r/ecuador • u/TypicalRabotyaga • 11d ago
How safe is Cuenca right now?
Hi everyone. I’m considering moving to Cuenca with my wife and our young child, and I’m trying to get a realistic picture of the current safety situation.
I’ve been reading recent Ecuadorian news and seeing reports about an increase in robberies, motorcycle-related assaults, and other crime in some parts of Cuenca. This has made me a bit concerned, especially because we’ll be living there with a small child.
I’m not looking for an “Ecuador is safe/dangerous” generalization. I’m specifically interested in what everyday life in Cuenca feels like right now, especially for families with children.
Honest opinions from locals and long-term residents would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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u/NateInEC 11d ago
I've lived here 3 years and have not noticed an increase in criminal activity. Places along the coast are more dangerous.
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 11d ago
Very safe. The issues are mostly on the coast where the narcos build and send boats across the pacific (towards Fiji etc, where they change boats to reach Australia). The central area (Loja, Cuenca, Quito) are much safer as there is significantly less porverty there.
Cuenca has quite a bit of digital nomads who are sick of Quito. The areas north and west of the historical center are nicest. To get the best apartments, stay north of the river and south of avenida de los americas.
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u/HospitalNo3984 10d ago
De hecho el centro está lleno de esos grupos, cada calle tiene su dueño, el que menos piensa es uno de ellos (vendedores de pañitos, chicles..). Me mudé acá hace 7 meses y me puse un pequeño local, y han ingresado incluso dentro forcejeando y no soy la única que ha pasado por eso, solo que la gente no denuncia, porque incluso la policía les baja la mirada y les dan paso libre para que vendan y hagan lo que ellos quieren. Pero si hay zonas seguras aún, aunque la realidad en general, es que ya no es tan seguro.
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u/TypicalRabotyaga 10d ago
Es terrible. Todavía no sé si vale la pena mudarme con mi esposa y mi hijo. Trabajamos a distancia, pero de todas formas me preocupan mi esposa y mi hijo.
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u/volvo64 11d ago
Very safe. In Cuenca over a decade. 2 small children. I take the same care in Cuenca that I do in any other city in North America or Europe.
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u/odessa2024 11d ago
So you just leave your car in the streets at night?
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u/volvo64 11d ago
Sure, valid point. But as I said, I take the same precautions here as I would in any other large city.
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u/odessa2024 11d ago
Unfortunately, I take more precautions in Cuenca than in other cities nowadays. But it depends on the neighborhood. The historic district is mostly still fine for example, but there’s a too high risk of violent robberies in the more quiet outskirts at night now.
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u/TypicalRabotyaga 10d ago
But what if you don't go out at night? It’s just that the deteriorating security situation in Cuenca—judging by the news—surprises me, yet for some reason, no one mentions it in the comments...
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u/wxursa 8d ago
For most folks from the US it still feels safer than the USA, even if Cuencanos are worried.
The biggest issues we have in Cuenca with life here are catcallers.
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u/Starrcraters 6d ago
I have been living in Quito for over 10 years with a kid most of those years and I have super noticed the locals are so down on themselves as a people/countryand obsessed with how dangerous everything is - it is like a hobby or talking about weather or something that makes them feel better about the classism here. At first I listened and was so scared, then I just started living life and now I take their opinions with a grain of salt.
I will say I know things were better a few years back, but a few years back was so amazing.
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u/Intelligent_Swing_43 11d ago
Totally fine. Cuenca is considered the safest city in Latin America. It’s also extremely clean.
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u/TelevisionSame5933 10d ago
Cuenca es tranquilo, como toda ciudad tiene sus lugares que son peligrosos pero tambien dependen de la hora y del azar mas que nada. Yo eh vivido aqui toda mi vida y depende mucho pero asi mucho de que algo te pase, hay zonas sumamente seguras y hasta podria hacerte un mapa detallado de a donde ir y a donde no ir dependiendo la hora. Pero en si Cuenca es segura y como Cuenca no hay otra ciudad, no es por hacer de mas pero siempre saben decir que esta ciudad es otro pais o mundo cuando ves Ecuador por encima. Pero bueno a lo mejor solo hablo para mi jaja.
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u/TypicalRabotyaga 9d ago
Les agradecería enormemente que me indicaran brevemente a dónde merece la pena ir y a dónde no, y cuáles son las zonas más seguras. ¡Muchísimas gracias!
