As a tropical country, mosquitoes in Costa Rica are present year round almost throughout the entire country. So if you are visiting Costa Rica soon, you need to come prepared!
Here is what you need to know about mosquitoes in Costa Rica and we included a list of our recommended mosquito repellent.
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Mosquito Borne Diseases: Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya and Zika in Costa Rica
When it comes down to diseases from mosquitoes in Costa Rica, dengue is the one to be concerned about.
I know a lot of people freak out about malaria but malaria is not a major concern in Costa Rica as it is in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dengue: Dengue is a big concern in Costa Rica. In 2023, Costa Rica had around 28,000 documented cases of dengue which has been a huge increase the last few years. In 2024, there were over 30,000 cases.
There are 4 different types of this viral disease and is treatable for acute or mild cases. It is not very common for people to die of dengue although it can happen.
Malaria: Malaria is not common in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has done a great job fighting against malaria. 2023 had 540 cases, which was the worst year for malaria since the year 2000 and even still, it is way lower than dengue.
In 2024, it decreased to 232 cases. Malaria occurs in the extremely dense, undeveloped and rural rainforest of the deep Caribbean mountains bordering Panama and the upper Northern Lowlands bordering Nicaragua.
Chikungunya virus: Also present in Costa Rica and doesn’t have a vaccine or cure. It was found for the first time in the Americas in 2013, before it was only in Africa, Asia and Europe. Chikungunya is not that common in Costa Rica.
Zika: Zika has been around since the 1950’s mostly in Asia and Africa. Costa Rica does not have a high rate of concern for Zika.
Which Areas Have the Worst Mosquitoes in Costa Rica?
Although there are mosquitoes year round, mosquitoes are generally not found in higher elevations in Costa Rica, around 1600 meters and up (5249 feet).
They are prolific on the coasts, beaches and low elevation areas.
There are mosquitoes in beach towns like Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Samara, Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero, Jaco, Osa Peninsula, Uvita, Manuel Antonio, Santa Teresa, aka everywhere on the coasts.
Likewise, there are mosquitoes in La Fortuna, Sarapiqui, and the lower elevation rainforests.
However, there aren’t really mosquitoes in higher elevation places such as Monteverde, Vara Blanca, San Gerardo de Dota and Poasito as that’s about 1500 meters and above.
Mosquitoes are present almost all day and all night long as well. If you’re going out to dinner, I normally bring an extra sarong to wrap around my legs/
Worst Time of Year for Mosquitoes in Costa Rica
Mosquitoes are present all year long in Costa Rica. However, since mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, rainy season (May to end of November) is the worst time of year for mosquitoes.
Unfortunately streets in Costa Rica do not have good drainage and when it rains, drains get clogged and roads flood, allowing mosquitoes to breed prolifically.
For these reasons, you will need to bring or buy plenty of mosquito repellent for your trip to Costa Rica.
The Best Protection Against Mosquitoes
The best protection against mosquitoes in Costa Rica is to wear long sleeves and pants and to cover up.
That is the only surefire protection against mosquitoes.
However, it’s not ideal to be wearing long sleeves and pants in 90° F (32° C) tropical heat and near 90% daily humidity. So then you will need to apply mosquito repellent on exposed areas.
Best Insect Repellent Against Mosquitoes in Costa Rica
Here are the best products we tried ourselves.
We recommend bringing mosquito repellent for your trip because it is more expensive in Costa Rica.
Additionally, there aren’t a ton of options, especially if you prefer natural products or can only use specific ingredients and products.
Remember, what works for me, may not work for you. Mosquitoes have their own preferred flavor and when I first came to Costa Rica, I was the tasty treat of the year.
I try to use non-DEET products as much as possible but honestly for me, DEET works the best compared to other products, when I am not able to fully cover up.
Spray
I particular love a brand called Jungle Juice that is available at REI. I also like brand, Repel 100. It’s a little bottle but you don’t need much and it’s the perfect travel size. Whenever we go to the national parks or into the jungle for hiking, we always use this one and we don’t get bit at all.
Another one we like is Ben’s Max. This one contains around 30% DEET and works great. I could see the bugs hovering over my arm but never got bit!
Natural spray
For those who don’t want to use DEET, the Repel Natural is one of my favorite DEET free products but I do need to reapply about every half an hour or so. A couple of spritz does the trick each time.
Mosquito Repellent Wipes
Mosquito wipes are great for those who don’t like to use sprays. It is also very convenient to carry as they weigh practically nothing and aren’t considered a liquid (better for those traveling with a carry on). These are 30% DEET and lasts up to 10 hours.
