Major safety risks in Peru? (page 3 of 5)

Try adding commas and periods—it’ll be much more pleasant and easier to read. Best regards.

Hello everyone, Since the testimonials about safety in Peru are sometimes a bit outdated, I was curious to check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and take a look at the travel advice. It’s honestly pretty depressing!! Here’s the link: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays/perou/

Among other things, they don’t just talk about fake taxis that rob you or express kidnappings (especially in Arequipa), but also about drugs that can be slipped into your drink if it’s left unattended, "with the risk of scopolamine being added."

They’ve marked the Cusco region as a red zone (formally to avoid!!) and central Lima as an orange zone, "to avoid after dark."

What do those who’ve been there recently think?

Hello, We traveled to Peru with 4 adults in 2014—Cusco, no feeling of insecurity even late at night, I should add, in the city center. In Arequipa, same thing, but we didn’t take any taxis. In Lima, we did take taxis, but be careful in the evenings in outlying neighborhoods and around the historic center. That said, we weren’t bothered. In the Cordillera Blanca near Huaraz, during an acclimatization hike without a guide to the Rataquena viewpoint, we were robbed by a young man in a balaclava (the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet advised against going alone... we went anyway... we took the risk...). Still, all four of us are alive, even though we refused to give the robber anything and he didn’t shoot... we were still terrified... All this to say, you shouldn’t be naive—the risks are real, especially without a guide. You have to use common sense, just like in any big city in the world, and know that guides like the Rough Guide provide good info. We don’t regret our amazing 27-day trip to Peru at all. It’s a stunning, multifaceted country that’s absolutely worth seeing—just stay vigilant...

And then, I’d add that reading comprehension probably wasn’t your strong suit in school.

True, I admit it—I was pretty bad at French, sorry... but...

I don’t see what my business has to do with this, but okay.

Well, I feel better knowing at least two of us seem to have somewhat limited reading comprehension. It’s pretty obvious to me—despite my own clear struggles with reading—that when you run a business aimed at bringing tourists to a country, you might not be entirely objective when talking about things that could scare them away. Like safety issues. And you might tend to see things through rose-colored glasses, especially when it comes to security.

For the rest, that’s your opinion, and I’m not revisiting it—no problem, you’re perfectly entitled to think that way.

Sideshow, you're absolutely right in what you're saying; I know a thing or two about that coming from Paris.

Good evening,

I really enjoyed reading your little travel journal—it’s a mindset I completely share!

Unfortunately, we only spent 15 days in Peru because work called me back. But I savored every minute of my trip! After booking a round-trip flight with no extras, and since we were two couples (including a friend who *insisted* on going with a tour group!), I had already mapped out the route I wanted to take, and then we booked the hotels via email.

We mostly traveled with Cruz del Sur buses. No issues at all!

Once there, whenever we wanted to explore an area, we contacted small local agencies—it’s great to support them, and they know their country and its history so well. We were never disappointed. That didn’t stop us from wandering around on our own, visiting museums in Lima or Cusco, meeting people passionate about their work in daycare centers run by a Franco-Peruvian association, and seeing happy kids in Arequipa. Or, for me, chatting with a representative from a Puno association who came to meet Uros children on their islands.

Two things really got under my skin: 1) A couple of French tourists on a bus who mocked everything they saw out the window between Puno and Cusco. 2) Seeing a French woman in a Puno street order a young shoeshiner to look up so she could photograph him while he polished her shoes... I watched the whole scene, and to my satisfaction, the kid didn’t even glance up.

For restaurants, we decided to avoid the ones recommended by French guidebooks... Too many French tourists and their bad reputation abroad, with the *Marseillaise* played by bands—no thanks! We mostly went to places frequented by Peruvians—popular spots, fancier restaurants, and local eateries where neighborhood workers ate. And every time, the food was *amazing*!

For anyone still hesitant: Peruvians are joyful, helpful, and incredibly welcoming! If you speak a little Spanish, they’re thrilled to chat with you!

Just thinking about it makes me want to go back!

It’s the same—you just shouldn’t go out alone, especially don’t hang around at night, and never take the first taxi that stops. Peruvians call for a taxi by phone because they know it’s dangerous even for them.