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u/TelevisionSame5933 8d ago
Claro, escribeme al privado y con gusto te digo con lujos de detalles a donde ir y a donde no.
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u/Salty_Boss4233 10d ago
I have many friends that live in Cuenca all originally from there or other parts of Ecuador. They say it is one of the safest cities to live in Ecuador.
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u/Basic-Dragonfly-7942 8d ago
I visited Cuenca last month and felt safe the entire time. We also had a local tour guide that reconfirmed the same. He said crime does exist like any other city, but very low levels.
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u/wxursa 8d ago edited 8d ago
I'd say about half as much as your average US city, and the crime is more property crime mostly. I believe Cuenca had 15 murders last night. My old city of 300K in the US which was pretty average on US crime had 34.
There are some dangerous barrios, much like any city.
We are grateful every day to live here instead of the USA.
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u/Highaltitudedreamer 7d ago
"Cuenca is widely recognized as one of the safest major cities in South America". The majority of crime is on the coast where the cartels and gangs operate. I've lived here for 5 years and I've never personally experienced any crime.
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u/ZucchiniLucky 7d ago
In the city, every neighborhood is slightly different and, unfortunately, I'd characterize that those in desperate straights tend to prey on others in desperate straights so the rich areas with security guards, cameras, and police being attentive are safer and a couple of run-down areas are less safe at night, like by a couple of the mercados. In addition, there are certain areas where there are less lights or less people and more naive tourists, etc. at night that are perfect hunting grounds for thieves, like by the rivers. All of the above is just like living in any city anywhere. There might be more pick-pocketing, etc. But it's so much safer than an American city as far as violence goes. The news thrives on fear mongering and it's escalated everyone's vigilance and reporting, but it's nothing like, say, going to the Bronx and seeing someone getting beaten to a pulp in an alley. Or going to the country and having bullets whiz past your head from someone's target practice or sick joke. (yes, both experiences I've had). This place is a breath of fresh (cough, with a lot of diesel mixed in) air in comparison.
The locals here are generally not aggressive in nature, and the immigrants have a lot to lose so tend to be on their best behavior. This congenial mix might be changing as more people from the coast relocate here, because a lot of different types of people from the coast want to escape the heat and violence and, possibly set up new illegal activities under less scrutiny. So who knows what 20 years from now will be like? But right now, it's tranquil, beautiful, safe and congenial.
The streets are full of people downtown, which always increases safety. On the south side of the city it is more suburban and ruled by the car. So that also offers some protection, if you're willing to brave the traffic circles and people who ignore intersections and can afford it.
You have to remember that it gets dark early here, and that it never changes. So in order to have any social life at all after the work day, you will be walking in darkness. In the city there are a lot of street lights (blindingly bright ones) and lots of families with children walking around. So when we talk about not "at night" we're talking mostly about after 9pm. It starts getting dark around 6:30. But most people get off work between 6 and 8pm. After that, it's best to be in a vehicle - either your own or a taxi. There aren't enough taxis but they're increasing that.
As a parent you have little to worry about in terms of violent crime here. I'd worry more about making your kids alert to traffic and city hazards like uneven pavement and finding the best education.
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u/Starrcraters 6d ago
I live in Quito, so not the same and probably less safe, but I feel safe here. As for kids, you know what your kids will never do in Cuenca? They'll never be forced to practice being murdered at school - something most states require these days. Suicide rates, depression, cutting, and cutting all go up after the drills. And why won't they practice it? Well because we don't have mass shootings and for sure not at schools. There's petty crime to be smart about like in any major city as a tourist. Go to the wrong neighborhood like in any major city and you'll find more violence, but no one is getting mass killed at any public event or location. My kid hardly even knows the concept of mass shootings/school shootings and we didn't manage to keep him from learning about Uvalde because everyone here couldn't stop talking about it.
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u/inneralign-yourself 2h ago
It depends what part of the city you are trying to move to, my wife and I spent a few nights there on our way south and it seemed perfect safe during the days. We went to a few vegan restaurants and met three fellow white expats who live there full time, speaking Spanish is super helpful of course but we managed to get around without it.
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u/Efficient_Process182 10d ago
I have lived in Cuenca for several years.
Yes there has been an uptick in crime, and an even greater uptick in reporting on crime.
But you have to remember that the uptick is happening from extremely low levels of crime. It’s likely that Cuenca is safer than whatever city you are coming from.