HOW Unsafe is Cuenca Ecuador Compared to NYC in the 1970s or Today’s Detroit or Chicago? UPDATED October 2019

This article has been updated to reflect any new information since first published on 11/7/14



My burning question is just HOW unsafe is Cuenca as compare to, say, NYC in the 1970s or today’s Detroit or Chicago?
 

How unsafe is Cuenca? Firstly, it was not too long ago (2007 to early 2012) that Cuenca would have been considered unsafe for gringos and locals alike. Foreigners from all over the world have been targets to thieves for years in Cuenca, not just pickpocketing but armed robbery and assault.
 

There are two reasons for this. No proactive police patrolling and no information for expats on how to behave. You see, you can’t behave in South America like you do in the states. You have to pay attention to the differences.
 

Example: from 2007 (when foreigners started traveling to Cuenca) to early 2012 there were NO police, or very few police in Park Calderon, even at night and foreigners were getting robbed left and right. There were not many blogs about Cuenca back then and no one ever talked about “how not to be a target” of a crime.
 

                        That Was Then This is Now
 

We remember when we first arrived in 2011 there were drunken guys walking around in the quaint Calderon Park in El Centro and some of them got aggressive, pushing their fingers into your chest and begging for money. Today, the Cuenca tourist police keep drunks and hoodlums out of the parks, at least during the day.
 

Just three years ago foreigners were coming to Cuenca and behaving like they were still in the states, pulling out their cell phones, cameras, and other electronic gadgets in public! It is not advised to do that in public in Ecuador, not even today in 2014, if you can help it.
 

Crime is different in South America, and so you have to behave differently and adapt to the changes so you will not become a target to a crime. We say this over and over and it bears repeating. Because this is what we’re told over and over and over by the locals when we travel throughout Ecuador. So, it’s not coming from us, it is coming through us, from the locals. See?
 

In late 2012 they ramped up security (tourist police)  in much of Cuenca and that helps a lot to keep the hoodlums and thieves away. PLUS, gringos now have the information about how to conduct themselves as a foreigner in a foreign land, and that helps to deter crime just as much as the added police, but only for those that heed the advice we’ve been writing about since 2011.
 

So there you have it, Cuenca is quite a bit safer today because of these two added features, more cops and wiser gringos. The crime rates have decreased exponentially. However, we still think it is best to walk in pairs and not be out after dark if you can help it. If you happen to be out after dark, take a taxi instead of the bus. 





          How Savvy Are the Gringos in 2014
                      about Petty Crime? 

UPDATE see 

BELOW 

On a scale from one to ten we think that most travelers and expats to Cuenca are about an eight (many of the gringos that used to live in Cuenca went home so who knows how savvy the new gringos are) when it comes to crime awareness. They’ve read the information about crime and they’ve taken heed. However, there are still a few expats that do not take heed, such as the gringo woman who wore a purse to Feria Libre just recently (September 2014) and it got snatched from her. Well, of course it got snatched, that’s what happens when you wear a purse to an outdoor market in South America! These are the kinds of things we talk about in the DIY Cuenca Landing Guide.  



Update OCTOBER 2019: We will NEVER talk out of both sides of our mouth to our viewers and readers, especially on important subject as personal safety. When people that live in Cuenca say one thing and then contradict that thing, they are basically what we call pumpers, so watch out for that. They are VERY good at sweeping anything negative under the rug. Remember, we have a son who speaks fluent Spanish, who is married to a local, lives like the locals, and gets his information from the locals. We talk with him on Skype constantly and we know what's going on in Cuenca, more so than the gringos who isolate themselves from the locals.



Crime has increased in Cuenca, burglaries and home invasions are on the rise. Thieves are getting into locked gated communities (not manned by guards) by climbing over the fences. This is happening in the Don Bosco *good neighborhood) of Cuenca. Both locals and gringos are the targets. Petty crime has also increased. It seems the police are too busy giving out traffic tickets and doing road blocks to spend their time policing the city.



