Where to go in May
For a beach trip in May, the best-graded destinations are usually Puerto Vallarta (A), Los Cabos (A) and Maui (A). The warmest water is around Guatemala's Caribbean coast (88°F) and the driest weather in Los Cabos (0% rain chance). For skiing, Alta, Snowbird and Brighton usually get the most snow in May.
Other months
Beach destinations in May, ranked
A typical May at each destination (median resort). Click a column to sort.
| Destination | Typical day | Area | High | Water | Rain chance | Seaweed | Crowds | Storm risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Vallarta | A | Mexico | 88°F | 79°F | 6% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Los Cabos | A | Mexico | 89°F | 75°F | 0% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Maui | A | Hawaii | 85°F | 77°F | 12% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Oʻahu | A | Hawaii | 84°F | 77°F | 15% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Huatulco | A | Mexico | 91°F | 84°F | 16% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Southwest Florida | A | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 87°F | 85°F | 45% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| The Big Island | A | Hawaii | 83°F | 77°F | 20% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Kauaʻi | A | Hawaii | 82°F | 77°F | 25% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Cuba's Cays | A- | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 84°F | 47% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Florida Keys | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 82°F | 84°F | 36% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Tampa Bay | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 87°F | 83°F | 41% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| The Bahamas | A- | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 82°F | 52% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| South Padre & the Coastal Bend | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 85°F | 81°F | 34% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The Louisiana coast | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 79°F | 80°F | 44% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Turks & Caicos | A- | Caribbean islands | 82°F | 82°F | 44% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The Alabama & Mississippi coast | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 80°F | 79°F | 47% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The BVI | A- | Caribbean islands | 81°F | 83°F | 37% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Barbados | A- | Caribbean islands | 87°F | 83°F | 37% | Very low | Moderate | Very low |
| Galveston & the Upper Texas Coast | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 80°F | 80°F | 53% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Varadero & Havana | A- | Caribbean islands | 88°F | 83°F | 52% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao | A- | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 82°F | 30% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The US Virgin Islands | A- | Caribbean islands | 82°F | 83°F | 39% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Cayman Islands | A- | Caribbean islands | 87°F | 84°F | 65% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The Florida Panhandle | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 81°F | 78°F | 45% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| The Leeward Islands | A- | Caribbean islands | 82°F | 83°F | 33% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Belize | A- | Central & South America | 84°F | 85°F | 25% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| The Yucatán Gulf Coast | B+ | Mexico | 94°F | 84°F | 19% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Puerto Rico | B+ | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 83°F | 58% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Veracruz | B+ | Mexico | 88°F | 83°F | 28% | Very low | Moderate | Very low |
| Roatán & the Bay Islands | B+ | Central & South America | 84°F | 83°F | 11% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenada | B+ | Caribbean islands | 85°F | 83°F | 43% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| Manzanillo | B+ | Mexico | 87°F | 81°F | 6% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Mazatlán | B+ | Mexico | 84°F | 77°F | 3% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| The Corn Islands | B+ | Central & South America | 84°F | 85°F | 61% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Guadeloupe & Martinique | B+ | Caribbean islands | 87°F | 83°F | 53% | Moderate | Moderate | Very low |
| San Andrés | B+ | Central & South America | 83°F | 84°F | 53% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo | B+ | Mexico | 90°F | 84°F | 9% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Trinidad & Tobago | B+ | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 83°F | 56% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Acapulco | B+ | Mexico | 90°F | 84°F | 10% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Panama's Pacific beaches | B | Central & South America | 87°F | 86°F | 89% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Cancún | B | Mexico | 88°F | 82°F | 43% | High | Busy | Very low |
| Cozumel | B | Mexico | 88°F | 84°F | 44% | High | Busy | Very low |
| Costa Maya | B | Mexico | 87°F | 84°F | 42% | High | Moderate | Very low |
| Colombia's Caribbean coast | B- | Central & South America | 88°F | 86°F | 74% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Santo Domingo's coast | B- | Caribbean islands | 85°F | 83°F | 60% | High | Busy | Very low |
| Jamaica | B- | Caribbean islands | 87°F | 84°F | 69% | High | Busy | Very low |
| Panama's Caribbean coast | B- | Central & South America | 84°F | 87°F | 85% | Low | Moderate | Very low |
| The Dominican North Coast | B- | Caribbean islands | 85°F | 82°F | 58% | High | Busy | Very low |
| Haiti | C+ | Caribbean islands | 89°F | 85°F | 55% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| Costa Rica's Caribbean coast | C+ | Central & South America | 84°F | 86°F | 82% | High | Moderate | Very low |
| Holguín | C+ | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 81°F | 56% | Very high | Moderate | Very low |
| Guatemala's Caribbean coast | C | Central & South America | 88°F | 88°F | 62% | High | Moderate | Very low |
| Punta Cana | C | Caribbean islands | 85°F | 82°F | 67% | Very high | Busy | Very low |
| The Riviera Maya | C | Mexico | 88°F | 84°F | 44% | Very high | Busy | Very low |
Best beaches in May
Resorts with the best typical May (at most two per destination), and their grades for the next few days.