So it’s not really the same as in Europe, where the risk of armed robbery is way lower than in Peru. In Europe, I’ve had stuff stolen before, but we take way fewer precautions than in Latin America. And millions of people walk alone on the streets after dark in Europe. My girlfriend is Peruvian, and she can confirm you don’t take the same precautions in Peru as in Europe. She’s not from a rough neighborhood, and she doesn’t know anyone who hasn’t been robbed at gunpoint at least once in their life. In Europe, I barely know anyone who has.

It's obvious that Peru is far more dangerous than France, yet most tourists refuse to believe it. Sure, France is far from perfect, but it's worth knowing that crime and petty delinquency are largely unpunished in Peru. Most homicide cases aren't even solved, let alone rapes and violence against women. The judicial system is pitiful. As Yokora says, when you live in Peru, you know tons of people who've had sordid experiences (thefts, robberies, kidnappings, extortion, etc.), and most times you deal with the police, they try to extort money from you and are sometimes worse than criminals...

As for the robbery experience mentioned, that's exactly what you shouldn't do in Peru—never doubt that your life isn't worth much. For 100 soles or a smartphone, you could get killed. Unless you're very confident, it's never worth resisting...

But these opinions are actually a good sign. Everyone's review reflects their personal experience. The fact that 90% of people say they never felt unsafe during their trip proves that with reasonable behavior and a bit of luck, most tourists avoid problems in Peru!

That doesn't mean Peru is a safe country, and I still believe it's better to warn people—even if it makes them a bit paranoid—so they pay attention to their safety! If you're unsure about the safety of a place, ask Peruvians. They generally look out for tourists.

To answer Cezembre, this topic is about safety in Peru. Of course, there are also plenty of incredible and very kind people toward tourists in Peru. Again, these messages aren't meant to discourage those who want to travel to Peru (after all, I work in tourism), but rather to warn them so their trip goes as smoothly as possible!

Thomas

I completely and totally agree with you.

1- You need to be aware of where you're going before setting foot there. That’s how you prepare best and are most able to handle sensitive situations. Sticking your head in the sand isn’t very useful. Forums and the Ministry’s website are places where you can find information—not, as some think, to stop traveling, but to prepare for any trip.

2- It’s not about falling into paranoia, but neither is it about naivety. Comparisons with France, Europe, or Uzbekistan have nothing to do with the situation there. We always end up making these kinds of comparisons at some point, which I don’t quite understand.

4- Feeling safe and *being* safe are two very different things. You can perfectly feel safe without actually being so. Real-life security issues differ from the movies in that there’s no creepy music to warn you. Five minutes before, everything might be fine, and probably five minutes after, everything will still seem fine. And just because you didn’t have any problems doesn’t mean there aren’t any, just as having one issue doesn’t mean the country should be avoided. Those are the two extremes you sometimes read about.

5- In case of a robbery, just hand over what you have. There’s a good chance you’ll be fine, and taking unnecessary risks is particularly dangerous. No harm done, thankfully.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my somewhat old post, but we’ve been back (safe and sound) since early April!!

History repeats itself—everything went really well, but clearly some neighborhoods in Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco are dreaded by taxi drivers, who avoid them or lock their windows and doors, citing issues with crime (every evening, the TV shows arrests of pickpockets, drug traffickers, etc.).

We always left our passports in our hotels, carrying copies with us, whether the hotels had safes or not—sometimes our passports were just tucked in a drawer at reception...

No theft to report, no attempted assaults, but we always took taxis called by the hotels (no meters, no taxi signs). We had fascinating conversations with them about local corruption, the pope’s visit, and taxes! In Lima at least, they pay a certain amount to the municipality to operate, so they don’t see why they should pay "extra" taxes (same story in France, where everyone complains about the tax burden but wants more police, teachers, hospital staff, pensions that don’t decrease, faster trials, and judges—how do they think that’s funded?)

Thanks for your reply, but before sharing the link to the Foreign Affairs website, I took a look at the map of Cusco—it’s impressive.

Don’t fall into paranoia about Cusco—I’ve been there three times and never had any problems. Back when I visited Peru, the country wasn’t very developed and was just coming out of a somewhat dark period (especially because of the Shining Path). The thing is, it’s best to stick around Plaza de Armas in the evening, but otherwise, the city isn’t risky at all—it’s very tourist-friendly. As for Lima, though, yes, avoid Plaza San Martín at night. You can stroll along Jirón de la Unión, but it’s not highly recommended. Again, Miraflores is where you should stay.

