Where to find the sun in May?
The 15 best destinations for a sunshine trip in May, ranked on the weather actually recorded.
For a sunshine trip in May, we kept destinations with at least 25 °C in the afternoon and no more than six days of rain in the month. Temperatures and rainfall are real records, averaged from 2015 to 2024 at each destination's reference point, and the sea is measured at the nearest coastal point. 15 destinations pass this filter, in Europe, Africa, Asia and Americas. Top of the ranking: The Egyptian Red Sea (31 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 25 °C).
The ranking at a glance
| # | Destination | Afternoon | Rainy days | Sea (°C) | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇬 The Egyptian Red Sea | 31 °C | 0 | 25 °C | €50-110 a day |
| 2 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 30 °C | 0 | - | €100-160 a day |
| 3 | 🇺🇸 Las Vegas | 31 °C | 1 | - | €120-200 a day |
| 4 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 31 °C | 1 | 27 °C | €50-100 a day |
| 5 | 🇲🇽 Baja California | 32 °C | 0 | 24 °C | €70-130 a day |
| 6 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 28 °C | 0 | - | €200-400 a day |
| 7 | 🇲🇦 Merzouga and Erg Chebbi | 33 °C | 0 | - | €50-100 a day |
| 8 | 🇸🇳 Saly | 32 °C | 0 | 24 °C | €55-100 a day |
| 9 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 28 °C | 1 | - | €60-110 a day |
| 10 | 🇪🇸 Andalusia | 29 °C | 4 | 19 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 11 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 38 °C | 0 | 30 °C | €110-180 a day |
| 12 | 🇨🇳 Beijing | 28 °C | 5 | - | €60-110 a day |
| 13 | 🇵🇹 The Algarve | 25 °C | 4 | 16 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 14 | 🇬🇷 Rhodes | 25 °C | 4 | 20 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 15 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 27 °C | 6 | 21 °C | €35-60 a day |
The 15 destinations in detail
Region1 🇪🇬 The Egyptian Red Sea
🌡️ 31 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 25 °C · 💶 €50-110 a day
Egypt's Red Sea means 1,000 km of coast down to the Sudanese border, with Sinai opposite, reefs that begin five metres from the shore and water at 22°C in January. Around five hours' direct flight from much of Europe, resorts under €100 and dives such as the Thistlegorm or Ras Mohammed.
Countries2 🇳🇦 Namibia
🌡️ 30 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain · 💶 €100-160 a day
Namibia means the fiery red dunes of Sossusvlei and the dead trees of Deadvlei, the big cats of Etosha around the waterholes, and tracks stretching as far as the eye can see. The ultimate road trip, through landscapes of stark mineral beauty.
City3 🇺🇸 Las Vegas
🌡️ 31 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain · 💶 €120-200 a day
A city of 2.3 million people set in the Mojave Desert, where 7 km of boulevard hold most of the metro area's 150,000 hotel rooms, dancing fountains and a 112-metre sphere covered in screens. An hour's drive away, the Hoover Dam, the sandstone of Red Rock and the Valley of Fire remind you where you are.
Countries4 🇲🇬 Madagascar
🌡️ 31 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 27 °C · 💶 €50-100 a day
Madagascar means the Avenue of the Baobabs at dusk, lemurs you won't see anywhere else and the canyons of Isalo. An island-continent with unique biodiversity, far off the beaten track.
Region5 🇲🇽 Baja California
🌡️ 32 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 24 °C · 💶 €70-130 a day · at the edge of its season
A 1,250 km desert peninsula between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez, where grey whales come to calve in the lagoons from January to March and you swim with whale sharks off La Paz. Cardón cacti, Jesuit missions, the empty beaches of Bahía Concepción and the vineyards of the Valle de Guadalupe.
Countries6 🇧🇼 Botswana
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain · 💶 €200-400 a day
Botswana means a mokoro gliding across the Okavango Delta, the elephant herds of Chobe and the vast expanses of the Kalahari. A sanctuary of African wildlife, for exceptional and exclusive safaris.
