Guatemala Health and Safety

No one pretends that Guatemala is a very safe country. The two most frequently reported nasty incidents involving tourists are highway robbery, when a vehicle is stopped and its occupants relieved of their belongings, and robberies on walking trails. Rapes and murders of tourists have also occurred, though they are much less common. Vehicles carrying tourists, such as shuttle minibuses and buses, along heavily touristed routes are a prime target for highway robbery. The route between the airport and Guatemala City is also notorious for carjackings. Other dodgy roads include the Interamericana (Highway CA-1) between the Antigua and Panajachel turnoffs and near the Salvadoran border; Highway CA-2 near the Salvadoran and Mexican borders; and Highway CA-13 between the Belizean border and the Puente Ixlú (El Cruce) junction. Robberies against tourists on walking trails tend to occur in isolated spots on well-known walks. Some trails around Lago de Atitlán and on Volcán Agua outside Antigua are particularly notorious. Hiking in large groups and/or with a police escort reduces the risk.

Other potential dangers, especially in cities, are pickpocketing, bag-snatching and bag-slitting in crowded bus stations, buses, streets and markets, but also in empty, dark city streets. Avoid walking anywhere alone, especially after dark.

There have been a few bizarre incidents where foreign visitors have been unjustly suspected of malicious designs against Guatemalan children. Be wary of photographing or talking with young children in villages. Any crowd can turn volatile, especially when drunk or during times of political tension.