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NoBites Abroad · Destinations
Destination Index · 2026/27

Where are you headed?

62 places Americans travel to, from Caribbean winter escapes to European summers and long-haul trips, each rated twice: how likely a mosquito-borne illness is, and how much the biting will bother you. They are not the same thing.

62 destinations

Cuba

Caribbean
Disease risk HighBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

The region's hot spot: dengue far above normal, chikungunya still circulating, and power cuts that switch off the AC.

Read the briefing →

Honduras

Mexico & Central America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Annoying
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Roatán is famous for sand flies, and CDC recommends malaria prevention medicine for the Bay Islands too, though few cases are reported there.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Tanzania & Zanzibar

Africa & Middle East
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Annoying
Rated year-round

CDC lists malaria pills below 1,800 m, including Serengeti and Zanzibar; Tarangire's tsetse flies are the classic safari nuisance.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Bali & Indonesia

Asia
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

CDC Level 2 Zika notice for Bali says pregnant travelers should avoid it. Malaria pills for Komodo, rural Lombok and Papua, not Bali.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Brazil

South America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Dengue and chikungunya run year-round; CDC advises yellow fever shots for Rio, Iguaçu and the Pantanal and malaria pills for Manaus.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Cambodia

Asia
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Dengue is up 138% on 2025, so use repellent at Angkor; CDC reports no or negligible malaria in Siem Reap and the main Angkor Wat complex.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Quick briefing →

Costa Rica

Mexico & Central America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Active CDC Level 2 notice for chikungunya in the northwest, next to Tamarindo; dengue running above last year.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Dominican Republic

Caribbean
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

CDC advises malaria pills for the province that includes Punta Cana, even though reported cases there are very low.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

India

Asia
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

CDC recommends malaria pills for nearly all of India, Delhi and Mumbai included. Dengue peaks Sept–Nov; Dec–Mar is the best window.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Kenya

Africa & Middle East
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Malaria pills for the Mara, Amboseli and the coast (not central Nairobi); Kenya is on CDC's dengue list, and tsetse flies bite in some parks.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Malaysia

Asia
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Dengue is above its 5-year median in 2026, so KL and Penang need daily repellent; rural forest trips, in Borneo or the peninsula, need a malaria plan.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Nicaragua

Mexico & Central America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

CDC Level 2 chikungunya notice covers all of Nicaragua; the Corn Islands are in a CDC malaria-pill zone; Ometepe's chayule gnats swarm but don't bite.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Quick briefing →

Panama

Mexico & Central America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dengue jumped from late June; Bocas del Toro and San Blas are inside CDC's malaria-pill areas, Panama City is not.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Peru

South America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Machu Picchu's biting flies bother visitors more than mosquitoes; Amazon trips need malaria pills, and dengue more than doubled in 2026.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Philippines

Asia
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

CDC lists malaria pills for all of Palawan, incl. El Nido and Coron; Bohol declared a dengue outbreak in Aug 2026; none needed for Manila.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Sri Lanka

Asia
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

On CDC's dengue list after a 100,000-case 2026 epidemic centered on Colombo. Malaria-free since 2016, so no pills are needed.

Quick briefing →

Vietnam

Asia
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Dengue is running 37% above 2025, worst in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong; no malaria pills for Hanoi, Da Nang or Saigon.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Ecuador

South America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Occasional
Rated year-round

Galápagos had Ecuador's top dengue rate in 2026; Quito is too high for mosquitoes, but Amazon lodges need malaria pills and yellow fever vaccine.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Quick briefing →

Guatemala

Mexico & Central America
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

The highlands around Antigua and Atitlán are low-bite. Tikal and the Petén lowlands carry CDC malaria advice.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

South Africa

Africa & Middle East
Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Occasional
Rated year-round

Cape Town and the Winelands are malaria-free; Kruger and the Lowveld need CDC-listed malaria pills, most of all in the Sept-May rains.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Quick briefing →

Italy

Europe
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Annoying
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Tiger mosquitoes bite by day in Rome, Florence and Venice; 2025-26 brought record West Nile plus local dengue and chikungunya clusters.

Read the briefing →

Barbados

Caribbean
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dengue is back to baseline. The beach "sandflies" are biting midges, worst at dawn, dusk and on calm days.

