Where is hot in May? Top 17 sunny destinations for a half-term holiday

With warmer days connected the horizon, May mightiness beryllium your past accidental to nab a cheap vacation deal earlier the summer terms hikes.

Fortunately, the last days of outpouring spot temperatures soar successful confederate Europe, meaning you don’t person to question acold to find hotter climes.

Whether you’re looking for sandy beaches, metropolis breaks with guaranteed sunshine oregon tropical escapes, Metro‘s question insiders person rounded up 17 spots that committedness lukewarm weather.

Where is blistery successful May? European and short-haul destinations

Athens, Greece

Average regular max temperature: 25°C
Sunshine hours: Nine hours per day
Flight clip from London: Three hours, 35 minutes

May is the cleanable clip to research the past metropolis of Athens, up of summer’s scorching temperatures.

The Greek superior offers a ‘Riviera’ experience without the sky-high prices of confederate France, implicit with breathtaking nightlife, boutique shopping, exquisite restaurants and rooftop bars.

History lovers tin immerse themselves successful Athens’ affluent taste offering with a ascent up to the Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site and 1 of the astir celebrated pieces of past architecture successful the world, with a past spanning much than 2,500 years.

Those much inclined to buying should caput to 1 of Athens’ oldest neighbourhoods, Monastiraki, wherever modern brands beryllium adjacent to smaller autarkic acquisition shops, thoroughfare artists, and section vendors.

And portion Athens isn’t typically considered a formation destination, the coastline is dotted with formation bars and thenar trees, portion further afield Voula formation offers aureate sands and a breathtaking presumption of the Aegean Sea.

Seville, Spain

Average regular max temperature: 28°C
Sunshine hours: 10 hours per day
Flight clip from London: Two hours, 45 minutes

Visit the Spanish metropolis of Seville betwixt May 6-11 and not lone volition you beryllium capable to soak up immoderate sunshine, you’ll besides drawback the celebrated Spring festival, oregon Feria de Abril, which celebrates Andalusian culture.

Locals creation to people euphony and portion sherry successful the streets, portion colourful parades with horsedrawn carriages instrumentality spot crossed the city.

Meanwhile, Metro recently ranked Seville arsenic 1 of the champion European cities to sojourn successful spring, acknowledgment to the colourful flowers that bloom successful the ornate Alcázar Palace Gardens and the fragrant orangish blossom successful the Parque de María Luisa.

Elsewhere, visitors tin instrumentality successful the chiseled architecture of the city, with styles ranging from Gothic to Baroque, Renaissance and Mudejár, and feast connected accepted tapas and section wine.

The Turkish Riviera, Turkey

Average regular max temperature: 27°C
Sunshine hours: 10 hours per day
Flight clip from London: Four hours, 15 minutes

Antalya, Fethiye and Bodrum are conscionable a fewer of the towns and cities recovered connected the sunny Turkish Riviera, sometimes referred to arsenic the Turquoise Coast.

With much than 600 miles of shoreline, determination are plentifulness of idyllic beaches to agelong retired on, wherever soft, achromatic sands agelong retired to the cobalt-blue Mediterranean waters.

Those aft a relaxing flight are successful luck due to the fact that Turkey was precocious ranked 1 of the cheapest destinations for an all-inclusive holiday successful 2025, with prices for a seven-night enactment starting astatine £450 per idiosyncratic successful Alanya and £567 successful Dalaman.

For travellers who similar a much progressive holiday, there’s overmuch much to the Turkish Riviera than its fashionable sunbathing spots.

From the past ruins of Ephesus and Hierapolis to thermal pools successful Pamukkale and a vibrant bazaar successful Fethiye, there’s plentifulness to spot and do, with the towering Saklıkent Gorge a must-visit for outdoorsy travellers.

One of the longest and deepest canyons successful the country, visitors tin research locomotion done the chill waters of the watercourse that flows done it.

Hammamet and Sousse, Tunisia

Average regular max temperature: 27°C
Sunshine hours: 10 hours per day
Flight clip from London: Three hours, 15 minutes

Another budget-friendly option, Hammamet and Sousse person been ranked arsenic 2 of the cheapest destinations for an all-inclusive holiday successful 2025, with deals connected seven-night stays successful the portion starting from £566 per person.

The 2 towns are southbound of the Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, and beryllium connected the Gulf of Hammamet, which is location to sloping sandy beaches cleanable for swimming and watersports.

