Are there mosquitoes in Monaco? Yes, tiger mosquitoes that bite in daylight.

Yes. The Asian tiger mosquito, a daytime biter, lives in Monaco as it does along the whole Riviera. It was first detected in mainland France in 2004 in the Alpes-Maritimes, the department that surrounds Monaco, according to Santé publique France, the national public health agency. No locally acquired dengue, chikungunya or Zika has been reported inside the principality, and a daytime repellent habit covers a summer visit.

No local cases inside Monaco

Monaco isn't covered by French or EU surveillance reports, so the Alpes-Maritimes figures are the best guide. Europe's largest local chikungunya outbreak, in 2025, centered on the Riviera west of Monaco. Santé publique France's final report counted 209 locally acquired cases in the Alpes-Maritimes, including 144 in Antibes and 23 in Nice, and listed no cluster in the French towns right around Monaco. In 2026 the department had no local chikungunya or dengue as of October 26. The nearest clusters were farther west in the Var, with 32 chikungunya cases in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, 2 in Saint-Raphaël and 1 in Grimaud.

Dengue comes in smaller clusters. In 2024 the Alpes-Maritimes had 17 local cases in three clusters, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control counted, with 14 in Vallauris and 2 in La Colle-sur-Loup. The third was a single case, with onset on August 6, that Santé publique France lists as "Menton (ou Monaco)", so it may have been acquired in Menton or in Monaco. The department had no local dengue in 2025 or 2026.

Gardens and terraces, by day

Monaco is dense and largely paved, and its government runs mosquito surveillance, Monaco press has reported. Bites tend to come in gardens, on planted terraces and balconies and at shaded café tables, with peaks in the morning and late afternoon. Put repellent on over sunscreen before a garden visit, a terrace lunch or a walk up to the Rock, and reapply after a swim at Larvotto, since sea water shortens any repellent's protection time. At night, choose a room with air conditioning and keep the windows closed.

Santé publique France puts the tiger mosquito's active season in mainland France at May to November. June has the fewest local cases on the Riviera. From July into September the bites are routine, and that is when nearby clusters appear. In 2025 the Antibes cases began on July 9, and Nice's cluster ran from late August to mid-October.

Where you're going

Staying on along the coast? Our French Riviera briefing goes town by town from Nice to Saint-Tropez, and the France briefing covers the rest of the country.

One rule outlasts the trip. A fever during the trip or within two weeks after it, especially with severe joint pain or a rash, means a doctor visit, and you tell the doctor you were in Monaco and on the Riviera, where local chikungunya and dengue clusters occur.

Traveler questions