Your message is from last year, when I was staying near... Plaza San Martín... I love that neighborhood and never felt unsafe at night, though I’ll admit I never came back after 11 PM. And it’s true that people sleep on the square... As for Miraflores, I find it a bit too globalized and sterile for my taste... I’ll be returning to Lima next year... if you have more info on the dangers around Plaza San Martín, I’d love to hear it...

San Martin Square was dangerous 15 years ago. Now, honestly, I think Kennedy Park in Miraflores is almost more sketchy.

Totally agree... the problem is that some people keep repeating old comments over and over. For a tourist visiting Peru for the first time, I think it’s nicer to stay in the historic center. I really like the new hostel opened by a yoga teacher near Plaza San Martín.

Hostel and certainly not hostile...

Even agencies keep repeating the same old tunes—I just saw a French agency still advising against flying over Nazca based on the French diplomatic advice... except that recommendation hasn’t existed for a while now! :D

While security may be less of an issue in large French or European cities, Lima remains a city with quite a few crimes and offenses. You’ll notice there are more dogs than llamas, especially in the outlying neighborhoods between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. On average, you can expect two dogs per Peruvian family. (A chorus of barking starts at nightfall, which is why earplugs are a good idea.)

The real danger comes from your memory—because you’ve lost more than what’s been stolen from you.

Hi there,

Hope you're still around on VF. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the current situation in Peru—specifically about renting a car and heading into the mountains via the Carretera Central, Ruta Lima Canta, Huayllay, or the Ruta Abra Antajirca toward Huaral....

See you soon

Good evening, I just checked the Foreign Affairs website, and unfortunately, things haven’t improved, especially in Lima 🤪 The issue is that if you take an international flight or even a local one, you can’t skip the capital. So, as mentioned earlier, it’s best to avoid going out at night and stay in your hotel. At a push, Miraflores or Barranco are okay. But once again, avoid the city center, Jirón de la Unión (a very busy street in the center), and Plaza Bolognesi. I’d advise against crossing the bridge over the Rímac River into the neighborhood of the same name. The problem with that area is that there are things to see and colonial architecture buildings. As for Cusco, it should be fine since it’s a tourist area. But in Lima, be careful not to carry a large sum of money if you’re walking around the center. It’s better to have a photocopy of your passport on you.

As for mountain roads, there shouldn’t be any issues. The population of the Altiplano is different from that of big cities, fortunately. I’m writing this even though Peruvians themselves are very welcoming. I’ve had the chance to meet very friendly people as long as you can speak some Spanish

Hi Matthews,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I’d already looked up some info and checked out the various discussions about Lima. We’ll be staying in Miraflores and won’t be going out at night. Plus, we speak Spanish fluently, so in theory... it should be fine.

We’ve traveled quite a bit in Chile with self-drive car rentals, in Argentina with self-drive rentals or buses, and in Bolivia on organized tours.

My question is more about renting a car in Peru and daytime driving in the Andes around the Lima and Junín regions—places like La Oroya, Huayllay and its *bosque de piedras*, mountain passes like Ticlio, scenic routes like the one from Lima to Huayllay via Canta, the *Carretera Central*, or the road from Huayllay to Huaral via the *abra antarjica* and the *torres de Vichaycocha*. Basically, the inland areas in the *Puna* and *altiplano*.

I’m not sure if heating is common in accommodations in the *altiplano*, so we’ll pack accordingly (sleeping bags).

I’ve heard it’s best to avoid heading toward Ayacucho and Huancavelica at night, but is that also the case during the day?

We won’t be going to Cusco or Arequipa.

That’s about it!

Hey Diamina, hello to all the Martinicans out there! 🙂 As for Ayacucho and Huancavelica, I can’t really say—I haven’t visited those cities yet. But in principle, everything should be fine. If it’s your first trip to Peru, it’d be a real shame to skip Cusco and Arequipa, which is a super interesting city. The main tip is to watch out for snatch thefts when you’re walking around markets.

No problem, just make sure to travel during the day. Watch out—these are mountain roads... with Peruvian drivers who overtake anywhere.

Thomas