Things can get real—real fast. Despite having a reputation for crime, guatemala is generally safe to visit.
Guatemala Panajachel when tourism takes over
The most frequently reported type of nasty incident involves robbery on walking trails.
How safe is guatemala for tourists. The majority of guatemala’s most dangerous neighbourhoods are in the capital. Val was a missionary and volunteer in guatemala for 2 years, but has carried the place in her heart for the past 16 years, since her first visit to guate. Guatemala is a mostly safe destination but crime can happen.
Below are some examples that illustrate the gravity of the crime threat: Though guatemala experiences high crime rates, it's possible to have a safe experience traveling there, as long as you take the necessary precautions. We plan to visit tikal, antigua & chichicastenango.
Almost anything you read concerning safety on a travel forum is purely anecdotal, i.e., based on personal experience rather than data. According to official statistics released by the national board of tourist assistance (proatur), there were 176 recorded instances of crimes against tourists in guatemala in 2019, with approximately 2.6 million registered tourists having visited the country during the year. Markets, public transport, and other crowded places are best to be avoided because tourists are easy targets in big crowds and guatemala is a country of skilled pickpockets.
Guatemala is a very unsafe country in any sense. Travel boards from different countries ask travelers to observe extreme caution while traveling to or reconsider traveling all together to the following areas in guatemala for safety reasons. We speak only a few phrases of spanish, another big disadvantage.
Janet said 3 years ago Guatemala international airport is located in zone 13. Guatemala city is considered slightly more dangerous than los angeles based on reported crime statistics and surveys from numbeo.com.
While not all of guatemala is extremely unsafe, some are just more safe than others. But as tourists there’s two easy ways to stay out of these problems; Anyone who says that guatemala is safe, unfortunately, shouldn't be taken seriously.
The sights and sounds of el trebol in guatemala city is guatemala city safe for tourists? Take appropriate security measures when traveling to and from the airport. Do not hail taxis on the street in guatemala city.
For a long time, violence was the norm in guatemala. Tourists who travel to this area of central america must ask themselves, is guatemala safe? According to the state department, there were 176 recorded instances of crime against tourists in 2019 out of 2.6 million registered tourists.
So the short answer to the question about travel safety in guatemala is that overall, yes, it’s safe, but it doesn’t mean that you can treat it the same as you would travel in the usa. There have been reports of recent crimes against foreigners. The country does have drug trafficking issues and gang violence problems.
Though the civil war here may have ended in 1996 (after 36 years) it’s still very much an issue. Before going any further, you have to understand what has happened in the country. Local shop worker by luciagarciagon (cc0)
Guatemala can be a very dangerous country, but crimes against tourists occur less frequently and are less likely to be violent. Antigua, guatemala has a reputation for being “pretty safe.” but expats who live here and in reality know that “stuff goes down” in antigua. The border between guatemala and mexico has become more dangerous due to local unrest.
Avoid this route until further notice. Some posters have more experience traveling in guatemala than others; Safety in guatemala is a relative question.
Guatemala is somewhat safe to visit. Guatemala city is separated by different zones from zona 1 to zona 13. We are tall anglos in our 60's, going on our own (no tour group).
My husband & i are planning a trip to guatemala this april 2012, but our adult daughter who travels widely expressed concern for our safety given violence in peten area & guatemala in general: Take appropriate security measures when traveling to and from the airport. In short, it’s safe if you pay attention to the people and the surroundings that you pass by and into.
In fact, once you leave antigua you’ll realize just how safe it is. Do not hail taxis on the street in guatemala city. Walking around there for two weeks and feeling safe should be the only clue you need to know that the poster is uninformed.
It's not safe to cross. In fact, guatemala city has many areas where it’s friendly and safe to walk around in during the day. Guatemala international airport is located in zone 13.
But, usually their opinions are based personal experience or hearsay, positive or negative. The days of robbers targeting tourist buses out on the open highway seem to be thankfully in the past, although some tourists in rental cars have been targeted. Guatemala has no other urban area like its capital city.
The possible criminal acts include carjackings, robberies, and assaults of tourists, especially in public buses. The fact is, guatemala doesn’t often appear in the public consciousness for its crime or its hospitality. Don’t traffic drugs, don’t get involved in gangs.
Even for unexpected tourists that weren’t as inquisitive as you to even ask themselves such a question.
