador and the United States targeting organized crime groups has raised fresh questions about whether it’s safe to visit right now.
The operation, announced this week, is part of Ecuador’s broader campaign to combat drug trafficking networks and organized crime groups that have led to a rise in violence in certain parts of the country over the past several years.
However, the areas making headlines are largely separate from the country’s most popular tourism destinations, according to regional travel specialists.
“Ecuador’s main tourist areas such as the Galápagos, Cloud Forest, Quito, Cuenca, and the Amazon region around Coca have been completely safe to visit, even when conflicts have arisen elsewhere,” says Pedro Barraza, managing director for South America at luxury tour operator &Beyond and Condé Nast Traveler travel specialist. “Most drug trafficking issues and organized crime operate outside of the key tourist zones of the country.”
Those regions have experienced security challenges for years, Barraza says, and recent enforcement efforts are designed to strengthen stability there. “These measures announced in the news only help to secure those areas and give more peace to the rest of the country,” he tells Traveler.
Tour operators and travel agents say they continue to recommend Ecuador to travelers and are still operating trips throughout the country. “We continue operating and recommending Ecuador—as well as the rest of South America—as safe destinations to travel during these difficult war periods elsewhere in the world,” Barraza says, noting that itineraries are always designed to avoid conflict zones and high-risk areas.
Trips across Ecuador—including cruises in the Galápagos, cloud forest wildlife excursions, and Amazon lodge stays—are continuing to operate as normal. Here’s what travelers should know about the situation and what it means for upcoming trips.
What’s happening in Ecuador right now
On March 3, the US Southern Command, which oversees US military activities in Latin America, announced a joint military effort with Ecuador targeting organized crime networks linked to drug trafficking.
Ecuador sits between Colombia and Peru, two of the world’s largest cocaine producers, and some criminal groups have increasingly used the country’s ports as transit points for shipments headed to North America and Europe. In response, Ecuador’s government has expanded security operations and international partnerships to combat those networks.
While the developments have drawn international attention, they are concentrated in specific regions rather than across the country. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has responded with sweeping security measures, including the deployment of military forces alongside police. The newly announced US military operation is the latest step in the Noboa administration’s efforts to combat drug violence across the country.
The latest travel guidance for US citizens
The US State Department currently lists Ecuador under a Level 2 advisory: “Exercise Increased Caution.” That’s the same advisory level applied to many popular travel destinations around the world—most of Western Europe carries the same advisory, for example.
However, that countrywide rating comes with important regional distinctions. Certain areas carry higher warnings, including Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”) and Level 4 (“Do Not Travel”) designations for specific cities and border regions where organized crime and drug trafficking activity are more prevalent.
Among the areas with the strictest warnings are parts of Guayaquil, the Esmeraldas province near the Colombian border, and several smaller cities tied to trafficking routes, where the US government cites elevated risks of gang activity.
