Anguilla's trade winds keep most bites down. Calm evenings belong to the no-see-ums.
Dengue turns up on Anguilla only sporadically, and there are no recent published figures. The bites visitors notice come from no-see-ums on the sand at dawn and dusk and from mosquitoes for a few days after rain.
Some, and on most winter days the trade winds keep them down. The bites visitors notice come mainly from no-see-ums on the sand at dawn and dusk, worst on calm evenings, and from mosquitoes for a few days after rain. The CDC lists dengue and Zika for Anguilla, with no malaria and no travel notice, though recent case figures are scarce.
Dengue is present, sporadic and thinly reported
The CDC's Anguilla page lists dengue and Zika, both spread by mosquito bites. Anguilla has no CDC travel notice and isn't on the CDC's global dengue list. The newest local figure is from August 2024, when the Ministry of Health said dengue was being detected sporadically, with at least eight cases since the start of the year, the local press reported. There are no published figures for 2025 or 2026. For the Caribbean as a whole, the Pan American Health Organization reported 2026 dengue running 64% below the same point in 2025 as of late September.
Anguilla had a sizable chikungunya outbreak in 2014, when the virus swept the Caribbean, and PAHO reported the island's first locally acquired Zika case in 2016. Neither has current activity reported. The CDC has no chikungunya vaccine entry for Anguilla.
The dengue mosquito bites by day, with peaks after sunrise and in the late afternoon, and on Anguilla mosquitoes show up mostly after rain. In a dry, breezy spell, repellent for sunrise walks and beachfront dinners handles most bites. For a few days after a downpour, wear it in the daytime too. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule.
No-see-ums on calm evenings
No-see-ums, the tiny biting midges often called sand flies, live in the sand and grass and go for ankles and lower legs at dawn and dusk. Visitors often rate them worse than the mosquitoes at those hours. They're weak fliers, so a steady trade wind grounds them and a still evening lets them out. Spray feet, ankles and calves before a sunrise walk or a beachfront dinner, and wear light long pants for a table on the sand. Our Barbados sand fly guide explains the insect in detail.
Mosquitoes follow rain and still air. December to April is the drier season, so they're usually fewer, and rooms that catch the trade winds or have air conditioning help. At a villa, they tend to find you in a sheltered garden or on a still terrace more than on a breezy beachfront, so ask about screens and close the doors before dusk. After walks through brush or near goats and other livestock, check for ticks, since the CDC lists African tick-bite fever for Anguilla.
Where you're going
Here is how the main beaches compare for a December–April trip.
Meads Bay
The main west-end hotel beach. Like Anguilla's other sandy beaches, it's where no-see-ums tend to bite at dawn and dusk, so treat your ankles before a sunrise walk or a sunset drink.
Shoal Bay East
A beach-bar and day-trip beach. A midday visit misses the no-see-um hours, and daytime repellent covers the dengue mosquito, especially after rain.
Rendezvous Bay & the Blowing Point ferry
The south-coast beach beside Blowing Point, where the ferry from St. Martin docks. Day-trippers face the same low disease risk as the rest of the island, and a small bottle of repellent covers the crossing and the beach.
Maundays Bay & Cap Juluca
A resort beach that tends to catch the trade winds, which keep mosquitoes down. The bites people mention here tend to come from no-see-ums in the sand and grass.
Coming over on the ferry from St. Maarten / St. Martin? Our St. Maarten briefing covers that island, and our St. Barts briefing covers the next stop if you're island-hopping.
The Anguilla kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless at a beachfront dinner, layers over sunscreen and fits the ferry-day bag. One 3.4 oz bottle covers about a week of daily use for one person.
- A full-size backup in the checked bag for a villa week or a family. Ankles at dawn and dusk plus daytime use after rain go through a small bottle quickly.
- Light long pants or socks for sunset on the sand. No-see-ums go for the skin you leave out at ankle height.
What travelers report
Paraphrased from TripAdvisor forum threads and linked so you can read them in full. None is dated, and visitors' experiences vary widely with the wind and recent rain.
- Cap Juluca ('CJ'), Maundays Bay
Asked whether CJ has a bad mosquito reputation, a guest who had stayed more than 15 times said they never had a problem, with the shuttered doors open all day and the trade winds blowing through. Another reply said the real problem is no-see-ums in the sand and grass and suggested a roll-on repellent on the ankles. TripAdvisor ↗
- Anguilla (general) · November, December, May, July
Replies to a question about a 'mosquito season' disagreed: some visitors reported constant bites in months including November, December, May and July, while others saw almost none, especially with a steady breeze. One poster concluded that recent wind and rain matter more than the time of year. TripAdvisor ↗
- Anguilla beaches · dawn and dusk
Posters suggested antihistamine tablets, Benadryl cream or a very hot washcloth on each bite for the itch, and said no-see-ums are often worse than mosquitoes at dawn and dusk. TripAdvisor ↗
Two last notes. The CDC lists Zika for Anguilla, so if you're pregnant, review the CDC's Zika guidance with a healthcare provider before you go. And any fever during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were on Anguilla. Dengue usually shows up within two weeks of the bite.
Traveler questions
Is there dengue on Anguilla right now?
It's present at low, sporadic levels, and recent figures are scarce. The latest local count is from August 2024, when the Ministry of Health said at least eight cases had been detected since January, the local press reported. No figures have been published for 2025 or 2026. There is no CDC travel notice, and the Pan American Health Organization reported Caribbean dengue in 2026 running well below 2025. The mosquito that spreads dengue bites by day, so wear repellent in the daytime after rain as well as at the edges of the day.
Is there a mosquito season on Anguilla?
Not one with clear months. Recent wind and rain matter more than the calendar. December to April is the drier high season, so breezy days bring few mosquitoes, and the few days after a downpour bring more. No-see-ums bite in sand and grass at dawn and dusk in any month, most on calm evenings.
Do I need malaria pills or a yellow fever vaccine for Anguilla?
The CDC recommends neither. It lists no malaria for Anguilla and recommends no malaria medicine, it does not recommend the yellow fever vaccine, and Anguilla doesn't require one for entry.
Do I need repellent for a ferry day trip from St. Maarten?
A small bottle covers it. A daytime trip misses most of the dawn and dusk no-see-um hours, and the disease risk is the same low level as on the rest of the island. Put repellent on before you set out if it has rained, and reapply after a swim. Our St. Maarten briefing covers the other end of the crossing.
Sources
Health authorities, surveillance reports and news coverage of official bulletins used for this briefing, last checked October 2026. Traveler reports are linked where they appear. This page summarizes public-health guidance and is not medical advice.