Early-summer heat before the crowds and before the worst of it. Of 66 seaside holiday towns and cities in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, 24 rate Good or better in May. These eleven are the best of them, spread across the region.
The shortlist
- 178 · GoodMontego BayJamaica
Rated 78 (Good) for sunbathing in May: midday feels like 31°C, with partly cloudy skies. The good spell lasts about ten and a half months, from October to mid August. Open it on the map at mid May.
- 277 · GoodRoad TownBritish Virgin Islands
A typical midday in May feels like 31°C, and the Sunbathing rating averages 77 over the stretch. Good weather here runs from November to July, so there is room either side. See mid May on the map.
- 376 · GoodSaint John’sAntigua and Barbuda
Midday in May feels like 30°C under partly cloudy skies, which rates 76, Good, for sunbathing. The good spell lasts about eleven and a half months, from October to early September. Open it on the map at mid May.
- 472 · GoodMarigotSaint Martin
Rated 72 (Good) for sunbathing in May: midday feels like 30°C, with partly cloudy skies. Good weather here runs from late October to mid August, so there is room either side. See mid May on the map.
- 572 · GoodMazatlánMexico
A typical midday in May feels like 31°C, and the Sunbathing rating averages 72 over the stretch. The good spell lasts about two and a half months, from mid March to May. Open it on the map at mid May.
- 667 · GoodCabo San LucasMexico
Midday in May feels like 26°C under mostly clear skies, which rates 67, Good, for sunbathing. Good weather here runs from late April to early August, so there is room either side. See mid May on the map.
- 766 · GoodManzanilloMexico
Rated 66 (Good) for sunbathing in May: midday feels like 31°C, with mostly clear skies. The good spell lasts about five and a half months, from late December to May. Open it on the map at mid May.
- 865 · GoodOranjestadAruba
A typical midday in May feels like 30°C, and the Sunbathing rating averages 65 over the stretch. Good weather here runs from October to early September, so there is room either side. Rain is rare, and it is often windy at this time of year. See mid May on the map.
- 963 · GoodPuerto PeñascoMexico
A typical midday in May feels like 29°C, and the Sunbathing rating averages 63 over the stretch. Open it on the map at mid May.
- 1059 · GoodVaraderoCuba
Midday in May feels like 32°C under partly cloudy skies, which rates 59, Good, for sunbathing. Good weather here runs from February to mid May, so there is room either side. See mid May on the map.
- 1158 · GoodTrinidadCuba
A typical midday in May feels like 32°C, and the Sunbathing rating averages 58 over the stretch. Rain is rare at this time of year. See mid May on the map.
How this list is worked out
The data
Every figure comes from a decade of weather-station observations, blended into one typical year and read at midday, local solar time. Scores here are averaged in May; a city missing a reading for any part of that stretch is left out rather than scored on part of it.
The rating
Sunbathing: Warm feels-like gates the score — best 26–32 °C. Dry air, light wind and clear skies each lift it; none alone rules it out. A place is also left out when its typical readings contradict its own rating, for example a high score alongside frequent rain.
The spread
To keep one warm corner from filling the list, entries are at least 150 km apart, no more than three sit within 1,000 km of each other, and no more than three come from one country unless the list would otherwise run short.
Only seaside places
Towns and cities within 12 km of the coast, with beaches and plenty of hotels, resorts and holiday lets within 10 km for their size. That keeps out hot inland towns and busy ports that nobody visits for the beach. Places to stay are counted from Overture Maps Places, an open dataset, so a resort missing there is missing here.
The dotted links open the map at that place and time of year, on the same layer. The map remembers the time of day you last chose there; set it to midday to see these exact numbers.