Are there mosquitoes in Moorea? More than on Bora Bora, mostly inland.

Yes, more than on Bora Bora, and mostly inland. Moorea's forest trails, the north and east coasts and Temae Beach in the late afternoon are where bites happen, while overwater bungalows stay calm. Dengue has been quiet in 2026, and there is no malaria. Our Tahiti & French Polynesia briefing covers the other islands.

A quiet dengue year

The territory's health bulletins report dengue by archipelago, and Moorea is counted with Tahiti in the Windward Islands, so there are no Moorea-only figures. The last epidemic was declared in October 2024 for Tahiti and Moorea specifically, peaked in April 2025 and ended that November. 2026 has been calm. The World Health Organization counted 38 confirmed cases across all of French Polynesia in 2026 as of October 4, with none from September 28 to October 4 and no new dengue-like illness. French Polynesia isn't on the CDC's global dengue list.

Zika has a history here too. After French Polynesia's 2013–14 outbreak, a 2014 blood survey that sampled Tahiti and Moorea among other islands found antibodies, a sign of past infection, in 49% of the general population. The outbreak gave the first description of severe neurological complications in adults and, looking back, of brain malformations in newborns. The CDC still lists Zika for French Polynesia, so if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk to a healthcare provider first.

Trails, coasts and Temae

Two day-biting mosquitoes do most of the biting. Aedes aegypti is the main dengue and Zika carrier, and Aedes polynesiensis carries filariasis and, to a lesser degree, the same viruses. In a study on Tahiti and Moorea, 98% of people tested had antibodies to Ae. aegypti saliva, a marker of being bitten. When researchers counted biting mosquitoes at nine spots around Moorea in 2003 and 2004, Ae. aegypti rates were significantly higher on the north coast, and they named the north and east, where the seaports, the airport and most visitors are, as the priority areas.

Inland is buggier still. The Belvedere Lookout and the forest trails above the Opunohu Valley have a reputation for mosquitoes, and travelers report more of them in Moorea's mountains than on Bora Bora. Put repellent on over sunscreen before the drive or hike, wear closed shoes and light long pants on the trails, and reapply after swimming. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule.

On the sand, Temae Beach, next to the airport, has small biters that tend to come out in the late afternoon. Which insect they are is unconfirmed. "Nono" is the local name for a biting midge and a black fly documented in the Marquesas, and our guide to no-see-ums explains how midges behave. Spray feet, ankles and calves before beach time.

Moorea also has a long history with lymphatic filariasis. A 2025 study found transmission persisting in the Leeward Islands, the southern Marquesas and the Gambier, and the Windward Islands, which include Moorea, weren't on that list.

When to go

May to October, the cooler and drier months, tends to be the easier time to go, and January to April the hardest. On Moorea, biting rates of both Aedes species tended to rise from September through the late wet season in the 2003–04 study, though rain in every month keeps them going all year.

Where you're going

Taking the ferry back to Papeete or flying on to the Leeward Islands? Our Bora Bora briefing covers the overwater bungalows and the airport motu.

What travelers report

Paraphrased from TripAdvisor threads and linked so you can read them in full. One is from 2013 and the other is undated and looks older, so use the figures above for this year's dengue picture.

• Tahiti and Moorea · 2013

  A French Polynesia forum thread titled 'Bring Bugspray! Dengue on Tahiti and Moorea' passed on a local health warning about a dengue outbreak on Tahiti and Moorea. TripAdvisor ↗

• Temae Beach, Moorea

  Posters in a thread about no-no flies on Temae Beach said the biters show up around 4 pm and are worst in the late afternoon just before sunset, while one visitor at 3 pm had no trouble. They recommended a DEET repellent, saying lower-strength products did not work there, and described bites that start tiny and become itchy welts if scratched. They were unsure whether the culprits were true nonos, sand fleas or gnats, and one said they occur at Temae and some other islands but not everywhere. 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