Safety Tip: Remember, when we still lived in Cuenca, we told you that you need electric fence installed around the perimeter of your home, and this safety measure still very much stands. Do not rent detached homes without this feature, having an inside dog will also deter prowlers and thieves. We say "inside dog" because we know personally of two outside dogs that were poisoned so as not to wake their mommy and daddy up sleeping inside. 





           LESS Gringo TARGETS on the streets    
             means LESS Gringo CRIME!
 

We rarely see gringos behaving in ways that says “come rob me”, but we used to. They used to wear shiny, expensive jewelry and carry around nice leather purses and huge, expensive cameras around their neck; they’d pull out their money clip in the Mercado with hundreds of dollars in it and then wonder why they got pick-pocketed or robbed five minutes later. That kind of behavior is not advisable here! Or anywhere in Ecuador, for that matter.
 

Today we do not see that too much. Instead we see the gringos blending in and being careful about “how they present themselves” and “how they do things”, that’s why there is less crime towards them!  However, even though petty crime is down it certainly does not mean that we’ll never get robbed, but just knowing how we should present ourselves and staying vigilant certainly does lower the chances a great deal! 



Update October 2019 - The above probably still does not stand true. Around 2017 many of the people that moved to Cuenca left and went back home and now new people have arrived, not reading any REAL safety tips and that makes people more vulnerable to crime because they do not know how to behave in a foreign country. Please read our crime and safety articles on this website if you plane on moving to a Latin American country. 



We are not pumpers, therefore we're not going to be sweeping anything under the rug and making it sound like everything is peachy!
 

                  Cuenca Crime Compared to 1970’s
                     NYC or Today’s Detroit
 

The crime in those big cities is totally different kind of crime that gringos will experience than in Cuenca Ecuador. Those cities are huge while Cuenca barely has 450,000 population. However for the question poser we’ll amuse you a bit.
 

Crime here is mostly personal theft to folks walking around unaware of what’s going on; and to folks who look like they cannot run after the thief who just snatched their cell phone. Violent crimes against foreigners are few and far between in Cuenca, although it does still happen occasionally. There is more to it than that however, and we go into more detail in the DIY Cuenca Landing Guide.
 

Crime in NYC and Detroit is very violent and usually drug related shootings, robberies, stabbings and murder. Need we say more?
 

One thing that folks should learn not to do is compare apples to oranges, especially when it involves an important issue such as crime. If you must compare, compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Two apples might be comparing crime in Cuenca, Ecuador to Manta, Ecuador. If we had a choice to either be on the back roads of Cuenca or the back roads of Manta, we’d choose Cuenca, hands down. Manta has a long way to go before it is as safe as Cuenca, even though Cuenca is larger than Manta.
 

Cuenca is the safest big, little city in all of Ecuador!  So we hope this helps to provide a little bit more insight to crime in Cuenca Ecuador. Some really good safety tips for living in Latin America can be found in these articles below, which still stand true for anyone who cares about their personal safety while traveling and or living abroad. Take care everyone! Would you like to do what we’ve been doing for years? http://t iny.cc/dyzddz

• How Do Ecuadorians Protect Themselves against Crime?


• How Not to Become a Target of Crime in Ecuador

To enjoy a few giggles about our life in Cuenca, see the DIY Cuenca Landing Guide, the ultimate guide for saving money and getting acquainted with your new life in Ecuador. 



As always, enjoy the blog and your comments and questions are important to us. 

Are Gringos Too Trusting When Living Abroad?

About the latest gringo murder: does it really matter “why” it happened or “how” it happened? We can speculate and wonder all we want but we will never get the real story because the man is dead. Whether it was what some are calling, “a crime of passion” or “a crime of greed”, it did happen and hopefully we can all learn from it in some way, even if it is just one small thing like, “not giving out our keys” to people we really do not know.  Or “not opening our house gate” to strangers or to someone who is obviously intoxicated”.
 

