Best islands to visit in May
The best islands for a beach trip in May are usually Cuba's Cays (A-), Florida Keys (A-) and Varadero & Havana (A-). In the Caribbean, Cuba's Cays grades best. The warmest water is around Haiti (85°F).
Other months
Islands in May, ranked
A typical May on each island (median resort). Click a column to sort.
| Island | Typical day | Area | High | Water | Rain chance | Seaweed | Crowds | Storm risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuba's Cays | A- | Caribbean | 83°F | 84°F | 47% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Florida Keys | A- | Florida | 82°F | 84°F | 33% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Varadero & Havana | A- | Caribbean | 88°F | 83°F | 52% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| The Bahamas | A- | Caribbean | 83°F | 82°F | 52% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Turks & Caicos | A- | Caribbean | 82°F | 82°F | 44% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The BVI | A- | Caribbean | 81°F | 83°F | 37% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The Leeward Islands | A- | Caribbean | 82°F | 83°F | 33% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| Barbados | A- | Caribbean | 87°F | 83°F | 37% | Low | Moderate | Very low |
| The US Virgin Islands | A- | Caribbean | 82°F | 83°F | 39% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao | A- | Caribbean | 86°F | 82°F | 30% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Cayman Islands | A- | Caribbean | 87°F | 84°F | 65% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The Big Island | A- | Hawaii | 80°F | 79°F | 65% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Maui | A- | Hawaii | 82°F | 79°F | 69% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Puerto Rico | A- | Caribbean | 86°F | 83°F | 58% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Oʻahu | B+ | Hawaii | 81°F | 78°F | 62% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Roatán & the Bay Islands | B+ | Caribbean | 84°F | 83°F | 11% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenada | B+ | Caribbean | 85°F | 83°F | 43% | Moderate | Busy | Very low |
| Guadeloupe & Martinique | B+ | Caribbean | 87°F | 83°F | 53% | Moderate | Moderate | Very low |
| The Corn Islands | B+ | Caribbean | 84°F | 85°F | 61% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| San Andrés | B+ | Caribbean | 83°F | 84°F | 53% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Trinidad & Tobago | B+ | Caribbean | 86°F | 83°F | 56% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Cozumel | B | Caribbean | 88°F | 84°F | 44% | Moderate | Busy | Very low |
| Kauaʻi | B- | Hawaii | 78°F | 78°F | 92% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Jamaica | B- | Caribbean | 88°F | 84°F | 70% | Moderate | Busy | Very low |
| Santo Domingo's coast | B- | Caribbean | 85°F | 83°F | 60% | High | Busy | Very low |
| The Dominican North Coast | B- | Caribbean | 85°F | 82°F | 58% | High | Busy | Very low |
| Holguín | C+ | Caribbean | 86°F | 81°F | 56% | Unclear | Moderate | Very low |
| Punta Cana | C | Caribbean | 85°F | 82°F | 67% | High | Busy | Very low |
| Haiti | C | Caribbean | 89°F | 85°F | 55% | High | Busy | Very low |
Questions
- What are the best islands to visit in May?
- The best islands for a beach trip in May are usually Cuba's Cays (A-), Florida Keys (A-) and Varadero & Havana (A-). In the Caribbean, Cuba's Cays grades best. The warmest water is around Haiti (85°F).
- What is the best Caribbean island to visit in May?
- Cuba's Cays usually grades A- in May, with highs near 83°F and a 47% chance of rain on a given day. Varadero & Havana (A-) and the Bahamas (A-) come next.
- Is May hurricane season in the Caribbean?
- No. May is outside the June-to-November hurricane season.
More
- Where to go in May: every beach destination, plus skiing
- Spring break: where the beaches are best in March and April
- Compare dates and beaches on the map
Typical-month numbers from Veabird's year-ahead outlook (median resort on each island): ERA5 climate normals, holiday crowd calendars, historical storm tracks and the typical seaweed season.