Nearby, tourists tin research the ruins of the past metropolis of Carthage, a part-excavated UNESCO World Heritage site with an past Roman theatre, villas and baths.

Elsewhere successful Tunisia, fashionable tourer attractions see camel trekking done the godforsaken adjacent Tozeur, and exploring the Chott el Jerid brackish flats.

Paphos, Cyprus

Average regular max temperature: 25°C
Sunshine hours: 11 hours per day
Flight clip from London: Four hours, 35 minutes

Temperatures rapidly statesman to vigor up successful Cyprus successful the spring, and May is yet lukewarm for a dip successful the Blue Lagoon oregon immoderate watersports successful Coral Bay.

Tourists tin research the picturesque Old Harbour and medieval castle, and caput to the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park for a civilization hit. It’s location to well-preserved mosaics, an amphitheatre and the remains of 5 Roman villas.

In the centre of Paphos, determination are plentifulness of shops, restaurants and amusement venues to explore.

Plus, did you cognize Paphos is 1 of the fewer vacation destinations wherever you tin get a solid of bubbly for nether a fiver?

According to Travel Supermarket, you tin find a solid of sparkling vino for conscionable £3.87 successful the region.

The vino country successful Cyprus has flourished successful caller years, and Tsangarides Winery, conscionable fractional an hour’s thrust from Paphos, is simply a picturesque spot supra the Ezousa Valley wherever visitors tin larn much astir Cypriot wine.

Tenerife, Canary Islands

Average regular max temperature: 25°C
Sunshine hours: Nine hours per day
Flight clip from London: Four hours, 35 minutes

One of 7 Canary Islands, Tenerife is simply a fashionable destination for winter sun seekers acknowledgment to its determination disconnected the seashore of Africa.

The land is location to plentifulness of vacation resorts wherever tourists tin lounge by a excavation and soak up immoderate outpouring sunshine, but there’s truthful overmuch much to this underrated Canary Island.

From volcanic hikes and stargazing to cheese-tasting tours and good eating experiences, it offers a scope of activities for adventurous travellers.

A bully basal is the municipality of Puerto de la Cruz, a abbreviated locomotion from Playa Jardín, a unsocial municipality achromatic soil formation that hints astatine the island’s volcanic nature.

Animal lovers tin sojourn Loro Parque, antecedently voted the world’s champion zoo, portion quality enthusiasts tin caput to the westbound seashore of the land to research Europe’s archetypal Whale Heritage Site.

Cairo, Egypt

Average regular max temperature: 32°C
Sunshine hours: 11 hours per day
Flight clip from London: Four hours, 50 minutes

For those looking for thing a small antithetic from a emblematic formation break, the Egyptian superior of Cairo has plentifulness to offer, including historical attractions and immoderate beauteous balmy temperatures.

Take a travel to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, oregon browse the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, location to implicit 120,000 items including King Tutankhamun’s golden decease mask.

Other attractions successful the metropolis see the Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan El Khalili bazaar and cruises on the River Nile.

While determination are nary beaches successful Cairo, if you privation to walk immoderate clip sunbathing you tin instrumentality a time travel to Ain El-Sokhna, situated connected the Red Sea, astir 90 minutes thrust from the capital.

May is 1 of the champion months to sojourn the city, with lukewarm upwind and small rainfall (less than 1mm), making it 1 of the driest months of the year.

Where is blistery successful May? Long-haul destinations

Bangkok, Thailand

Average regular max temperature: 35°C
Sunshine hours: Seven hours per day
Flight clip from London: 11 hours, 30 minutes

May is the commencement of the rainy play successful Bangkok, but you’re inactive guaranteed blistery upwind — immoderate of the hottest of the year, successful information — with temperatures soaring good into the thirties.

The metropolis is steeped successful culture, with celebrated tourer attractions including Wat Arun (known arsenic Temple of Dawn and 1 of the fewer Buddhist temples tourists are encouraged to ascent on) and the Grand Palace, the authoritative residence of the monarchy since 1782.

Take a travel to 1 of the Thai capital’s floating markets, Damnoen Saduak, successful the city’s occidental province, to drawback up a bargain oregon souvenir.

Hire a vessel and paddle done the stalls, oregon hold for the vendors to marque their mode to the banks.

Meanwhile, Bangkok has been hailed a foodie paradise, with six of the World’s Best 100 Restaurants found successful the city.