City7 🇲🇦 Merzouga and Erg Chebbi
🌡️ 33 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain · 💶 €50-100 a day · at the edge of its season
Merzouga means the great dunes of Erg Chebbi turning orange at sunset, arriving at camp on a dromedary, and a night of total silence under the stars. The gateway to the Moroccan Sahara.
City8 🇸🇳 Saly
🌡️ 32 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 24 °C · 💶 €55-100 a day · at the edge of its season
Senegal's first beach resort, raised from the sand of the Petite Côte from 1978 onwards, Saly lines up hotels and apartment complexes over some ten kilometres north of Mbour. Bandia reserve and its giraffes are 20 minutes away, the mangrove lagoon of the Somone 15 km.
Countries9 🇯🇴 Jordan
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain · 💶 €60-110 a day
Jordan means Petra emerging at the end of the Siq, a night in a Wadi Rum camp and floating in the Dead Sea. Ancient wonders and lunar landscapes in a single trip, safe and welcoming.
Region10 🇪🇸 Andalusia
🌡️ 29 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 19 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
Andalusia is best experienced behind the wheel, from the Mezquita of Córdoba to the cliffs of Ronda, from the flower-filled patios of Granada to the wild coves of Cabo de Gata. Between white villages clinging to the Sierra, you stop for a gazpacho, a vertiginous walkway on the Caminito del Rey or a night of flamenco in Jerez. A road trip that feels a world away, yet only a short flight from much of Europe.
Countries11 🇴🇲 Oman
🌡️ 38 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 30 °C · 💶 €110-180 a day · at the edge of its season
Oman means the turquoise pools of Wadi Shab, the ochre dunes of the Wahiba Sands where you sleep in a desert camp, and the mud-brick forts of Nizwa. An authentic Gulf, far from the bustle, all the way to the fjords of Musandam.
City12 🇨🇳 Beijing
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 5 days of rain · 💶 €60-110 a day
Beijing sits along an 8 km north-south axis, from Yongdingmen Gate to the Drum Tower, with the Forbidden City and its 8,700 rooms right in the middle. Around it lie the grey-brick hutongs, the Temple of Heaven in its 273-hectare park and the Great Wall, a 70 km drive away.
Region13 🇵🇹 The Algarve
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 16 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
The Algarve means ochre cliffs dropping onto hidden coves, Benagil cave reached by kayak, and whitewashed fishing villages. Portugal's most spectacular coastline.
City14 🇬🇷 Rhodes
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 20 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
Rhodes is the city of the Knights of St John, with 4 km of ramparts, an intact street of inns and a Palace of the Grand Master rebuilt by the Italians, all listed by Unesco. 50 km to the south, the acropolis of Lindos towers over a white village, and between the two lie 1930s spa buildings, pebbly bays and sandy beaches.
Countries15 🇹🇳 Tunisia
🌡️ 27 °C in the afternoon, 6 days of rain, sea at 21 °C · 💶 €35-60 a day
Tunisia means the blue and white lanes of Sidi Bou Said, the ruins of Carthage facing the sea, and the gates of the Sahara in the south. Beaches and history within easy reach of Europe, on a small budget.
Frequently asked questions
Where to find the sun in May?
The Egyptian Red Sea, Namibia, Las Vegas, Madagascar and Baja California top our ranking for a sunshine trip in May. In first place, The Egyptian Red Sea: 31 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 25 °C on average over 2015-2024.
Which is the closest sunshine destination in May?
Andalusia, about 2h30 by air from Paris, with 29 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 19 °C in May.
Where does it rain least in May among these destinations?
Oman: 0 days of rain on average in May, with 38 °C in the afternoon.
Where is it hottest in May?
Among these destinations, Oman, with 38 °C in the afternoon on average in May: plan your sightseeing for early morning and late afternoon.
Other ideas in May
Sunshine in another month
Chasing the sun in May?
We'll send you the destinations worth the trip at this time of year, backed by real weather data and budgets.