South America Safety Summary If you're a fan of statistics, you might be interested to know that, in general terms, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Ecuador are considered the safest countries for tourists to visit, while some problems have been reported sporadically in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. South America, home to the famous Machu Picchu, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Patagonia and more, attracts approximately 37 million tourists a year. Naturally, due to the presence of rebel groups and their notoriously violent illegal drug trafficking, parts of the continent have been considered unsafe for tourism. But even Colombia, widely avoided as a travel destination until the early years, has turned its reputation around in recent years.
There are many places to visit in South America if you practice basic security and stay away from certain areas and activities. The safest places on the continent seem to be the stunning beaches of French Guiana, Uruguay, the volcano-filled nation of Chile, Suriname (the smallest in South America), Paraguay and Argentina. Wherever you go, leave your valuables at home and travel with great caution. South America is safe for solo travelers as long as they stay in low-risk areas and remain vigilant.
Many of its cities and countries are popular tourist destinations with countless hostels frequented by backpackers. Solo travelers should stay in these areas: Bogotá, Colombia; Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Brazil; Santiago de Chile, Chile; Mendoza, Argentina; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for example, and only travel to more remote or dangerous areas with a licensed tour guide. As with any city, solo travelers should avoid going out alone at night and taking a taxi alone. Kidnappings happen, so use the friend system as often as possible.
Women travel to South America all the time, often in groups, sometimes alone, and many of them return home with only positive experiences. Women's Rights Are Not As Progressive In South America As They Are In The U.S. UU. Due to South America's very macho and chauvinistic culture, women may experience cat calls or other annoyances from men.
However, what they should really watch out for is wallet theft and other non-violent crimes. Women travelers are vulnerable, especially when they are alone, so they should keep their guard up and travel in groups when possible. Demographics vary by country, for example, Argentina is 85 percent white, while Suriname is mostly black and East Indian. Bolivia is 55 percent Amerindian, while 75 percent of Paraguay's population identifies as mestizo.
South America, as a whole, is a melting pot of races and ethnicities, and the vast majority are extremely hospitable and welcoming. That said, racism is prevalent (as it is everywhere in the world) and exists in a variety of forms. As long as BIPOC travelers stick to tourism-focused locations, where locals are more exposed to diversity and therefore more receptive, they shouldn't encounter any problems. How to Stay Safe When You're Vacationing in Belize Is it safe to travel to South Africa? Is it safe to travel to Mexico? Is it safe to travel to Barbados? General Safety Tips for Traveling to Africa Is it safe to travel to Kashmir? Safety tips for travelers in Sweden Useful tips for safe travel in Europe Is it safe to travel to London? How to stay safe on your trip to Trinidad and Tobago Is it safe to travel to Russia?.
Overall, the country is ranked as the safest travel advisory. But the U.S. State Department warns U.S. travelers that street crime is a problem in Buenos Aires, Rosario and Mendoza.
Watch out for thieves and pickpockets working on streets, restaurants, and bus and train stations. Thanks to several reputational scams and scary news headlines, people don't expect to find it easy to travel safely in South America. When I first left the UK, my parents' biggest concern was that I was going to end up coerced into some drug ring somewhere, not to be seen until I ended up on the 10 o'clock news, having been caught trying to smuggle cocaine through an international airport in my panties . FORTUNATELY, they were being bloody ridiculous, and throughout my 19 months in South America (plus another 7 months in Central America), the most worrying crime I ever encountered was the time I was unjustly accused of stealing money from a girl in my hostel in Rosario.
You can download these 32 tips for safe travel in South America as an e-book to take with you if you subscribe to my mailing list, here. Mine and Andy's long-term backpacker travel insurance saved us around £1,200 in the first year of backpackers in South America alone. We found it very easy and fast to process a claim, plus they allowed us to buy a long-term policy without being in our home country at the time, which surprisingly few travel insurance companies do. Even in private rooms, you must use any locker provided.
I learned it the hard way when they stole £100 in cash from a private room in Torotoro, Bolivia. If there is anything worse than going to prison for 15 years, it is going to Ecuadorian prison for 15 years. In addition to this, gringos who arrange to buy drugs is one of the key ways criminal gangs know who to attack for theft. Suriname is generally combined with Guyana and French Guiana for travelers, so visitors are likely to remain limited until their borders fully reopen.
Regulations continue to evolve, especially for the unvaccinated, and changes are likely to occur between booking and travel. With everything from dangerous roads to scams and even violent drug cartels, this is a continent that requires travelers to be a little savvy. The availability of travel insurance should be a very important consideration for backpackers, because although it may be a reluctant expense, it could actually save your life. As if long trips between cities weren't enough, looking for accommodation around a new destination with all its valuables behind you and clearly having no idea where you're going is not a good start to traveling safely in South America.
It's no secret to most that South America doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to safety. Just as I would approach a trip to Italy differently than I would plan a trip to Poland, I would expect that the security issues would be different in Bolivia and Brazil. Having to sit around a terminal with all your bags at 5 in the morning is not appropriate, and it is not the most advisable situation to travel safely in South America. Agency warns against traveling between Simon Bolivar International Airport and Caracas at night and not taking unregulated taxis from Simon Bolivar International Airport.
When traveling by bus in Ecuador or anywhere in South America, don't be fooled by the overhead racks or storage under the bus, as this is not necessarily overseen by the bus company and could leave your things vulnerable to thieves. These people are missing out on an incredible journey, when they could take the right precautions to stay safe. In certain cities and when I was traveling by night bus, I got used to carrying a small bag as a decoy, so the thieves focused on that instead of the real valuables in my small backpack. If you're planning your trip and feel a little nervous about where to go, we've put together this complete list of the safest countries in South America.
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