Its estimation for authentic thoroughfare nutrient makes it a cleanable spot for trying each sorts of dishes connected a budget. But for a much refined experience, Bangkok’s acclaimed fine-dining restaurants tin beryllium recovered on the Michelin website.

Orlando, Florida

Average regular max temperature: 31°C
Sunshine hours: Nine hours per day
Flight clip from London: Nine hours, 50 minutes

If you’re aft a half-term interruption past Orlando is the cleanable household destination, location to galore taxable parks including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.

The erstwhile offers the likes of the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, portion Universal Studios is location to Islands of Adventure and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, meaning there’s thing to support adjacent the youngest holidaymakers happy.

The parks mostly aren’t excessively crowded successful May, due to the fact that the schoolhouse holidays don’t commencement until the extremity of the period successful Florida.

And portion Orlando doesn’t person immoderate beaches, sunseekers tin instrumentality a time travel to the surrounding coastlines, wherever you’ll find Cocoa Beach and the celebrated Daytona Beach (known champion for its racetrack) — some conscionable a one-hour thrust from the city.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Average regular max temperature: 31°C
Sunshine hours: Eight hours per day
Flight clip from London: Nine hours, 15 minutes

The Dominican Republic has a colourful past — implicit the centuries it’s changed hands from Spain to France, been annexed by Haiti and invaded by the US, and endured a dictatorship.

But these days it’s 1 of the astir fashionable tourer destinations successful the Caribbean, combining the country’s past with blistery upwind and captivating scenery.

The edifice municipality of Punta Cana, successful the eastbound of the country, is location to white-sand beaches dotted with thenar trees that spell connected for miles.

Forty minutes distant is the historical metropolis of Higuey and the Basilica Catedral Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia, 1 of the astir important spiritual sites successful the Dominican Republic.

Other attractions see the galore waterfalls connected the land — particularly those astatine Salto Alto — and the superior of Santo Domingo.

The metropolis blends cobblestone streets with alloy skyscrapers, portion the seaside promenade and lively nightlife are fashionable with tourists.

The Maldives

Average regular max temperature: 32°C
Sunshine hours: Seven hours per day
Flight clip from London: 10 hours, 15 minutes

The Maldives has a tropical clime each twelvemonth round, but you mightiness find that this coveted destination is somewhat cheaper to sojourn successful May, fixed it’s the commencement of the rainy season.

Don’t fto that enactment you disconnected though — there’s inactive plentifulness of sunshine to enjoy, with temperatures regularly topping the 30°C people during the day.

Comprising implicit 26 coral atolls (making it a cleanable destination for snorkelling and deep-sea diving), the Maldives is known for its overwater bungalows, lunar-white sands and luxury resorts.

For a sensation of section life, caput to Malé, the lively superior wherever you tin stroll done its vibrant food markets, sojourn historical mosques, and savour the freshest seafood caught from the ocean.

Havana, Cuba

Average regular max temperature: 30°C
Sunshine hours: Eight hours per day
Flight clip from London: 10 hours

The Caribbean land of Cuba is well-known for its large city, Havana, and its emotion of classical cars.

The vibrant superior is steeped successful history, mixing Spanish assemblage architecture with museums, galleries, and quirky shops and markets, and you tin circuit it successful a vintage convertible car.

But if a metropolis interruption isn’t your thing, there’s nary shortage of beaches and attractions to support you busy. Varadero is 1 of the astir fashionable formation towns, boasting soft, achromatic sand

Tourists tin besides sojourn the Bay of Pigs, a celebrated humanities tract known for the failed US penetration successful 1961.

Cuba is besides cleanable for a roadworthy travel holiday. Go beyond the tourer way to observe the municipality of Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, halt disconnected astatine Viñales to thrust connected horseback done the mountains, and marque your mode to Santa Clara to sojourn the mausoleum of revolutionary Che Guevara.

May is the cleanable clip to visit, arsenic it’s the period with the astir hours of sunshine connected the island.

Dubai, UAE

Average regular max temperature: 36°C
Sunshine hours: 13 hours per day
Flight clip from London: Seven hours

The lukewarm sunny upwind ne'er takes a deed successful Dubai, wherever temperatures rocket good into the 30s by May.

There’s nary request to battalion an exigency brolly either, arsenic the metropolis experiences zero millimetres of rainfall during this month.

Sipping connected cocktails successful a bougie formation nine is possibly 1 of the astir fashionable vacation activities here, but Dubai has truthful overmuch to connection — there’s a crushed tourists support coming back again and again.

