Varadero's resorts see more midges than mosquitoes. Cuba's surge still sets the routine.

Are there mosquitoes in Varadero? Few at the resorts in the cooler months, and the bites guests mention most come from beach midges at dusk and in the early morning. The reason for care is the disease picture. Cuba is in a dengue surge in 2026, and the chikungunya epidemic that swept the island began in Matanzas, Varadero's province, in July 2025.

Where Cuba's chikungunya epidemic began

A report in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal traced the start to a rise in fever cases reported on July 16, 2025, in Perico municipality, Matanzas province, where all 15 samples collected a week later tested positive for chikungunya. PAHO counted 51,217 suspected cases and 46 deaths in Cuba in 2025, and 2,716 more cases in 2026 through late June. It describes high transmission in all of Cuba's provinces.

Provincial figures aren't published. Cuban media reported chikungunya and dengue spreading across Matanzas province in late 2025, with regular fumigation in the Varadero resort zone and less in the nearby mainland towns. In late September 2026 the health ministry named Pinar del Río, Sancti Spíritus, Villa Clara and several Havana districts, not Matanzas, as the highest chikungunya areas.

Dengue is the national story this year. As of October 7, 2026, the CDC puts Cuba in its high-transmission category, and Cuba is named on its Level 1 global dengue notice. The official figures Cuba sent to PAHO run only to late June: 1,746 suspected cases, rising since mid-April. Oropouche, spread mainly by biting midges, also reached Matanzas in 2025, PAHO reports.

The CDC's Cuba page says, "All travelers should take steps to prevent mosquito bites. Chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended." It has no malaria section. It now also lists New World screwworm, a fly whose larvae infest wounds, so keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered.

Midges on the beach, mosquitoes off the strip

On the Hicacos Peninsula, the recurring complaint from resort guests is biting midges more than mosquitoes, with welts that show up days later. Midges are weak fliers, so they bite at dusk and in the early morning on calm days, mostly on the ankles and lower legs. Spray feet, ankles and calves before sunset and before an early beach walk, wear light trousers to beachside dinners, and leave the sand by late afternoon on still days. Our sand fly guide explains the insect.

The dengue mosquito bites by day, so repellent goes on over sunscreen in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Window screens are uncommon in Cuba, so a casa particular in Varadero town, Cárdenas or Matanzas depends on air-conditioning and closed windows, and power cuts are the weak point. In the October 2024 nationwide grid collapse, some Varadero hotels kept running on generators while others went dark, and air-conditioning failures were reported in tourist areas. If an outage forces the windows open in a room without screens, a compact bed net is the backup that keeps working.

On a day trip to Matanzas, Cárdenas or Havana, reapply at midday, since those towns get less fumigation than the resort zone. Our Havana and Cuba briefings cover the capital, family stays and the rest of the island.

Where you're going

Scores are for a December–April trip.

What travelers report

Paraphrased from TripAdvisor reviews and threads and linked so you can read them in full. Only one is dated, to 2022, and the beach midges vary with the wind on the day.

• Iberostar Selection Varadero · January (review posted) · 2022

  A guest rated the resort highly but said biting midges were the main drawback: the bites were hard to trace and welts showed up days later. They advised packing repellent and an anti-itch cream; AfterBite did nothing for them, but Polysporin Itch Relief worked. TripAdvisor ↗

• Varadero beach · dusk and early morning

  A traveler asked how to handle painful welts from sand fleas or no-see-ums. Replies recommended a strong DEET spray (one named a 30% product) before dusk and early in the morning, staying off the beach from late afternoon to mid-morning, and oily skin products such as baby oil. TripAdvisor ↗

• Varadero (Club Amigo and other resorts) · February

  In a thread about February mosquitoes, a guest at Club Amigo Varadero in early February saw none at all, while a visitor in late February was badly bitten and advised staying indoors around dusk (6 to 7 pm). A reply said repellent might be needed less for mosquitoes than for the sand flies. TripAdvisor ↗

Two rules outlast the trip. Any fever, rash or joint pain during or after the trip means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were in Cuba. And if you live in Florida, keep using repellent for three weeks after you get home, so a local mosquito can't pick up a virus from you and pass it on.

Traveler questions