Travel safety

Safest countries in Latin America in 2026

The 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries with the lowest combined safety risk in 2026, from Uruguay at the top to mid-tier destinations.

· How Warnely scores risk →

Latin America has more variation in safety profile than any other region Warnely tracks. The continent contains Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Chile, which rank with Western European countries on most indicators. It also contains countries where significant areas are effectively no-go zones for tourists. Within several countries, the same observation applies on a city-by-city basis.

These are the 12 countries with the strongest combined Warnely risk profile in the region. Excluding a country from this list does not say it is unsafe overall, only that its safety profile is more city-by-city than country-wide.

How this list is built. Filtered to Latin American and Caribbean countries. Sorted ascending by Warnely risk score.

The list

1
🇧🇧

Barbados

21/100

Caribbean island with beautiful beaches. Friendly locals. British influence. Popular with UK tourists.

2
🇺🇾

Uruguay

23/100

Progressive laws. Beautiful beaches. Small and easy to navigate.

3
🇬🇩

Grenada

23/100

Spice Island with beautiful beaches. Friendly locals. Hurricane risk Jun-Nov.

4
🇩🇲

Dominica

23/100

Nature island. Boiling Lake, rainforests. Not to be confused with Dominican Republic.

5
🇦🇬

Antigua and Barbuda

24/100

365 beaches. Sailing paradise. Relaxed Caribbean culture.

6
🇰🇳

Saint Kitts and Nevis

24/100

Small island nation. Brimstone Hill fortress. Nevis quieter. CBI program famous.

7
🇻🇨

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

26/100

Sailing and diving paradise. Mustique exclusive. La Soufriere volcano. Beautiful.

8
🇱🇨

Saint Lucia

27/100

Beautiful Pitons. Romantic honeymoon destination. Some crime in Castries.

9
🇨🇷

Costa Rica

30/100

Pura vida culture is welcoming. Petty crime in San Jose. Amazing biodiversity.

10
🇧🇸

Bahamas

31/100

Nassau has crime issues outside tourist zones. Beautiful beaches and diving.

11
🇨🇱

Chile

32/100

Santiago has some petty crime. Incredible landscapes from Atacama to Patagonia.

12
🇨🇺

Cuba

36/100

Low crime. Infrastructure is aging. Internet limited. Dual currency system can be confusing.

For Latin American countries below the top 12, the practical guidance is country-by-country and city-by-city. Tourist-focused districts of Mexico City, Bogotá, Lima, and Buenos Aires are generally safe. The same cities have areas locals avoid. The country-specific Warnely guide for each one identifies which is which.