What really matters is how newcomers behave in a foreign land.  For some reason we believe that we can trust everyone in this new land we have embarked ourselves on.  What is truly important is the ROOT CAUSE of why gringos are even targeted in crimes, whether they are a simple purse snatching or murder.  In almost every instance when something bad happens to a gringo, sadly, it appears the CAUSE of such crime is something the gringo is doing or not doing.
 

Should we trust a foreign person we have only known for a few months? Should we give out the keys to our home just because someone presents themselves well the first couple of times we meet with them? First impressions can be ambiguous because well, we really don’t know somebody with just a few meetings, and sometimes with numerous meetings.
 

When we are unaware or off our guard because of the feeling of being in a advertised “paradise” and we behave in any way that is different from the standard norm of that new culture and society we are living in then we are much more likely to be taken advantage of, and sometimes by the most unlikely of people—people we know!  We have to remember that in a Latin American setting, a gringo is a target from the get-go, without ever having to do a darn thing.
 

Maybe you think we’re trying to make Latin American countries appear more dangerous than they really are, but that is not our intention at all. Cuenca is quite a safe city now as they have taken strides to man more police throughout the city as well as being much more proactive and that is a good thing, especially for a tourist city. But like we have stated dozens of times before there is a certain way newcomers should behave in the new land they are in. 



Read the comments below from some folks who are considering Ecuador their new retirement home; they were left on our YT Channel.



“Electrified fence around entire property -- Why? Why are so many houses behind tall walls and ugly fences? Is there a crime problem here? It reminds me of East Los Angeles.?”
 

Why all the ugly tall walls and electric fences? Read this article we wrote three years ago and it will fully answer your questions. BTW, Cuenca is probably safer than east Los Angeles.



And here’s what another commenter had to say.
 

If the neighborhood is so good, what is the reason for an electric fence and whole house alarm system? That sounds like protection to me!!?
 

Yep, that’s right. This is how it is done here. Do you want to have the only house without a tall cement or gated wall and whole house alarm? You’ll be taking a risk every time you leave your home unoccupied, and only for a few hours!
 

The commenter’s sound like they have never traveled outside of the U.S, not even to Mexico; btw, Mexico is not any different than Cuenca. Once you dare to venture away from the beaten path of the resort and into a Mexican barrio, you’ll see once again, the ugly tall walls, electric fences, and army men standing everywhere with sawed off shot guns.
 

Frank and I ventured outside of a Mexican resort once; we’ve always been curious to know what the “real” Mexico is like and so we rented a jeep and traveled outside of the pretty and safe resort in Manzanillo, Mexico and drove hundreds of miles to an inner city and it was quite a shock. In fact, Cuenca and Quito are both mild compared to the things we saw in this town. We would never do that now but we were young, only in our late 20’s and didn’t know any better, but Mexico was safer then. Anyhow, we got an eyeful, it was nothing short of shocking.  To reiterate, it is nothing like being safely snuggled within the beautiful resort compounds that most people stay in when vacationing in Mexico.
 

We’re saying all this to say that if you don’t know why Cuenca’s barrios have tall walls around the homes, electric fences and whole house alarms then you are not prepared emotionally or mentally to come here.  We have met folks who became city-shocked because of the tall walls and cops standing around with machine guns even though in front of a bank. This is what it’s like here.  People who do not understand how crime (or safety) works here, need to do some studying before coming, that’s all we’re saying. If you live in a Cuenca barrio and your house is not protected by tall gates and walls, and house alarm your house will become a target and it will get broken into.
 

If we travel and move to a Latin American culture, how we carry ourselves, and how we behave, and our trust level will all be at stake because we’re the gringo; the minority; the guy or gal or couple that lives in that house over there!
 

If we behave too trusting we find that we’ll have a lot of local friendships. But are they really your friends? In the instance with the latest gringo murder, the local man who stabbed him 30 times was not his friend even though the victim befriended him and thought he was his friend. The local was obviously up to NO-GOOD from the first meeting once he saw, 1. How the gringo trusted him and 2.  Observed the gringo’s vulnerabilities. (Note: he probably doesn't get trusted like that by the local people.)
 

