When to go · Barbados
Barbados in May
Good month. Hot, still mostly dry; prices start to drop.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Crowds
- Low
- Barbados
- Prices
- Medium
- Barbados
Verdict
Hot, still mostly dry; prices start to drop.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- West and south coasts · Holetown, Speightstown, Oistins, St Lawrence Gap, Bridgetownfine
Dry season December–May with steady trade winds; wetter and more humid June–November. Barbados sits east of the main island arc, so direct hurricane hits are rarer than further north, but Beryl (2024) damaged boats and fishing fleets.
- East coast · Bathsheba, Cattlewash, Scotland Districtfine
Windier and rougher all year; sargassum seaweed piles up on some Atlantic and south-east beaches in spring and summer.
- Bridgetown30 °C (86 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F), 10 rain days86 °F (30 °C) / 75 °F (24 °C), 10 rain days
- Southern Barbados31 °C (88 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 10 rain days88 °F (31 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 10 rain days
- Western Barbados31 °C (88 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 8 rain days88 °F (31 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 8 rain days
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
May Day
1 May
Public holiday.
Whit Monday
May–Jun (check)
Public holiday.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Barbados
- Low
- Prices · Barbados
- Medium
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Barbados, side by side.
Verdict
May: Good
Jan: Great (better)
Crowds
May: Low
Jan: High
Prices
May: Medium
Jan: High
Festivals listed
May: 2
Jan: 3
May: Hot, still mostly dry; prices start to drop.
January: Dry and breezy; winter peak; Barbados Jazz and Errol Barrow Day (21 Jan).
Barbados: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
Nothing unusual for the weather this month.
Where to go in May
Rated best or good this month
Warmer; quieter and cheaper.
Best months: Dec–May
Best months: Dec–May (dry season)