Read the briefing →

Belize

Mexico & Central America
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Malaria-free since 2023 with endemic dengue. Sand flies on the cayes and in Placencia are the daily nuisance.

Read the briefing →

Cancún & Riviera Maya

Mexico
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Quintana Roo's dengue count kept climbing into October, plus local chikungunya. Dusk at lagoon-side resorts and cenotes is the bite window.

Read the briefing →

Colombia

South America
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Cartagena, Medellín and Bogotá need no malaria pills, but CDC lists a yellow fever vaccine entry requirement and an active outbreak notice.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Fiji

Oceania
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

No malaria, but dengue is endemic; 2025's big Western Division outbreak has eased to normal levels in 2026. Use daytime repellent.

Quick briefing →

France

Europe
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Daytime tiger mosquitoes across the south; Riviera and Provence had record chikungunya in 2025, Bordeaux in 2026, plus record West Nile.

Read the briefing →

Greece

Europe
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Athens was the center of Greece's record 2026 West Nile season; the windy Cyclades stay light and green islands bite harder.

Read the briefing →

Grenada

Caribbean
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dengue has been rising in Grenada since August 2026; around Grand Anse and Carriacou, use repellent by day and at dusk.

Quick briefing →

Maldives

Asia
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Dengue ran above normal all of 2026 and the Maldives is on CDC's dengue list. Resorts fog; local islands less so. No malaria.

Quick briefing →

Mexico

Mexico & Central America
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Coastal dengue that dips in the dry winter months; Mexico City's altitude keeps it almost bite-free.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

Puerto Rico

Caribbean
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Calmer after the 2024–25 dengue epidemic, but this year's cases still put half of patients in hospital.

Read the briefing →

Saint Lucia

Caribbean
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dengue fell sharply in 2025 after a 2024 outbreak. Rainforest hikes around Soufrière need the most repellent.

Read the briefing →

Thailand

Asia
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

Daytime dengue everywhere but 2026 is a quieter year; malaria pills only for border provinces, not Bangkok, Phuket or Krabi's islands.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Read the briefing →

U.S. Virgin Islands

Caribbean
Disease risk ModerateBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

A 2024–25 dengue outbreak hit all three islands and has since dropped sharply.

Read the briefing →

Canada

North America
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Annoying
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

June black flies and mosquitoes rule Ontario and Quebec cottage country; West Nile and Lyme ticks are the real health notes.

Read the briefing →

Antigua & Barbuda

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

In Antigua the usual biters are beach sand flies at sunrise and sunset; dengue was at baseline levels in early 2026.

Quick briefing →

Australia

Oceania
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Summer means Ross River virus in Queensland, sand flies on Whitsunday beaches and Outback bush flies; Sydney and Melbourne are low-risk.

Quick briefing →

British Virgin Islands

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

In the BVI, mosquitoes are rare under sail, but at sheltered moorings like the Bight they can come aboard at night.

Quick briefing →

Croatia

Europe
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Evening mosquitoes on the Dalmatian coast but low disease risk; West Nile stays mostly inland around Zagreb, and dengue last appeared in 2010.

Quick briefing →

Egypt

Africa & Middle East
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

No malaria since WHO's 2024 certification, but dengue hit Red Sea resorts (Hurghada 2023, Sharm 2024); Nile evenings bring mosquitoes.

Quick briefing →

Finland

Europe
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Lapland's countryside mosquitoes swarm in late June and July, Helsinki is nearly bite-free, and archipelago ticks carry TBE.

Quick briefing →

Jamaica

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dengue below epidemic levels since 2024. Negril's sunset sand flies are the bigger complaint.

Read the briefing →

Netherlands

Europe
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Unscreened bedrooms on July nights are the main fight, but 2026 brought the first big West Nile season, centered on Rotterdam and Utrecht.

Read the briefing →

Spain

Europe
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Daytime tiger mosquitoes on the Costa Brava, Valencia and Mallorca; West Nile clusters around Seville; Aedes aegypti keeps reaching the Canaries.

Read the briefing →

St. Maarten / St. Martin

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

The French side reported a calm 2026 for dengue; the usual pests on both sides are beach sand flies at dawn and dusk.

Quick briefing →

Tahiti & French Polynesia

Oceania
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated year-round

No malaria; dengue is quiet in 2026 after the 2024-25 epidemic. Bring repellent for Moorea, the airports and Marquesas nonos.

