Are there mosquitoes in Bora Bora? Over the lagoon, hardly any.

Yes, but mostly on land. Overwater bungalows at resorts that spray are about as quiet as it gets, while the airport motu, beach gardens at dusk and the main island around Vaitape have more mosquitoes. Dengue has been quiet in 2026, and there is no malaria.

A quiet dengue year

French Polynesia's last dengue epidemic was declared for Tahiti and Moorea in October 2024, reached the Leeward Islands, Bora Bora among them, by early 2025, peaked in April 2025 and ended that November, according to the territory's health bulletins. 2026 has been calm. The World Health Organization counted 38 confirmed cases across the whole territory in 2026 as of October 4, with none from September 28 to October 4 and no new dengue-like illness reported. There is no CDC travel notice, and French Polynesia isn't on the CDC's global dengue list.

Dengue comes back in epidemics, so the routine stays. Aedes mosquitoes bite in daylight, with peaks after sunrise and in the late afternoon, and they breed in the standing water rain leaves behind, so repellent goes on over sunscreen before land excursions and again after swimming. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule. The CDC also lists Zika for French Polynesia, so if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk to a healthcare provider first.

Lagoon, motu and main island

The bite picture splits by where you are standing: over the lagoon, on a motu (one of the islets around it) or on the main island. Over the water, the breeze and resort spraying keep overwater bungalows close to bite-free. Beach bungalows and gardens on the same motu tend to see more mosquitoes, especially at dusk and after rain.

The airport is the first place to have repellent ready. Motu Mute, the airport islet, has a reputation as a mosquito spot, so put repellent on before you land or while you wait for the resort boat. The main island is where people live, around Vaitape and down to Matira, and the day-biting Aedes tends to find more garden water and containers to breed in there. A 4x4 tour up toward Mount Otemanu or a hike adds inland exposure, so reapply before you set off.

On the sand, small biting flies tend to go for ankles and lower legs, mostly in the wet season. "Nono" is the local name for the biting midge and black fly documented in the Marquesas; which insect bites on Bora Bora's beaches is less clear, and repellent on the lower legs handles either. Our Tahiti & French Polynesia briefing covers the Marquesas' nonos and the other islands.

May to October, the cooler and drier months, tends to be the easier time to go. The warm, wet months, roughly November to April, tend to bring more rain and mosquitoes, and the 2024–25 epidemic peaked in April.

Where you're staying

What travelers report

Paraphrased from TripAdvisor threads and linked so you can read them in full. Only one is dated, and rain, wind and where you stay change the picture.

• Bora Bora and Tahaa · late February · 2024

  In a 2024 thread asking for a mosquito update, one reply said mosquitoes were not an issue on Bora Bora in late February, while another 2024 reply from Tahaa reported bugs and mosquitoes. TripAdvisor ↗

• Bora Bora overwater bungalows

  Guests reported no mosquitoes around an overwater bungalow, which one credited to the steady breeze, and a few at a beach bungalow but none over the water. Replies said many resorts spray and described nonos as tiny biting flies that target legs and ankles, mostly in the rainy season. TripAdvisor ↗

One rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell the doctor you were in French Polynesia, especially if it comes with rash, headache or body aches.

Traveler questions