Early May 1 May
72°F
Typical afternoon high
15% historical wet-day frequency
Spain · Beach
Mallorca & the Balearics
in May.
Is May a good time?
Warm days.
More overnight stays than April.
May averages 75°F afternoons and 66°F seas, with about 3 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 75°F
- Sea
- 66°F
- Visitor demand
- 69%of August peak
Historical Illes Balears regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
7.9/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#2 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather9.6/10Excellent
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, one of Europe's busiest this month
CostModeratefor Europe
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 75°F (24°C): T-shirt weather. About 14 hours of daylight. About 3 rain days in a typical May.
Can I swim in May?
The sea averages 66°F. Our swimming guide: fresh: fine once you are in. 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 14 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 06:35 and sets about 20:54 (local time, mid-month). Afternoons reach about 75°F (24°C). Expect rain on about 3 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
75°F (24°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
—
not shown here: our correction of the model data isn't accurate enough for night lows in this region
Sea
66°F (19°C)
fresh; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
14h 19m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 72°F on the 1st, versus 79°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 15% to 11% between those dates.
Mid May 15 May
75°F
Typical afternoon high
9% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
79°F
Typical afternoon high
11% 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 172° | 272° | |||||
| 372° | 473° | 573° | 673° | 774° | 874° | 974° |
| 1074° | 1174° | 1275° | 1375° | 1475° | 1575° | 1675° |
| 1775° | 1875° | 1976° | 2076° | 2176° | 2276° | 2376° |
| 2477° | 2577° | 2677° | 2778° | 2878° | 2978° | 3078° |
| 3179° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 73°F (23°C) in the first week to 78°F (25°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 9–15%.
No school holidays here in May 2027. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Busy season. May averages 69% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than April.
Overnight stays across Illes Balears do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, one of Europe's busiest this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
Well below usual.
Compare Menorca quotes first if accommodation cost matters. The 2024–2025 May hotel averages were €141 in Ibiza–Formentera and €98 in Menorca, versus €116 across the Balearics, per occupied room-night. Hotel mixes differ; VAT is excluded. Historical averages, not booking quotes. Sources and scope.
Wider region: Balearics
€116
2024–2025 monthly average; hotel revenue per occupied room-night; not a current booking quote. −10% vs this region's usual month.
Spain as a whole
Below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 84 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
The historical regional amount comes from INE Spain, EOH/IRSH table 2059: hotel average daily rate per occupied room; the country price level is national. Hotel averages are not live booking quotes.
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 71°F (22°C) and 78°F (26°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 75°F (24°C). Rain days ranged from 1 to 6; half the years had 2–5.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
3
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 5 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
12 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
27 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 | 77°F | 3 |
| 2012 | 76°F | 2 |
| 2013 | 71°F | 3 |
| 2014 | 74°F | 5 |
| 2015 | 77°F | 1 |
| 2016 | 74°F | 4 |
| 2017 | 77°F | 1 |
| 2018 | 73°F | 6 |
| 2019 | 73°F | 3 |
| 2020 | 78°F | 2 |
| 2021 | 74°F | 5 |
| 2022 | 78°F | 4 |
| 2023 | 74°F | 6 |
| 2024 | 76°F | 2 |
| 2025 | 76°F | 4 |
Checked against 33 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 69°F | 75°F | 84°F |
| Sea | 61°F | 66°F | 73°F |
| Rain days | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Overnight demand | 30% | 69% | 87% |
April: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and more rain days than May. Less overnight demand. 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.
No other scored month has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays are 30% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €108 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote. Price-check Ibiza–Formentera separately from the wider region. The 2024–2025 April hotel averages were €148 in Ibiza–Formentera, versus €108 across the Balearics, per occupied room-night. Hotel mixes differ; VAT is excluded. Historical averages, not booking quotes.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 75°F | 69°F |
| Nights | — | — |
| Sea | 66°F | 61°F |
| Rain days | 3 | 5 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 7.9 | 7.8 |
| Month rank | #2 | #3 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.6 | #12 | 60°F | — | 59°F | 6 | 5.4 | Off season |
| February | 5.8 | #11 | 60°F | — | 58°F | 6 | 5.5 | Off season |
| March | 7.5 | #5 | 64°F | — | 58°F | 6 | 6.5 | Low season |
| April | 7.8 | #3 | 69°F | — | 61°F | 5 | 7.8 | Low season |
| May | 7.9 | #2 | 75°F | — | 66°F | 3 | 9.6 | Busy season |
| June | 7.5 | #4 | 84°F | — | 73°F | 2 | 10.0 | Peak season |
| July | 7.0 | #7 | 89°F | — | 78°F | 0 | 10.0 | Peak season |
| August | 6.6 | #8 | 89°F | — | 80°F | 1 | 9.6 | Peak season |
| September | 7.3 | #6 | 83°F | — | 78°F | 5 | 9.7 | Peak season |
| October | 8.0 | #1 | 76°F | — | 74°F | 5 | 9.4 | Moderate season |
| November | 6.3 | #9 | 67°F | — | 68°F | 8 | 6.9 | Off season |
| December | 5.9 | #10 | 62°F | — | 62°F | 5 | 6.3 | 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.
Elsewhere in Europe
As good as Mallorca & the Balearics in May, but quieter
Mallorca & the Balearics' weather ranks 13 of 77 beach regions this month. Mallorca & the Balearics already has excellent weather in May; these beach regions outside Spain are about as good and quieter for their season, nearest first.
SicilyItaly · about 620 miles
Excellent weather (9.6): about as warm, quieter for its season (moderate season), pricier
PugliaItaly · about 730 miles
Excellent weather (9.1): about as warm, quieter for its season (low season), pricier
Corfu & the Ionian IslandsGreece · about 940 miles
Excellent weather (9.4): 3°F cooler afternoons, quieter for its season (moderate season)
Western Greeceabout 1010 miles
Excellent weather (9.5): 3°F warmer afternoons, 2 more rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Meteora, Pelion & the SporadesThessaly · Greece · about 1030 miles
Excellent weather (9.3): 3°F warmer afternoons, 2 more rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's busy season, 69% of the busiest month and 51% above its average month. That means about 302,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 8% of them from Spain itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 39,000 more: 13 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 83 |
| How our weather was checked | 33 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows off by more than 4°F (2°C), so not shown. |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 243 |
| Busiest month here | August · 351 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 19.6% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 99th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 8% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 13 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 21.6% |
| Population used | 1.2 million |
| Statistical region | ES53 · Illes Balears |
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; the first figure is regional (INE Spain, EOH/IRSH table 2059: hotel average daily rate per occupied room). Full method · this region's data.