Should we move abroad and NOT pay attention to our radar flags (like we would back home) and something bad happens to us? Or, should we move abroad and adapt to our new surroundings, keeping our radar flags aware by not becoming the next victim of crime in town. It’s up to us to be safe and to stay safe no matter where in the world we live.



IF you liked this article, we think you'll also like these too.



How Not to Be a Target of Crime in Ecuador 

How Unsafe is Cuenca Ecuador Compared to NYC in the 1970's?



We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy in Cuenca Ecuador! Enjoy the Discover Cuenca Ecuador blog!

Which City Is Best for Your Ecuador Retirement, Cuenca or Quito? 6 Key Features to Consider BEFORE Moving

For those folks who have not yet had a chance to visit Ecuador, here's some features about both cities you might find interesting and help you to decide which city would fit your needs best. This is just a few considerations to think about before uprooting your life and moving abroad. Let’s take a look. 


1. Ambiance – Feel for a place
2. Healthcare – Hospitals and doctors
3. Real Estate – rentals and buyers market
4. Weather – Climate
5. People – Culture and community
6. Crime – Safety and Protection
7. Cost of Living -
 

Which city is better for you, Cuenca or Quito? It is a decision that no one else can actually answer for you. We feel it is always best to visit a new city first and to get your own impression. No one else can feel these things for you, or give you that “do I want to move here “vibe” for either city. But we can help you out a bit by sharing our own experiences and observations of both cities.
 

We also believe that three months checking out a new city is not enough time to truly get a good impression. Why?  Because you are still in the honeymoon stage and as a tourist you will see and view your surroundings, culture, people much differently than if you live here. For instance, tourists don't mind if they get gringoed but foreign residents do mind. And that's just one thing.
 

1. Ambiance – Environment – Atmosphere
Ambiance is so important that it has to be included as a key factor. Have you ever just walked into a house and thought, “Yes, I could live in this home”; or, “No, I don’t like the vibes in this home and I could never live in it”? And same with a neighborhood? If you have then you know what I mean. Let’s begin.
 

Cuenca – Cuenca is cozy and homey in the downtown area.  Certain restaurants and cafés in El Centro would be considered quaint and charming. The architecture is beautiful, old worldish, and amazing.  Nevertheless, El Centro has lots of traffic, noise and pollution. Rumor has it the city is trying to do away with some of these issues.
 

The downtown area is just a small part of the city. You also have the somewhat newer areas that do not give off the feel of being quaint or charming but rather more up to-date, however, most of Cuenca is Ecuadorian-Spanish retro 70’s style construction, even if it is newly built.
 

Cuenca is not that big or very spread out, therefore you will run into familiar faces wherever you go in Cuenca. Going shopping, eating out, walking the river paths, you’ll often run into the same expats and this makes Cuenca seem really small.
 

Cuenca is surrounded by picturesque Andes Mountains, and boasts four rivers that run through the city, which makes Cuenca even more charming, especially with the back drop of colonial architecture overlooking the river. It is very pretty and quaint.
 

TIP: If you like the small-town feel, slower-paced lifestyle, charm, familiarity, retro 70’s style, with some colonial, and seeing more gringos, then you may like Cuenca.
 

Quito – Quito’s old town section is also quaint and charming, which by the way is three times larger than Cuenca’s old section, so there is a lot more of it to go around.  Many of the structures in old town have not been restored, so what you see is what you get, and it is still amazingly impressive to look at.
 

The city is improving old town considerably by increasing the security and working on making it more tourist friendly.  On our last visit, just a few months ago, the downtown area had police strategically placed all over old town.


Old town Quito has a lot more touristy type quaint and cozy cafes and eateries than it used to. Several major roads in old town are designated traffic free and used only for walking, shopping, and enjoying your meals smog and traffic noise free.  But Quito still has its share of traffic, noise and car exhaust.
 

Quito is four times bigger than Cuenca; it also has more gringo expats but you would never know it.
 

