Black mountain solutions are able to offer full security services in Ecuador including;
Security Concerns in Ecuador
Ecuador offers an opportunity to see Galapagos animals practically posing for photos, hike on volcanoes, and explore the Amazon rainforest, Pacific Coast beaches and historical cities. Travelers hitting Ecuador’s hot spots should use all the typical travel safety advice, with a few exceptions. Take extra precautions in a few tourist areas in the capital city of Quito. If you’re traveling beyond the typical tourist areas, be aware of additional safety issues.
Our Security Services in Ecuador
No matter where you are in the world or even in your home country, try to minimize crimes of opportunity. Be aware of your surroundings. Through your clothing and actions, avoid looking affluent or distracted. Walk with confidence and carry as few valuables as possible. Keep the valuables you need in inside pockets or in a closed bag slung across your body, so they’re more difficult to grab. Know that thieves often work in teams, sometimes with children, to distract and then steal from tourists. Be extra cautious where you go at night. Always ask at your hotel if it’s better to take a taxi than walk.
Important Tips
Be aware when you use your credit card so that the magnetic strip is not duplicated by keeping your passport and card in an RFID-blocking sleeve or wallet. Check that ATM machines have not been tampered with and use them in safe locations.
Be sure you’re up to date on your vaccinations. Routine vaccinations include those for Hepatitis A and B; typhoid; diphtheria and tetanus; influenza; measles, mumps and rubella; and polio. Check if the specific areas you plan to visit require malaria precautions.
Wash your hands frequently, especially before eating. Choose foods that are at their correct temperature; hotel buffets are no less safe than street food. Check if tap water is potable for foreigners; it generally is not safe for foreigners to drink the tap water in Ecuador. In big cities, brushing your teeth with tap water isn’t high risk, but ask at your hotel.
Hiring our security services in Ecuador ensures your safety so that you have a wonderful time in the area.
Safety for Tourists in Ecuador
Ecuador has a tourist police division that can help travelers in need. Install Ecuador’s tourism ministry’s travel safety app on your phone. With it, you can call for help, and responders can use your phone’s GPS to find you if necessary.
Ensure you’re up to date on travel advisories. Check more than one government site, such as both the U.S. State Department and the Canadian governments’ sites. Specific neighborhoods and areas where crimes have occurred against tourists are updated regularly. Confirm safety information with your hotel.
Panic Buttons and Cameras in Taxis
Ecuador has also installed panic buttons and cameras in taxis. Always choose taxis recommended by your hotel or restaurant; never hail them on the street. Drive with windows up and doors locked, and hide valuables from view. Be aware of people approaching the car when you’re stopped in traffic. In Ecuador, never leave your belongings unattended in public, including on the floor or in overhead bins on buses. Civil demonstrations and protests have been increasing in Ecuador, so try to avoid them.
Stay Hydrated
Quito and some other parts of Ecuador are at high altitude. Staying hydrated is essential to ward off headaches and fatigue. The country’s location on the equator means the sun is very strong in Ecuador, and UV rays will penetrate even on cloudy days. Wear sunscreen and a hat, especially on the coast and when outdoors in the Galapagos Islands.
Beware of Malaria
Malaria is present is some parts of Ecuador, though not in Quito or the Galapagos Islands. Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes generally (there is no cure, for example, for Dengue fever), but know that it’s very difficult for mosquitoes to thrive at elevations above 6,500 feet. Trips to the Amazon require antimalarial medication. As part of our security services in Ecuador, we also provide medical services.
Special Advice for Quito
Groups of thieves target the historical district and some other tourist areas, so be sure not to get distracted while admiring the architecture and taking photos. Keep your camera hidden except when taking a photo.
High Risk of Assaults & Armed Robberies
Assaults and armed robberies have been reported in some of Quito’s green spaces. Drive, do not walk, to the Panecillo and stay on the designated paths at the cable car. Ask at your hotel for the most up-to-date and accurate advice.
Less Safety in Rural Areas
Border areas are generally less-safe when you’re traveling anywhere, and this is particularly true in Ecuador. Robberies, assaults and kidnappings have been reported in Ecuador’s areas that border Peru and Colombia because of drug traffickers. Robberies and assaults have taken place even on crowded beaches, especially in the province of Esmeraldas. Choose hiking locations with care, and consider taking a local guide aware of frequent robbery locations such as Cerro Mandango in Loja province. The State Department says to avoid non-essential travel to the city of Montanita based on reports of assaults on foreign women and attacks. And landmines have been discovered in some of the rural areas that border Peru.
Black Mountain Solutions has operational reach of security services in both Guayaquil and Quito. For more information and to book our security services in Ecuador, contact us.