We used these on our legs and arms and they worked well for us. They’re not my favorite product to use but they are super light to carry.
Insect Repelling Bands
These insect bands don’t contain DEET, it contains Geraniol, a plant based material that repels mosquitoes. These bands are for your wrists and feet and you can just leave it on.
They are water friendly and supposedly works up to 120 hours.
We put the bands on our ankles to test out how well it worked without any other product. It didn’t work for me at all, I got bit the first hour I had the bands on so I personally won’t be buying these again.
Mosquito repellent clothing
If you really want the ultimate protection against mosquitoes in Costa Rica, then covering up and wearing insect shield clothing is the best option.
Then apply repellent products to the areas that are not covered.
We have some pieces from Columbia, ExOfficio Bugs Away and a Buff Headwear with Insect shield that have worked great for us.
DEET Alternative
We tried a DEET alternative spray called Avon Skin so soft. It contains Picaridin which is still a synthetic chemical compound.
It’s much more pleasant smelling than DEET. It also works decently for me!
Another excellent insect repellent that doesn’t use DEET (it has 20% Picaridin, a non toxic ingredient) is Proven Insect Repellent.
Afterbite Itch Eraser
If you do get bit, you’ll want to put something on those bites especially if they swell.
The After bite eraser also works well and we found that it took away the itchiness pretty fast. You just dab a little bit on and let it do it’s magic.
Purchasing Mosquito Repellent in Costa Rica
If you have to buy mosquito repellent in Costa Rica, you can find them in all supermarkets.
Nowadays, natural products are getting more popular but something to note is that mosquito repellent is more expensive in Costa Rica with limited options.
If you can, bring it.
Another way to get non-DEET mosquito repellent is to go to a macrobiotica or organic store in Costa Rica.
Sometimes they will have more natural products like oils or natural sprays. Additionally, there may be some vendors at the farmer’s markets that have their own natural mosquito repellent.
I will say that after a couple years of living in Costa Rica, I rarely get bit by mosquitoes anymore. I guess my flavor is not that tasty anymore when they have a whole buffet to choose from.
Other Costa Rica Travel Tips
Need some tips on what to bring for Costa Rica? Check out our Costa Rica packing list.
Need some tips about sunscreen? Here are the best sunscreens for Costa Rica plus the different ones you can find here.
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Nancy says
We will be in Arenal and Tamarindo next week. Which location is likely to have more Mosquitos? And does the spray for clothing have a lingering scent is it really effective. Also do you know if the private transports between resorts are relatively safe.
Sammi says
Definitely Tamarindo since mosquitoes don’t generally live above elevations of 6,500 feet (2,000 meters), so the worse areas are at the beach and the jungle. There are still mosquitoes in Arenal but not as much. As for the spray, I didn’t notice a lingering scent and I think it works fairly well. Yes, private transports between resorts, if you mean private shuttles, are safe. If you take a taxi, take an official taxi
Misti says
We will be in Guanacaste and Arenal mid March. We are pale people so will be using sunscreen and bug spray. Our favorite sunscreen when not in salt water is Bullfrog Gel. Do you have any advice with mixing sunscreen and bug repellent?
Sammi says
I’ve never mixed them together, usually I’ll put on sunscreen first since we use lotion kind, rub it in completely and then spray with bug repellent. Seems like it works pretty well
Alfred says
Hi,
are there any good evaporators for the socket to keep a sleeping room mosquito free?
I thought about bringing one with me but here in Germany you only get it for 220V.
So I think it’s better to purchase them in Heredia.
But what and where?
Thanks
Alfred
yeison says
HI Alfred you can find something similar that works very well we call it “Plaquitas” this are little electric devices that you plug at night and they work very well, they cost from $7 to $10 USD.
Sandra F Clark says
Where are the Plaquitas sold?
Sammi says
You can find them at the supermarket
Nancy M says
Can these products be purchased in CR?
Sammi says
Majority of them, I am not sure about the bands or wipes, haven’t seen those but definitely the coils and basic mosquito repellent. Haven’t seen the Repel 100 either. It is really expensive here though, which is why I always recommend to bring it.
Rachel says
Thanks for writing this! We are going in July (I have been chatting with you and Yeison about hiking clothing and tours to Nicaragua) and I am a little nervous about dengue.
Do you put bug spray on every day? Or just days that you hike in the jungle?