Quito is diverse and boasts four unique sections of the city that are different from one another and they each send out a different feel and experience.  As an example, some parts of La Mariscal are also very charming, especially some of the cafes and other eateries and bakeries. North Quito is new, somewhat modern, contemporary, international, and full of shopping, restaurants, and flair. Old town is charming, cozy and quaint.
 

TIP: If you like diversity, variety, cosmopolitan, trendy, sophisticated, retro 70’s style with some colonial all rolled into one city, and seeing foreigners from all over the world, not just from North America then you’ll like Quito.
 

Quito is also surrounded by the Andes Mountains, which are a bit more striking than Cuenca’s Andes Mountains, as they are bigger and taller.  Quito does have a river but it is on the outskirts of the city.
 

2. Health Care
Quito and Cuenca have the same level of health care and doctors. Quito has several nice, modern hospitals and clinics; however, with the influx of foreigners to Cuenca medical procedures might cost more in Cuenca. We’ve noticed a rise in cost of  medical procedures in Cuenca just from talking with expats, in the three years we have been here.
 

3. Real Estate Market
Cuenca – It is becoming more difficult to find nice 3 and 4 bedroom homes for rent in Cuenca.  Homeowners are consistently raising their rental prices to the foreigners. Well, it was to be expected.  However, having said that, it is still possible to find them and they are out there but Quito has more locally priced rentals just because it is a bigger city.


According to users/renters who have actually rented in Quito and Cuenca in 2014, rent prices in Quito are 32.28% lower than in Cuenca!  RESOURCE: Numbeo.com
 

Quito - It is still possible to easily find 3 and 4 bedrooms homes for rent in Quito and in the country for $250 to $400.   And, you will find after doing the research the Quito housing market is 20% lower than in Cuenca.
 

4. Weather - Climate
Both Quito and Cuenca have similar weather.  It is the Andes Mountains after all. One is in the North and one is in the South. We think the sun shines more in Quito but that is our opinion, not a fact. The elevation is a tad bit higher in Quito, so there may be more adjusting to do for some people.
 

5. People – Culture - Community
We noticed a slightly faster pace in Quito as we spent a lot of time in old town and in the northern part of Quito. There is definitely some amount of hustle and bustle going on, but Quito still has a laid back and easy-going feel to it.


With that said, the people of Quito are just as friendly and helpful as they are in Cuenca. Anyone who says differently must have had one of those bad experiences with the locals. It does happen as people are just people, after all. In Quito they are ever so happy to negotiate with you so everybody is happy in the end.
 

Sundays are family day, and the parks, restaurants, shopping stores, and activities get crowded just like in Cuenca!
 

6. Crime – Security – Safety – Protection
Quito - Quito is a much bigger city so it would be futile to compare crime rates to Cuenca, so we’re not going to do that. Quito has its share of crime but 90% percent of the crime is preventable. P-R-E-V-E-N-T-A-B-L-E!
 

It is all about NOT MAKING OURSELVES an Available TARGET TO THE THIEVES.
 

La Mariscal area is known for petty thievery because a lot of the tourists behave oblivious to their surroundings. Where there are easy targets, there will also be the thieves. Newcomers, especially the younger foreigners arrive with a nonchalant attitude that it won’t happen to them. Yes, there’s crime in Quito as anywhere else in Ecuador, but if you’re one step ahead of it, crime may not visit with you.


Quito’s old town used to be much worse on crime but in the last few years the security has been ramped up and crime is less widespread, however, that does not mean to behave as described above. On the contrary, it is best to never have too much money on your person, or carry anything that you do not want stolen with you. Keep a low profile and stay aware; that means do not get intoxicated.
 

BTW, it is highly recommended to NEVER hail a cab off the street in Quito. Always call a radio cab company. Call the taxi company directly.  They’re plainly located right on the main road.
 

Read our do’s and do nots on safety in Ecuador here.

Cuenca – Cuenca has fair amounts of petty theft crime and snatch and grabs, even during the daylight hours. It is better to not walk around with a purse and only have invaluable items in your backpack.
 