Head beyond the city’s futuristic skyline to the godforsaken connected a dune buggy tour, wherever you tin cruise on near-deserted roads and ticker the prima travel up, oregon instrumentality a travel to the Hajar Mountains for biking, horseback riding oregon kayaking on the Hatta Dam.

And for those looking for alternate retail therapy, there’s the souk, wherever spices, golden and perfume markets connection a sensation of section culture.

Seychelles

Average regular max temperature: 29°C
Sunshine hours: 12 hours per day
Flight clip from London: Around 14 hours

May is 1 of the champion months to sojourn the Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands successful the Indian Ocean, due to the fact that it’s 1 of the calmer periods successful the region, betwixt the 2 commercialized winds which deed the land each year.

The biggest island, Mahé, is location to the country’s capital, Victoria (one of the smallest superior cities successful the world), and the Morne Seychellois National Park, with its hiking trails and exotic flora and fauna.

But the islands of La Digue, Praslin, Silhouette and Denis are each perfect destinations for those seeking an unrivalled formation escape.

With vibrant coral reefs, pristine sands and lush forests, the islands are a paradise for quality lovers and beachgoers alike.

In summation to its earthy beauty, the Seychelles has a affluent taste mix, influenced by African, European, and Asian heritage, reflected successful its Creole culture, cuisine, and architecture.

St Lucia

Average regular max temperature: 31°C
Sunshine hours: Eight hours per day
Flight clip from London: Eight hours, 30 minutes

Dubbed the Caribbean’s ‘honeymoon capital’, St Lucia boasts lush rainforests, towering volcanic peaks and an abundance of snorkelling opportunities connected its golden, sandy beaches.

The southbound of the land is location to the Pitons, 2 volcanic mountains and a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is simply a apical vacation spot for relaxing getaways and romanticist escapes.

Visitors tin bask relaxing sunset cruises, candlelit dinners connected the formation and earthy spa treatments astatine the Sulphur Springs.

Meanwhile, caput to the northbound to clasp section civilization astatine Gros Islet’s Friday nighttime thoroughfare parties.

A must-visit for foodies, the land is peculiarly celebrated for its rum and chocolate, which tin beryllium sampled connected a plantation tour.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Average regular max temperature: 31° C
Sunshine hours: Six hours per day
Flight clip from London: 12 hours, 30 minutes

Beat the crowds by visiting Vietnam’s largest metropolis successful May, erstwhile the upwind is often unsettled but seldom extreme. There volition apt beryllium days of glorious sunshine, but determination volition besides beryllium rain, truthful marque definite to battalion for some adust and bedewed conditions.

Metro‘s question writer Jessica Hamilton picked Ho Chi Minh arsenic an unmissable destination for 2025, arsenic the metropolis marks 50 years since the Fall of Saigon and the extremity of the decades-long Vietnam War.

Holidaymakers tin bask exhibitions, humanities tours, performances and different commemorative events, arsenic good arsenic indulge successful the city’s delicious thoroughfare nutrient markets and bustling nightlife, which offers rooftop bars, broadside thoroughfare bars, lively clubs, and late-night karaoke rooms.

Vietnam is besides the eventual backpacking destination, and visitors tin flight the hustle and bustle by heading further northbound to different tourer favourites specified arsenic Quy Nhon, Hoi An, the superior Hanoi and Ha Long Bay – celebrated for the towering limestone islands of Cat Ba Archipelago.

Brisbane, Australia

Average regular max temperature: 24°C
Sunshine hours: Seven hours per day
Flight clip from London: 22 hours

Australia’s autumn, which takes spot from March to May, is the cleanable clip to sojourn Australia’s eastbound coast, arsenic the oppressive summertime vigor eases and the humidity becomes much pleasant.

May besides kicks disconnected Brisbane’s festival season, with events including Brisbane Comedy Festival, Brisbane Street Art Festival, Brisbane Gin Festival and Paniyiri, the city’s Greek festival, which is celebrated for its food, euphony and Hellenic dancing.

Streets Beach is Australia’s lone inner-city, man-made beach, and the crystal-clear lagoon and achromatic soil connection a unsocial sunbathing accidental close successful the centre.

Meanwhile, further south, Australia’s Gold Coast is known for its agelong stretches of formation and fashionable surfing spots.

Further inland, Mount Coot-tha is 1 of the region’s apical attractions. The gentle trails are cleanable for a bush locomotion and hikers are rewarded with panoramic views of the metropolis erstwhile they scope the summit.

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