An Expat’s Guide to Staying Street-Smart in Cuenca

Cuenca is a city that charms you into a state of comfort. With its cobblestone streets, tranquil rivers, and the gentle pace of local life, it’s easy to feel like you’ve stepped into a protected mountain utopia. Because the city is so refreshingly and genuinely safe from the “big” dangers (cartel violence, kidnapping, terrorism) that dominate international headlines, it can be tragically easy for new expats to become complacent.

This is a mistake. “Safe” does not mean “crime-free.”

The imagined risk in Cuenca is a cartel movie plot; the real risk is a snatched cell phone or a lifted wallet. The safety rules here are not about fear; they are the exact same “street smarts” you should apply in Rome, Paris, New York, or any other major city.

Your safety in Cuenca is not about being scared; it’s about being aware. The expats who run into trouble are almost invariably the ones who let their guard down, treating this real, functioning city like a personal, crime-free paradise.

Here are the five essential rules for staying street-smart.

Rule 1: Mind the Bus and Other Crowds

The public bus is the number one location for pickpockets. Locals will tell you the bus is the oficina (the office) for petty thieves, who are professionals at their trade. They thrive on the crowded, jostling environment where a little “accidental” bumping goes unnoticed.

The technique is simple: one person might create a logjam at the door, another “stumbles” into you, and in that split second of distraction, a third person has already lifted the wallet from your back pocket or unzipped your backpack.

How to be smart:

• Never put a wallet, cash, or phone in a back pocket. This is an open invitation.
• Backpacks go on your front. You will see many locals and students doing this. It may look silly, but it’s effective.
• Use zippers. An open-top purse or tote bag is a prime target. A bag with a zipper, especially one you can keep your hand on, is a deterrent.
• This rule applies to all crowded areas, not just the bus: the city’s wonderful markets (like Mercado 10 de Agosto), popular festivals, and parades.

Rule 2: Use Trusted Taxis, Especially at Night

Cuenca’s registered, yellow-plated taxis are generally safe and affordable. However, the risk of a “scenic tour” or a dramatic overcharge increases when you hail an unknown cab off the street, especially after dark.

How to be smart:

• Use an app. The gold standard is AzuTaxi. It’s a reliable, app-based service (like Uber, but for registered city cabs) that logs your driver, your route, and the official metered fare. This accountability is everything.
• Keep a private driver’s number. Many expats find a regular, trusted driver for airport runs or late-night trips and save their WhatsApp number.
• Agree on the price first. If you’re at the bus terminal or airport and not using an app, agree on the fare to your destination before you get in the car.

Rule 3: Don’t “Dar Papaya” (The Golden Rule)

This is the single most important safety concept in Ecuador, and you will hear it constantly. It literally means, “Don’t give papaya.” The simple translation: Don’t make it easy for them. Don’t walk around “giving” away your valuables.

Thieves in Cuenca are overwhelmingly opportunistic, not confrontational. They are looking for the path of least resistance—the easy, sweet, unattended “papaya.”

How to be smart:

• The Cafe Table: Never leave your smartphone on the table while you eat or have coffee. It’s a classic snatch-and-run target. A common trick involves someone placing a map or menu over your phone to ask for directions—when they lift the map, your phone is gone, too. Keep it in a zipped pocket or bag.
• The Purse on the Chair: Draping a purse over the back of your chair in a restaurant is “giving papaya.” Keep it in your lap or on the floor with the strap looped around your leg.
• Flashy Valuables: Leave the expensive watch, diamond earrings, and flashy gold chains at home or in the safe. You are simply advertising yourself as a high-value target.
• Be Aware, Not Distracted: Walking down the street while buried in your new iPhone 16 is the modern equivalent of “dar papaya.” You have zero situational awareness. Look up, be present, and keep your valuables secured.

In the rare instance of an armed robbery (almost always with a knife, not a gun), the victim later admits they were distracted, alone in a bad area, or flashing valuables. They made themselves a target.

Rule 4: Know the “Gringo Price”

This isn’t a physical safety risk, but a financial and social one. You will be overcharged until you learn the local prices. This “gringo price” is a common expat complaint.

It’s not always malicious. It’s often a simple, ingrained assumption that the extranjero (foreigner) has more money and doesn’t know any better.

How to be smart:

• Learn basic Spanish numbers. This is the fastest way to end the “gringo price.”
• Watch what locals pay. Before buying fruit at the mercado, stand back for a minute and see what the person in front of you pays.
• Correct them politely. You must know that a taxi ride across El Centro is $2, not $5. When a driver tries to charge you $5, you can smile, say, “No, gracias. Es dos dólares,” and hand him the correct fare. If you are confident and polite, they will almost never argue.
• This isn’t just about saving a dollar; it’s about signaling that you are a savvy resident, not a clueless tourist.

Rule 5: Be Smart at Night

This is common sense anywhere on earth, and it applies here. Cuenca is a wonderfully vibrant city at night, especially in El Centro and along Calle Larga. But the city’s energy shifts after 10 p.m.

How to be smart:

• Stick to well-lit, populated areas. If you’re walking, stay on the main streets where there are other people.
• Avoid empty streets or parks after dark. This particularly includes the unlit grassy areas along the rivers.
• Use ATMs wisely. Don’t use a standalone street ATM at midnight. Use one inside a bank or mall during the day.
• Take a taxi home. If you’ve been drinking or it’s very late, just take a trusted AzuTaxi. It’s $3. It’s not worth the risk.

These simple, common-sense precautions are all that is required. Cuenca is not a utopia. It is a real city, and it is one of the safest in the region. The expats who thrive here are the ones who embrace its reality and navigate it with confidence and awareness.

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