There have been home invasions of gringos in Cuenca when they left their house unoccupied. There are few armed robberies of foreigners in Cuenca. Taxis are safe and walking on the sidewalks during the day is pretty safe in Cuenca as long as you do not behave or look targetable.
 

Cost of Living in a Nutshell: 
 

Rent Prices in Quito are 32.28% lower than in Cuenca
Restaurant Prices in Quito are 10.29% higher than in Cuenca
Groceries Prices in Quito are 6.54% lower than in Cuenca

To see a more detailed report of the cost of living between the two cities by people who actually live in Quito and Cuenca, click here:

Numbeo is actually a great website and very accurate as it is up-to-date by expats that actually live or visiting in these cities. 



NOTE: See at the bottom of the statistics on the Numbeo page it says 49 foreigners in Cuenca rated the cost of living and 59 foreigners in Quito rated the cost of living. 


Main thing: While Quito and Cuenca have a lot in common they are still mildly different as Quito is much larger with several areas the expat can choose from for daily living. Each area has its own shopping, restaurants, parks, etc.  We could easily say that Cuenca would be considered Quito’s little sister.


To learn more details of the cities of Cuenca or Quito then check out the Landing guides. With these city guides in your hands you’ll not only SAVE money but you will be less overwhelmed and truly enjoy your stay! We help our readers to stop and smell the roses, as they say.

How Do Ecuadorians Protect Themselves Against Crime?

Wherever you may live in the world the best way to protect yourself from being a victim is to do what the local people do and have been doing for years and years, handed down from generations.



Point in fact, our Ecuadorian friends have shown us how they stay safe. Their behavior has helped us to be more watchful and to take certain precautions to make sure that negative circumstances do not happen to us.



It is through our own observations, personal experience, and our Ecuadorian friendships that we caution visitors and expats about certain conducts and actions while visiting in and or living in Ecuador.



The first thing to consider is this: When something bad happens to people on the streets in the Northern Country the police force takes action.  People up north are conditioned to and expect to be able to call 911 and depend on the police. Usually the police show up within a few minutes.



The state takes it upon themselves to keep bad people off the streets. This is what you pay some of your taxes for.  Although this may be changing starting with the larger metro areas.



Well, in Ecuador you’re not in Idaho anymore!



You Need to Take Responsibility for Your Own Safety



When living in Ecuador you are completely responsible for your personal safety. This means that you cannot rely on the streets being safe anywhere in Ecuador and that includes Cuenca. In fact, much of the thievery happens where all the tourists are.  Tourists are the ones with money, gadgets, and expensive jewelry.



In Ecuador many times the bad guys will NOT get caught. The police are not that proactive to chase after, investigate, and do the due diligence it deserves to catch a thief. Besides that, Ecuador law says that any robbery under $600 is not worth investigating…and the thief never gets caught, which means he continues his job of stealing from others.



When living in Ecuador you are in a developing country, which means the police force is not organized enough, or effective enough yet to put in the effort to actually investigate crimes and place the bad people in prison. Therefore the same bad guy(s) who robbed Dick and Jane yesterday at 10am in the morning are still out looking for vulnerable victims to steal from, or worse, rape, abuse, maul, whatever. 



Less Accountability in Ecuador



In Ecuador you can get stabbed ten times (which happened to a women alone in a good area of Cuenca at 10am in the morning), or you can have your wife’s (fake) pierced earrings ripped off her ears, (happened to our friend on the Calle Larga stairs) or you can be thrown down to the sidewalk for your camera, (happened to an expat last year on Calle Larga during the day) or…etc…etc…but what happens to the attacker? He gets away.



In Ecuador, taxi cabs hit pedestrians and bicyclists and flee the scene and never pay for the crimes they commit (just happened).



YOU ARE IN ECUADOR, although some want you to believe you’re in Disney Land.



In Ecuador, people are robbed of their personal things on a daily basis and  nine times out of ten the thieves are never made accountable for what they do…and so thievery continues to get worse.

However, there are now more tourist police in downtown Cuenca and the rash of brazen petty theft has lessened. And Cuenca has hundreds of new police patrolling the streets, which intimidates the thieves from the areas they are in, and that has curbed some of the crime in Cuenca. Although organized professional thievery is still a big problem.



