Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala in May
🌦️ Shoulder (showers)Pleasant and some showers. Watch for hazy air.
🎒 Pack: compact umbrella or rain jacket · N95 mask for hazy days
Why May scores 7.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.9
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (25°C highs / 14°C lows)
- ✓Slightly humid (dew point 15°C)
- !Wet: ~118 mm rain, ~4 heavy-rain days
- Air quality4.1
- !Unhealthy for sensitive groups (PM2.5 ~50 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline5.0
- ·High caution
| May | Nov | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.8 Very good | 8.7 Excellent |
| Season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) | 🌤️ Cool dry season |
| High / low | 25° / 14° | 23° / 13° |
| Rain | 118 mm | 16 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 15° | dew pt 14° |
| PM2.5 | 50 µg/m³ | 29 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Antigua Guatemala weather-station normals. Rainfall: Antigua Guatemala weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
Other public holidays: Labor Day (1 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore Antigua GuatemalaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA colonial city in Guatemala's highlands, ringed by volcanoes, with cobbled streets, baroque churches and earthquake-damaged ruins.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Independence DayEvery year15 September every year
Celebrates Central American independence with parades and torch relays.
Why go: Expect school bands and processions.
Where: Citywide
Day of the Dead giant kitesEvery year1 November every year
Towns near Antigua fly enormous paper kites in cemeteries to honour the dead.
Why go: Very crowded; leave early and allow time for traffic.
Where: Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez, near Antigua
Semana SantaDate variesHoly Week before Easter — date moves each year
Huge religious processions pass over elaborate carpets (alfombras) of coloured sawdust and flowers.
Why go: One of the busiest weeks of the year; book accommodation months ahead.
Where: Streets of the old city
Arco de Santa Catalina
A yellow 17th-century arch with Volcán de Agua as a backdrop.
Parque Central and Catedral
The central plaza flanked by the cathedral and its partly ruined older sections.
Iglesia de La Merced
A yellow baroque church with ornate white stucco decoration.
Cerro de la Cruz
A hilltop cross with a view over the city and Volcán de Agua.
Volcán Acatenango
An overnight hike to a summit camp with views of nearby Volcán de Fuego erupting.
💡 It is a strenuous, high-altitude hike; go with a guide and warm clothing.
Volcán de Pacaya
An active volcano with a shorter guided hike to lava fields.
Pepián
A thick spiced stew of meat and roasted seeds, often considered Guatemala's national dish.
Jocón
Chicken in a green sauce of tomatillo and herbs.
Rellenitos de plátano
Mashed plantain filled with sweet black beans and fried.
Dulces típicos
Traditional sweets such as coconut and milk candies.
💡 Sweet shops in the city
Guatemalan coffee
Coffee grown on the volcanic slopes around Antigua.
💡 Cafés and coffee farms
Textiles
Handwoven huipiles, scarves and bags made by Maya weavers.
💡 Mercado de Artesanías and shops
Jade
Guatemalan jadeite jewellery and carvings.
💡 Jade shops and workshops in the city
Coffee
Locally grown Antigua coffee beans.
💡 Coffee farms and cafés
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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