Where it's cool in May

Top 10 destinations in May

1. 1.Lake Titicaca, Peru

   17°4° daily spread4 rain dayshiking

   Why Lake Titicaca, Peru?

   Averages 17° in May with swings barely 2° either side of 17° and 4 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

2. 2.Colca Canyon, Peru

   13°4° daily spread9 rain dayshiking

   Why Colca Canyon, Peru?

   Averages 13° in May with swings barely 2° either side of 13° and 9 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

3. 3.Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

   14°5° daily spread0 rain dayshiking

   Why Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia?

   Averages 14° in May with swings barely 2° either side of 14° and 0 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

4. 4.La Paz, Bolivia

   15°5° daily spread4 rain dayshiking

   Why La Paz, Bolivia?

   Averages 15° in May with swings barely 2° either side of 15° and 4 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

5. 5.Twelve Apostles, Australia

   16°11 rain daysfamilies

   Why Twelve Apostles, Australia?

   Averages 15° in May with a 6° day-to-day spread around 15° and 11 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

6. 6.Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

   9°14 rain dayshiking

   Why Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland?

   Averages 9° in May with a 6° day-to-day spread around 9° and 14 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

7. 7.Puerto Varas, Chile

   13°14 rain dayscouples

   Why Puerto Varas, Chile?

   Averages 13° in May with a 6° day-to-day spread around 13° and 14 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

8. 8.Hobart, Australia

   15°6 rain dayssolo

   Why Hobart, Australia?

   Averages 15° in May with a 7° day-to-day spread around 15° and 6 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

9. 9.Dublin, Ireland

   16°7 rain daysculture

   Why Dublin, Ireland?

   Averages 16° in May with a 7° day-to-day spread around 16° and 7 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

10. 10.Anchorage, United States

    14°4 rain dayshiking

    Why Anchorage, United States?

    Averages 14° in May with an 8° day-to-day spread around 14° and 4 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

Average temperatures by destination

Readings come from the last ten years of daily weather data, so they reflect the climate as it is now, not as it was decades ago. Data: Visual Crossing global historical archive. How we compute this

Frequently asked

Where is reliably cool in May?

In the 12-18°C cool-comfort band, the driest and steadiest May averages on the ten-year record are: Lake Titicaca (17°C, about 4 rain days, a 4° spread). Also dry, but with a wider day-to-day spread: Salar de Uyuni (14°C, about 0 rain days, a 5° spread); Mendoza (18°C, about 2 rain days, an 11° spread); La Paz (15°C, about 4 rain days, a 5° spread).

What counts as a coolcation in May?

On this site, a coolcation is anywhere with a mean daily high at or below 18°C. In May that filters 51 of 295 curated destinations with a ten-year record. The warmest in-band pick is Buenos Aires at 18°; the steadiest day-to-day is Lake Titicaca with a 4° spread.

Is May the right month for a coolcation?

It depends on where you go. In May the ten-year record puts 51 curated destinations at or below 18°C mean daily high. If that count is small, the northern hemisphere is warming and southern-hemisphere hill stations or high-latitude coasts do most of the work. If it is large, the reverse.