In Ecuador thieves are everywhere eying out the naive, vulnerable, people (usually foreigners) on the streets, and they congregate where the tourists are!!



It’s their job to watch for women alone;



It’s the thief’s job to watch for anyone alone;



It is the thief’s job to watch for vulnerable people who are wearing shiny jewelry and expensive watches;



It is the thief’s job to watch for the guy who pulls out his money clip with a wad of cash while paying for a $5 souvenir at the flea market; (An expat told us this happened to her husband just recently in April of 2013.



It is the thief’s job to watch you sitting at the park, talking on your $500 Blackberry; (these phones are about $800 here.)  More than a month’s salary in many cases.



It is the thief’s job to see you put your purse on the restaurant chair arm so he can walk by and steal it;



In Ecuador, the thieves are sitting right next to you, watching you…eying out your vulnerable mannerisms…thinking should they steal from you or the next vulnerable person to walk by?   All in a day’s work for them.



People like to stick up for Ecuador and say on the forums that it is “safer here than the states”, but it is not safer from thievery and pickpockets! What a loaded statement anyway. And really, to compare two totally different cultures and the crimes that happen within is illogical at best. Think of all the variables such as what city you are referring to in the states, what kind of crimes, and what the victim was doing at the time of the crime, etc, etc.



Did you know there are still cities in the u.s.a where homeowners do not lock their doors at night? Here, if you didn’t lock your door (tall gated door) you will be burglarized!!  In the states women, without a thought, (I used to do it too) leave their purses in the grocery cart while they shop. In Ecuador that would be a no-no.  In fact walking around wearing a nice handbag is a no-no anywhere in Ecuador.



The point is, this is NOT the US, nor is it Europe…therefore why on earth compare the two crime cultures? Yes, Crime is everywhere in the world, and Ecuador is not excluded. Ecuador is not safer than the u.s.a it is just different. That means you have to behave different.



We certainly cannot tell people what to do, or how to behave in Ecuador but we can explain how different it is here than what you are used to. In Ecuador you are responsible for making sure you do not become a target, not only that, but you are also responsible for taking care of yourself and what happens to you.



How do Ecuadorians Protect Themselves from Crime?



We have Ecuadorians friends who worry about their 21-year old son when he doesn’t show up for dinner.  He is a good kid, doesn’t drink or party. So, what does that tell you? This same family does not allow their 24 year old daughter to walk around alone, even during the day!



1.    Ecuadorian women do not go out alone after dark unless accompanied.

2.    Local women are usually seen walking with sister, mothers, brothers, or girlfriends, co-workers, even during the day.

3.    Ecuadorians don’t act afraid or vulnerable.

4.    Many local women use pepper spray or another form of tear gas.

5.    One young Ecuadorian banking woman told us she does not wear her diamond engagement ring because it is too flashy.

6.    They always carry exact change with them.

7.    Ecuadorians do not pull out huge bills to pay for things.

8.    Many local women do not wear a purse, however this is changing. We're seeing more women with handbags in Cuenca.

9.    Ecuadorian women are almost always out in pairs or groups.

10.    We rarely see Ecuadorian women jogging or walking on the river trails alone. What we do see is if there is a local woman jogging there is a man tagging behind riding a bike or she has a guard dog with her.

11.     Ecuadorians stay away from the rivers after dark.

12.     Ecuadorians stay out of the parks at night, except for the bad guys.

13.    Ecuadorians are very cautious and alert of their surroundings. They have told us to watch our backpacks in Parque Calderon because a trio of hoodlums were eying out our stuff. We were new here and didn’t take notice of anything out of the ordinary. Believe me, now we notice.

14. Ecuadorians do not show off expensive things in their yards that would invite and tempt theives to climb the tall gate.

15. Many Ecuadorians have guard dogs.



If the Ecuadorians take precautions like this, then how much more should foreigners also take the same precautions and more? The rule of thumb would be to do what they do.