Early May 1 May
69°F
Typical afternoon high
24% historical wet-day frequency
Bulgaria · Beach
Varna & the northern Black Sea coast
in May.
Is May a good time?
Warm days.
About twice April's overnight stays.
May averages 72°F afternoons and 60°F seas, with about 9 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 72°F
- Sea
- 60°F
- Visitor demand
- 16%of August peak
Historical Severoiztochen regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Varna, Golden Sands and Balchik; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
8.6/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#3 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather7.6/10Very good
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe; Bulgaria-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your May
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 72°F (22°C): T-shirt weather; nights around 51°F (11°C): a sweater and a light jacket. Bring rain gear: about 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 15 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in May?
The sea averages 60°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 15 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 05:47 and sets about 20:26 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 51°F (11°C); afternoons reach about 72°F (22°C). Expect rain on about 9 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
72°F (22°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
51°F (11°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
60°F (16°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
14h 39m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 69°F on the 1st, versus 75°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 24% to 35% between those dates.
Mid May 15 May
71°F
Typical afternoon high
27% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
75°F
Typical afternoon high
35% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2027: 1 May Holy Saturday / Labour Day; 2 May Easter Sunday; 3 May Easter Monday; 6 May St. George's Day, and the Bulgarian Army’s Day; 24 May Bulgarian Education and Culture, and Slavic Script Day.
Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
May 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 169° | 269° | |||||
| 369° | 469° | 569° | 669° | 769° | 870° | 970° |
| 1070° | 1170° | 1270° | 1371° | 1471° | 1571° | 1672° |
| 1772° | 1872° | 1973° | 2073° | 2173° | 2273° | 2373° |
| 2473° | 2574° | 2674° | 2774° | 2875° | 2975° | 3075° |
| 3175° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 69°F (20°C) in the first week to 75°F (24°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 24–36%.
School-holiday dates for May 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 1 May Holy Saturday / Labour Day; 2 May Easter Sunday; 3 May Easter Monday; 6 May St. George's Day, and the Bulgarian Army’s Day; 24 May Bulgarian Education and Culture, and Slavic Script Day. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Low season. May averages 16% of August's overnight stays per day. About twice April's overnight stays.
Overnight stays across Severoiztochen do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
About usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Bulgaria as a whole
Well below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 53 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Year-to-year variation
How much does May vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 69°F (20°C) and 77°F (25°C); in 12 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 72°F (22°C). Rain days ranged from 5 to 14; half the years had 7–12.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
9
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 13 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
7 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
20 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 70°F | 12 |
| 2012 | 73°F | 14 |
| 2013 | 77°F | 7 |
| 2014 | 71°F | 13 |
| 2015 | 73°F | 5 |
| 2016 | 70°F | 13 |
| 2017 | 70°F | 9 |
| 2018 | 75°F | 8 |
| 2019 | 72°F | 6 |
| 2020 | 71°F | 9 |
| 2021 | 72°F | 6 |
| 2022 | 72°F | 7 |
| 2023 | 69°F | 11 |
| 2024 | 69°F | 9 |
| 2025 | 69°F | 11 |
Checked against official climate averages for Varna. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 63°F | 72°F | 80°F |
| Sea | 51°F | 60°F | 71°F |
| Rain days | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Overnight demand | 8% | 16% | 57% |
April: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than May. Less overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than May. More overnight demand. June guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.
June to September have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays are 8% of the busiest month; check seasonal openings.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 72°F | 63°F |
| Nights | 51°F | 43°F |
| Sea | 60°F | 51°F |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Off season |
| Overall / 10 | 8.6 | 6.4 |
| Month rank | #3 | #7 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.2 | #12 | 44°F | 30°F | 47°F | 7 | 1.2 | Off season |
| February | 3.6 | #10 | 47°F | 32°F | 45°F | 5 | 1.6 | Off season |
| March | 4.9 | #9 | 54°F | 36°F | 46°F | 7 | 2.9 | Off season |
| April | 6.4 | #7 | 63°F | 43°F | 51°F | 8 | 5.4 | Off season |
| May | 8.6 | #3 | 72°F | 51°F | 60°F | 9 | 7.6 | Low season |
| June | 8.7 | #2 | 80°F | 61°F | 71°F | 8 | 9.5 | Moderate season |
| July | 8.1 | #4 | 86°F | 65°F | 76°F | 5 | 10.0 | Peak season |
| August | 8.0 | #5 | 86°F | 65°F | 78°F | 3 | 10.0 | Peak season |
| September | 9.0 | #1 | 78°F | 59°F | 74°F | 4 | 9.6 | Moderate season |
| October | 6.8 | #6 | 65°F | 49°F | 66°F | 5 | 6.2 | Off season |
| November | 5.0 | #8 | 55°F | 42°F | 59°F | 7 | 3.0 | Off season |
| December | 3.5 | #11 | 47°F | 34°F | 52°F | 9 | 1.5 | Off season |
Near here
Nearby places in May
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Veliko Tarnovo & north-central Bulgariaabout 60 miles
Balanced Overall 8.1 · Excellent weather, 74°F (23°C) · Busy season · Cost cheap
Burgas & the southern Black Sea coastBulgaria · about 70 miles
Balanced Overall 9.3 · Excellent weather, 73°F (23°C) · Low season · Cost cheap
BucharestRomania · about 100 miles
Balanced Overall 8.4 · Excellent weather, 75°F (24°C) · Steady all year · Cost cheap
Romania's Black Sea coast & Danube DeltaRomania · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 8.6 · Excellent weather, 74°F (23°C) · Off season · Cost cheap
Plovdiv & south-central Bulgariaabout 150 miles
Balanced Overall 8.6 · Excellent weather, 74°F (23°C) · Steady all year · Cost cheap
Elsewhere in Europe
Better May weather than Varna & the northern Black Sea coast
Varna & the northern Black Sea coast's weather ranks 37 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Bulgaria have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Varna & the northern Black Sea coast.
Eastern Macedonia & ThraceGreece · about 190 miles
Very good weather (8.7): 4°F warmer afternoons, 2 fewer rain days, pricier
Thessaloniki & HalkidikiGreece · about 290 miles
Excellent weather (9.1): 6°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, pricier
North Aegean islandsGreece · about 320 miles
Excellent weather (9.9): 4°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, pricier
Meteora, Pelion & the SporadesThessaly · Greece · about 370 miles
Excellent weather (9.3): 7°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, busier for its season (low season), pricier
Central Greece & EviaGreece · about 400 miles
Excellent weather (9.5): 7°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, pricier
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 16% of the busiest month and 46% below its average month. That means about 9,900 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 31% of them from Bulgaria itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,400 more: 14 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 73 |
| How our weather was checked | Official climate averages for Varna from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.5°C), night lows within 1°F (0.3°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 12 |
| Busiest month here | August · 77 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.2% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 40th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 31% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 14 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.3% |
| National hotel-price season | Bulgaria historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 827,000 |
| Statistical region | BG33 · Severoiztochen |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.