Boracay is outside CDC's malaria areas. Its dengue is running above last year.

Yes, though Boracay's bites are milder than Palawan's. Mosquitoes and a few sand flies come out at dusk under White Beach's palm line, and the day-biting dengue mosquito is the one with a health story. Aklan province's 2026 count is running above last year, and the CDC lists no malaria here.

Aklan's dengue year

Boracay belongs to Malay municipality in Aklan province, and Aklan is bucking the regional trend. Regional health data presented at a task force meeting on September 25 put Aklan at about 1,100 dengue cases from early January to about September 12, 2026, more than 40% above the same period of 2025, while Western Visayas as a whole was down by about 40%, the Daily Guardian reported. Manoc-Manoc, the residential barangay behind Station 3, was one of two named hotspots. Aklan's count had stood at about 140 in mid-April, Panay News reported, so most of this year's cases came with the rains.

Nationally, the health department counted about 41% fewer cases from January to August 2026 than a year earlier, and the Philippines has no CDC travel notice and isn't on CDC's global dengue list. The Aedes mosquito bites by day, with peaks after sunrise and before sunset, around resort gardens and in the inland lanes of Manoc-Manoc and Balabag. Put repellent on over sunscreen in the morning, again after swims and before sunset, and choose an air-conditioned or screened room. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule.

Malaria is simpler here. The CDC recommends prevention medicine only for the "Province of Palawan and the Mindanao Island group," and Aklan isn't among them. CDC also says "There is elevated chikungunya risk in the Philippines" and that the vaccine may be considered for stays of about six months or more. It suggests considering Japanese encephalitis vaccine for shorter trips with rural visits, hiking, camping or unscreened nights.

White Beach at dusk

White Beach is a long, open strip, and the breeze keeps daytime bites down. The complaints concentrate at dusk under the palm line, in garden bars and on sheltered stretches, and sand flies tend to be patchy. Treat ankles and feet before sunset, sit on a lounger or mat instead of the sand, and leave bites alone. Island-hopping boats are breezy on the water, and the cove and beach stops are where you're likelier to meet biters, so reapply after each swim.

When to go

Boracay's main season runs roughly November to May under the northeast amihan winds, when White Beach is calm. The southwest habagat monsoon brings rain from about June to October. January to May tends to be the easier stretch for bites, though the 2025 national dengue wave peaked in January and February, and July to October is the hardest. Aklan's 2026 count followed that pattern, climbing through the rainy months.

Where you're going

Adding El Nido or Coron? The CDC's malaria listing covers all of Palawan, and the Palawan briefing has the details. The Philippines briefing covers Manila, Cebu, Bohol and Siargao.

What travelers report

Paraphrased from two old Boracay forum threads and linked so you can read them in full. Neither is dated and both are years old, so read them for where and when bites happen and use the figures above for this year.

• Boracay

  In a thread about night temperatures and insects, posters called mosquitoes and sand flies a manageable nuisance, said sand flies are a problem only in some small areas, advised repellent especially at dusk and noted that repellent is easy to buy on the island. TripAdvisor ↗

• Boracay

  Asked about sand flies and mosquitoes, one reply described being bitten around the ankles and feet and finding citronella oil helpful. TripAdvisor ↗

Any fever during or within two weeks after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were on Boracay, in the Philippines. Bitten and worried? Bitten in a dengue zone has the 14-day calendar.

Traveler questions