Melissajoy

My husband and 2 daughters (18 and 19 years old) want to take a family trip to costa Rica with me. I am researching this trip and trying to decide whether or not I can handle it...

Are there places on the Pacific coast side of Costa Rica which don't have mosquitoes in June? I am worried about dengue fever.

I can't find info this specific on-line, though I have been looking. Mostly I find general lists of things you can catch in Costa Rica, including malaria, cholera, and dengue fever. Wish I could narrow it down to which destinations in costa Rica are the safest health-wise.

tully

Liberia & Limon (Atlantic side) have been the hardest hit in years past, but even thenn, CR has the lowest rate inC America.

I was in Manuel Antonio in June of this year. I never got bit or even saw mosquitos. There were some biting ants that I foolishly stood on top of & some no-see-ums down by the beach, but that was it. I actually expected the worst and got the best. Over a million people visit CR every year & come home safely every year; wear your bug spray and don't let it worry you.

Iza

We stayed at Florblanca in Malpais/Santa Teresa last year in August and this was one place in CR where I can truly say we had no mosquitos. I am normally a mosquito magnet but there we stayed at an open air villa with no screens and I got one bite in 4 days. We then travelled to Tamarindo and Nosara and there were plenty of mosquitos there (and reports of dengue as well). But with spray, we were fine and had very limited bites.

We also did not encounter mosquitos in Arenal and Central Valley.

maryanne1

No mosquitos in Arenal or Manuel Antonio when we were there in Sept. Had our room sprayed for some ants in Costa Verde. We also found no moquitos in San Jose.

muffin_eater

Oh quit it already, Melissa. You can't prevent dengue fever from an online bulletin board. You sound like a Jewish grandmother. Just go and be happy. Are you going to also worry about the other 1,273 health risks along the way? What about lighting strikes?

Melissajoy

Muffin_eater, yes, I worry about everything all the time! I've tried everything for this debilitating level of anxiety...therapy, prescription drugs, prayer...You know what I've found is actually working, and I'm finally making some good progress? Expressing my travel fears on line and having real travellers give me a new perspective! That's been the best cure I've found so far!

Because of some very supportive on-line travellers, I was able to move from being someone who was totaly phobic about travel fears, didn't go anywhere for several years...then I started being afraid to go to shopping malls because they might be terrorist targets! Then I knew I had better shape up and find a cure.

Talking out these fears and getting perspetives and advice from real travellers has made a big difference in my life and in the lives of my family, who are delighted to travel.

For the first time in my life not only am I travelling more, I am planning the trips!

I know some people will think my question is silly. But I am actually terrified to go south of Tijuana. If I do it right for me, not only might I be able to go to costa rica, I might be able to add more new places onto my "can-do" list.

But really, when you have as many fears as I do, it helps to try to minimize the stress factors that you will encounter. I have a fear of flying, fear of heights, claustrophobia, fear of catching diseases (germophobia)...Can anyone relate to this? I suspect that most people with this many fears just stay at home!!!

Thank you, fodors travellers, for expanding my horizons! My family thanks you too.

Melissajoy

Sounds like I can add Arenal and Manuel Antonio to my "low risk of mosquitoes" list. And those are 2 of the places on our wish list to see in Costa Rica.

Thanks Maryanne 1, tully, and Iza. Iza, I'm not yet familiar with the other places you mentioned but I will research them. I still have a lot of research to do. Have been researching on-line.

shillmac

Melissa,
I can identify to some extent. I have had a fear of flying for years. You know what's cured it? Going to Costa Rica. I love it there so much that I risk death happily to get there! Perhaps a little visit might cure some of your anxieties as well!

miguelgcuadra

Rain brings mosquitos , be aware rainy season in Central America is from late May thru mid October.
If you caught dengue and take care of yourself, it does not kill you...you do not see people in central america falling death like flies

Jenniferjen

Hi there Melissa, like you I am an anxiety-ridden traveler so I hope this post can give you some peace of mind. Although I can't speak for the situation in June, I spent 10 days in Costa Rica in late March (which I know is the dry season but we did experience some rain) and I didn't get a single mosquito bite the entire time, including 3 days on the beach in Santa Theresa/Mal Pais or in the rain and cloud forests of Arenal and Monteverde. I did use bug spray on occasion but my boyfriend didn't and he didn't get bitten either. Maybe we just got lucky, but that was our experience.
I would however recommend that you skip the skywalks if you are really afraid of heights. My boyfriend is totally height phobic and even though he bit the bullet and went with me on the Monteverde skywalk, he was the most miserable I have ever seen him and could not enjoy himself at all. Although I thought it was spectacular, those bridges are really high and may not be the best place to try and cure yourself!
Anyway, I hope you have a great time if you decide to go - just try to put those worries to the back of your mind and once you're there I think you will really love it. Good Luck!