- El Cuyo Beach Hotels the Yucatán Gulf Coast · May ASatC+SunCMonCTueC+WedC
- Lagun Blou Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao · May ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Marazul Dive Resort Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao · May ASatB+SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Iberostar Selection Playa Mita Puerto Vallarta · May ASatB-SunCMonC-TueCWedC+
- Hotel Distrito 88 Puerto Vallarta · May ASatBSunCMonCTueCWedC+
- LunArena Boutique Beach Hotel the Yucatán Gulf Coast · May ASatC+SunCMonCTueC+WedC
- Holbox Island Hotels Cancún · May ASatC+SunC+MonC-TueCWedC
- Krystal Grand Los Cabos Los Cabos · May ASatDSunCMonBTueA-WedB+
- Hotel Riu Santa Fe Los Cabos · May ASatD+SunDMonBTueBWedB
- Villas Flamingos Cancún · May ASatC+SunC+MonC-TueCWedC
- Hilton Hawaiian Village Oʻahu · May ASatA-SunBMonBTueA-WedA-
- The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka'anapali Maui · May ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
Grades for the next few days from Veabird's beach forecast, updated Oct 3, 18:00 UTC. Higher is better: A+ to F.
Skiing in May
Typical snowfall that month, crowds and trip prices (flights and lodging against each resort's yearly average), with this week's grades where the snow forecast covers the resort.
| Resort | Area | Typical snow | Crowds | Trip price | This week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta | Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 16 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Snowbird | Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 15 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Brighton | Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 15 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Solitude | Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 15 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Powder Mountain | Wasatch, Utah | 15 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Grand Targhee | Teton Range, Wyoming | 15 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Jackson Hole | Teton Range, Wyoming | 14 in. | Moderate | -20% | Opens ~Nov 29 |
| Mt. Baker | North Cascades, Washington | 13 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Whistler Blackcomb | Coast Mountains, British Columbia | 13 in. | Moderate | -20% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Revelstoke | Monashee Mountains, British Columbia | 13 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Alyeska | Girdwood, Alaska | 13 in. | Moderate | -20% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Big Sky | Southwest Montana | 12 in. | Moderate | -20% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Vail | Colorado Rockies | 11 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Breckenridge | Colorado Rockies | 11 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Arapahoe Basin | Colorado Rockies | 11 in. | Quiet | -19% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Park City | Wasatch, Utah | 11 in. | Moderate | -20% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Banff Sunshine | Banff National Park, Alberta | 11 in. | Moderate | -20% | Opens ~Nov 8 |
| Steamboat | Colorado Rockies | 10 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Winter Park | Colorado Rockies | 10 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Beaver Creek | Colorado Rockies | 10 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
Grades for the next few days from Veabird's snow model, updated Oct 3, 19:00 UTC. Higher is better: A+ to F.
Questions
- Where is the best beach weather in May?
- For a beach trip in May, the best-graded destinations are usually Puerto Vallarta (A), Los Cabos (A) and Maui (A). The warmest water is around Guatemala's Caribbean coast (88°F) and the driest weather in Los Cabos (0% rain chance). For skiing, Alta, Snowbird and Brighton usually get the most snow in May.
- Where can I avoid sargassum in May?
- Among the Caribbean and Gulf destinations where seaweed is a real question, Barbados is usually lightest in May (very low). Places outside the sargassum belt, like Mexico's Pacific coast, Hawaii and Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, rarely see it.
- Where is good but not crowded in May?
- Panama's Caribbean coast grades B- with moderate crowds in a typical May.