Quick briefing →

The Bahamas

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Low disease risk. Out Island beaches in the Exumas and Eleuthera are no-see-um country on calm evenings.

Read the briefing →

Turks and Caicos Islands

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

The 2023–24 dengue outbreak is over. No-see-ums come out about an hour before sunset at Grace Bay.

Read the briefing →

Argentina

South America
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dengue can hit Buenos Aires and Iguazú in late summer, though 2025-26 was quiet; Iguazú needs yellow fever vaccine; Patagonia has January horseflies.

Travel-clinic note for some areas Quick briefing →

Aruba

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dry and windy, so mosquitoes are scarce. Expect the odd ankle bite at dawn or dusk on still days.

Read the briefing →

Bonaire

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Dry, windy Bonaire has few biting bugs; expect some around sundown at open-air restaurants and more after rain.

Quick briefing →

Cayman Islands

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

No dengue cases reported in 2026 so far. Salt-marsh mosquito swarms are a fall problem, small in winter.

Read the briefing →

Curaçao

Caribbean
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

Quiet in 2026 and kept in check by the trade winds; dawn and dusk sand flies on sheltered beaches.

Read the briefing →

Portugal

Europe
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

No local mosquito-borne disease on the mainland, but the day-biting tiger mosquito is spreading; Madeira has the dengue mosquito.

Read the briefing →

Singapore

Asia
Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional
Rated year-round

Dengue near multi-year lows, helped by Wolbachia mosquito releases, and no malaria; bring repellent for the Botanic Gardens and Sentosa trails.

Quick briefing →

New Zealand

Oceania
Disease risk NegligibleBite nuisance Annoying
Rated for Dec–Apr trips

No mosquito-borne disease, but Milford Sound and West Coast sandflies are legendary. Cover up and pack repellent for Dec–Apr trips.

Quick briefing →

Ireland

Europe
Disease risk NegligibleBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

The biter in Connemara and Kerry is the midge, not a mosquito; there is no mosquito-borne disease, but hillwalkers should check for ticks.

Read the briefing →

Japan

Asia
Disease risk NegligibleBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Summer brings day-biting tiger mosquitoes to Tokyo and Kyoto parks and shrines, but disease risk is minimal; JE matters only rurally.

Quick briefing →

United Kingdom

Europe
Disease risk NegligibleBite nuisance Noticeable
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

No mosquito-borne disease, but Highland midges swarm Skye and Glencoe on still summer days, and Highland ticks carry Lyme disease.

Quick briefing →

Bermuda

North America
Disease risk NegligibleBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

The CDC lists no dengue here (two cases in 2026, origin unstated); summer mosquitoes are light thanks to sea breezes, with bites on still August evenings.

Quick briefing →

Iceland

Europe
Disease risk NegligibleBite nuisance Occasional
Rated for Jun–Sep trips

Nearly bite-free, but Lake Mývatn's midge swarms (mostly non-biters) and the Laxá river's black flies (biters) peak in summer; first mosquitoes found in 2025.

Quick briefing →

How we rate a destination

Each score describes a typical trip to the main tourist areas in the season shown on the card: December–April for most Caribbean, Latin American and southern-hemisphere trips, June–September for Europe and Canada, and a year-round view for tropical destinations Americans visit in every month. Data as of October 2026. Disease risk follows CDC travel notices, PAHO and national surveillance data. Bite nuisance comes from what biting insects do in practice, informed by traveler reports. Where the CDC recommends malaria pills or a vaccine for part of a country, the briefing says so separately and names the areas.

Disease risk
  1. Negligible: no relevant local transmission
  2. Low: sporadic dengue, no current notice
  3. Moderate: dengue present year-round at normal levels
  4. Elevated: an active CDC Level 2 notice, clearly above-normal activity in tourist areas, or CDC malaria pills for commonly visited areas
  5. High: documented outbreaks of several diseases in the main tourist areas
Bite nuisance
  1. Hardly any bites
  2. Occasional
  3. Noticeable at dawn, dusk or in certain spots
  4. Annoying: repellent is essential at the beach or in the evening
  5. Notorious: can spoil beach time

This index summarizes public-health guidance and is not medical advice. For malaria prevention and vaccines, see a travel medicine clinic 4–6 weeks before departure.

See the best travel repellents →