A South American nation sharing a border with Colombia to the north and Peru to the east and south, Ecuador is most commonly associated with the Galápagos Islands although the mainland of the country also offers countless riches — as the most biodiverse country in the world, Ecuador is home to fauna and flora unique to regions like the Andes and the Amazon as well as a picturesque capital that sits both 9,350 feet above sea level and the Mitad del Mundo that divides the earth into the north and east hemispheres.
In recent years, Ecuador has been emerging as a popular tourist destination independently of the naturalists coming in specifically for the Galápagos Islands.
The 990,402 tourist arrivals that the Ecuadorian government reported between January and August 2026 is a 9.4% increase from the previous year.
Ecuador imposes 12 a.m. curfew on five coastal provinces
While destinations popular among international tourists are generally extremely safe, several Ecuadorian cities have been battling with a rise in drug trafficking and organized crime.
On November 1, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa imposed a curfew on five coastal regions where the violence is at its highest. The provinces where a daily curfew between 12 and five a.m. will be in place until Nov. 10 include Manabi, Los Rios, El Oro, Esmeraldas and Guayas. The latter is home to Guayaquil, the most populous city in Ecuador at 2.7 million residents.
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Similar curfews have already been put in place in different regions of Ecuador at four points throughout 2026. During the curfew hours, anyone without a permit is not permitted to be outside on the street under Executive Decree No. 519.
Ecuadorian police and military personnel patrol various roadblocks and popular areas to issue arrests to anyone caught in violation of this law. The curfew applies to anyone in the affected areas, including tourists from other countries. As a result, the U.S. State Department sent out an “avoid non-essential travel” advisory for affected areas.
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“U.S. citizens should avoid non-essential travel during curfew hours”: U.S. government on Ecuador travel
The capital of Quito is currently not under curfew and so with the rest of Ecuador falls under a laxer “exercise increased caution” advisory also assigned to countries such as France, Germany and Peru.
Other instructions given to travelers in affected areas include obeying the instructions of and remaining courteous to officers at checkpoints and ensuring that their transportation plans fall outside the hours when one is not permitted to be outside.
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Travelers are also encouraged to always carry their personal identification as local authorities may be doing additional checks even outside of curfew hours.
“U.S. citizens should avoid non-essential travel during curfew hours and follow instructions from Ecuadorian authorities,” the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador wrote in its travel advisory on the curfew and affected regions. “Travelers with flights arriving or departing during curfew hours should confirm applicable exemptions with Ecuadorian authorities and their airlines before traveling. Travelers should carry valid identification and flight documentation, including their passport and boarding pass. Taxi and rideshare availability may be limited during curfew hours.”
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