On Ecuador's coast, the mosquito to plan around bites by day.

Are there mosquitoes in Guayaquil? Yes, and the one that matters is the day-biting dengue mosquito. The CDC lists no malaria for the city and only rare cases elsewhere on this coast, and it generally doesn't recommend the yellow fever vaccine. Dengue is having one of its worst years in Ecuador, and the coastal provinces of Manabí and Guayas lead it. Our Ecuador briefing covers the rest of the country.

Dengue by province

Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health counted 43,350 dengue cases and 45 deaths in 2026 through October 24, in its weekly gazette. That is 22.6% more than at the same point of 2025 and already more than 2025's full-year total of 37,840; among the years since 2017, only the 2024 record of 61,810 was higher. Three coastal provinces carry much of it, including 27 of the 45 deaths.

• Manabí (Manta, Puerto López): 12,388 cases, 715.64 per 100,000, the mainland's highest rate and second only to the Galápagos, and 11 deaths, 2 of them in Manta's Tarqui parish.
• Guayas (Guayaquil): 10,235 cases, 211.66 per 100,000, below the national 237.61, but the most severe cases of any province and 14 deaths, 6 of them in Guayaquil's Tarqui parish.
• Santa Elena (Montañita, Salinas): 1,234 cases, 300.61 per 100,000, and 2 deaths, both in Manglaralto, the rural parish that includes Montañita and Olón.

The ministry reports cases by province, not by city, so there is no separate count for Guayaquil itself. The dengue mosquito bites by day, so repellent goes on over sunscreen in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule.

What the CDC says for the coast

The CDC lists "No malaria transmission in the cities of Guayaquil or Quito (the capital)" and only "Rare cases" in Guayas, Santa Elena and Manabí, where it recommends "insect bite precautions and mosquito avoidance only." The ministry counted 3 malaria cases in Guayas in 2026 and none in the other two. Yellow fever vaccine is "generally not recommended" for this coast and "not recommended" for travel limited to Guayaquil. Separately, Ecuador requires proof of yellow fever vaccination from travelers aged 1 to 60 who spent more than 10 days in Colombia, Peru, Brazil or Bolivia.

City, mangroves and surf towns

In hot, humid Guayaquil the dengue mosquito is the biter, so the riverfront Malecón 2000 and the hillside bars of Las Peñas call for routine repellent. Across the river, the Isla Santay mangroves are the buggy spot, and cocoa-farm tours outside the city have a similar reputation, so cover your legs and go early. Santa Elena's surf towns, including Montañita and Olón, tend to be breezy and dry, which leaves hostel gardens and beach bars at dusk as the likeliest places for bites. Manta and Puerto López are dry, but Manabí's numbers show the dengue mosquito thriving in its towns. Choose an air-conditioned or well-screened room.

When to go

The coast has a hot, rainy season from about January to April or May and a cooler, overcast, drier one from about June to December. Dengue normally follows the rains, and Ecuador's 2025 peak came in mid-May, so June to November is usually the better half. 2026 broke the pattern, and Guayas and Manabí were each still adding more than 300 cases a week in late October. Humpback whales draw visitors to Puerto López and Isla de la Plata from about June to September, in the drier season.

Where you're going

Scores apply in any month.

Flying on to the islands? Our Galápagos briefing covers the island towns, which had Ecuador's highest dengue rate in 2026, and the Ecuadorian Amazon briefing covers the lodge leg that needs a travel clinic.

What travelers report

Paraphrased from TripAdvisor threads and reviews and linked so you can read them in full. None gives a year, and dengue on this coast changed a lot in 2026, so read them for where the bites are.

• Montañita

  Asked about malaria, yellow fever and dengue risk in Montañita, the only substantive reply called the risk minimal and left the rest to the traveler's own comfort level. TripAdvisor ↗

• Guayaquil

  In a thread on mosquitoes and Zika in Guayaquil, a poster said mosquitoes are mainly a concern in the rainy season, roughly December to April. TripAdvisor ↗

• Malecón 2000, Guayaquil

  A reviewer of the riverfront boardwalk found it safe, with families strolling, and reminded visitors not to forget mosquito repellent. TripAdvisor ↗

• Isla Santay, Guayaquil

  A visitor who walked to Isla Santay described many mosquitoes along the route. TripAdvisor ↗

One rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell the doctor you were on Ecuador's coast. Our guide to bites in a dengue zone covers the warning signs.

Traveler questions