UK Foreign Office updates Ecuador travel warnings after Galapagos flooding
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its Ecuador travel advice on 1 November 2026. The update highlights severe flooding on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. Gobierno Galapagos declared an emergency on 31 October due to heavy rain. The storm caused power outages, closed roads, and disrupted travel to Baltra Airport. FCDO continues to warn against all but essential travel to seven coastal provinces, including Guayas and Manabí, as well as areas within 20 kilometres of the Colombian border. Exceptions near the border include the town of Tulcán and the Rumichaca crossing. The Ecuadorean government also put a 60-day state of emergency in place on 15 September across eight provinces for security reasons. Travellers should check their coverage because visiting areas listed in the warning may invalidate standard travel insurance policies.
What was announced
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office issued updated advice for travellers heading to Ecuador. On 31 October, Gobierno Galapagos declared an emergency on Santa Cruz Island after heavy rains caused flooding. The severe weather triggered road closures, power outages, and travel disruptions to Baltra Airport.
The issuing body also maintains warnings against all but essential travel to several regions. This includes seven provinces in the Coastal Region: Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. Airside transit at Guayaquil Airport in Guayas province is excluded from this advice.
The advice covers areas within 20 kilometres of the Ecuador-Colombia border. Parts of Carchi province remain exempt from the border restriction: the town of Tulcán, the Rumichaca border crossing, El Ángel Ecological Reserve, and the Pan-American Highway. Additionally, the Ecuadorean government declared a 60-day state of emergency on 15 September for security reasons across eight provinces and three cantons.
What it means
People planning to travel to Ecuador should review their itineraries and check their insurance policies. Travelling to regions where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against travel can invalidate standard travel insurance.
Travellers on Santa Cruz Island should avoid flooded areas, follow local authority directions, and confirm travel plans with airlines or tour operators. In areas under the national state of emergency, visitors can expect a higher presence of police and military personnel.
What the announcement does not tell us
The advisory does not state when power will be restored on Santa Cruz Island or when roads to Baltra Airport will reopen. While it mentions curfew hours between 12am and 5am in four provinces from 17 to 30 September, the document does not say whether new curfews will be imposed. The statement also does not give specific details regarding the security incidents that led to the 60-day state of emergency in September.
How this was written
This analysis was written with AI from the official announcement below, using only facts that announcement states. The quoted wording is UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice’s own. Always check the original before acting on anything here.
Information about heavy rain and flooding on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. (Warnings and insurance)
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