If we wanted to use Repel 100, how many bottles would you buy for 2 people and 10 nights in Costa Rica?
Sammi says
Hey Rachel! I only put bug spray on whenever I go outside so even if I’m going for a walk or having dinner outside, I always put some on. They’re going to get a lot more intense now that it’s rainy season especially up here in Guanacaste (they reproduce in stagnant water which is common here). My advice is to always have a bottle with you, I can’t tell you how many times we ended up walking in the forest or somewhere and we were just attacked by those little buggers.
For the Repel 100, you can probably do fine with one bottle for two people since you’ll also be in Monteverde/Arenal and the mosquitoes aren’t bad there but there are still some other annoying bugs. However, mosquitoes are terrible in Guanacaste and Nicaragua so you can buy a 4 oz and a 1 oz extra just in case.
Rachel says
So would you still wear the bug spray in Monteverde and Arenal? It makes sense that it would be worse on Guanacaste. I think I need to stop reading about dengue, though, because it freaks me out too much!
Sammi says
I always wore long pants and jacket there but I wouldn’t worry too much about mosquitoes in those areas. I’ve never put on mosquito repellent there personally. But there are still other bugs so you can put some on for those just in case, and I don’t want you to tell you to not put it on and then you get bit by other insects haha.
Nancy Ellis says
Thanks, askmo. I don’t usually get bitten, not sweet enough I guess 8)
I will try the skin so soft first and also have deet as a backup just in case.
nancye says
Anyone have good results using Skin So Soft bath oil spray? I hate the idea of putting poison on my body!
Sammi says
I haven’t heard of that but when it comes to the natural products, I find it doesn’t product as good of results. So if you try it and it works well, let me know! I’d love to find something that isn’t pure DEET as well
Tutita says
Skin so Soft, Eucalyptus Oil, and Vinegar with a splash of water works good on animals. I’ve used it in my house, and have used it on my clothes.
yeison says
Wow thanks for tip, we might try it one day!
askmo says
Skin-so-soft as a mosquito repellent works great. I’ve been using it for more than 2 decades while hiking in the woods, and as an after-splash for showers in the summer-time to keep mosquitoes away. It’s repellent concept was introduced and heavily used among Military members decades ago, and has a higher safety and effectiveness rate because of the ‘oil’ vs. any other mosquito repellent that has aerosols and chemicals that can be more disruptive to the upper respiratory system. Hope this helps.
Sammi says
That is great to know! I’m always looking for something less chemical and better for the body. I’ll have to try it out, thanks!
Tutita says
we use it on our farm for the horses; repels flies, especially the biting kind…. if you know anyone with horses, tell em to spray it on the horses tail and belly, top of the fly mask around the ear holes, and on the horses hooves to keep bot flies from laying eggs in their hoofs. I use equal parts of skin so soft large bottle, with white vinegar, equal parts of eucalyptus oil and water (about 2 tbsp.) .
Jess Meddows says
Glad you re-shared this one on email! We’re moving to Thailand in mid October, and I’ve been wondering what was the best stuff to use. Like Costa Rica, I’ve been told that Chiang Mai (where we’re going), it’s not so much about malaria as it is about dengue fever.
Sammi says
Oh I can imagine they have a ton of mosquitoes too! No matter what it’s always important to protect yourself. I’m not sure about chiang mai but October is the rainiest month in Costa Rica and the mosquitoes are the worst during that time. Stay safe and have fun in Thailand! That’s so exciting!
Andy says
I am also a big target too mosquitos and I don’t eat that much Asian food. Maybe we just have sweet blood? Who knows, but we have tons of mosquitos here in Louisiana. I even have one of those electric tennis rackets hanging in my kitchen. They can be quite fun to play with at times.
Sammi says
The rackets can be more than bug killers but entertainment and mild exercise as well. Pretty funny! I can imagine Louisiana has a good chunk of mosquitoes, annoying things are everywhere!
Thomas says
The only ones I have used are the OFF spray/candles and some coils but I dont know what brand. The key is not having on scents I think. Whenever I am outside and have cologne on its like they send out a search party. Never even knew they made repellent clothing. Thats not a swatter its a tennis racquet! lol
Sammi says
The swatter is called “The Executioner” Isn’t that awesome? You can get more bugs because of the bigger surface area. The repellent clothing is pretty nifty and it doesn’t cost that much more than a regular hiking shirt (depends on the brand). I get bit even if I go outside and I just showered, I’m a magnet for those guys!