Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua in May
☀️ Dry seasonPleasant, humid and some showers.
🎒 Pack: quick-dry fabrics · sunglasses & hat
Why May scores 8.9What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.1
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (27.9°C highs / 26.8°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.2°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~67 mm rain)
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~4 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.9 Excellent | 9.2 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Dry season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 28° / 27° | 27° / 26° |
| Rain | 67 mm | 44 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 23° | dew pt 22° |
| PM2.5 | 4 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Labour Day 1–3 May · 3 days off in a row
- Whit Monday 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore AntiguaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyAn eastern Caribbean island known for its many beaches, sailing heritage and English Harbour's restored naval dockyard.
Antigua Sailing WeekDate variesUsually late April to early May
One of the Caribbean's major sailing regattas, with racing and parties.
Why go: Accommodation near English Harbour is booked out early.
Where: English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour
Coming up later
Antigua CarnivalDate variesUsually late July to the first Tuesday of August
Carnival celebrating emancipation, with parades, J'ouvert and calypso.
Why go: The final days are public holidays with big street parades.
Where: St John's
Independence DayEvery year1 November every year
Celebrates independence from Britain in 1981.
Why go: Expect a parade and ceremonies.
Where: St John's and island-wide
Nelson's Dockyard
A restored 18th-century Georgian naval dockyard at English Harbour, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Shirley Heights Lookout
A hilltop viewpoint over English and Falmouth Harbours.
💡 Sunday evening parties with steel band music are a local tradition.
Half Moon Bay
A crescent-shaped beach on the Atlantic coast.
Dickenson Bay
A calm west-coast beach with water sports.
Stingray City
A shallow sandbar area where visitors can swim with southern stingrays.
Barbuda
Sister island with a long pink-sand beach and a large frigatebird colony.
💡 Reached by ferry or small plane from Antigua.
Fungee and pepperpot
Cornmeal and okra dumpling with a vegetable and meat stew, the national dish.
Ducana
Sweet potato and coconut dumpling wrapped in leaves, often served with saltfish.
Antigua black pineapple
A small, very sweet local pineapple variety.
Saltfish
Salted cod cooked with onions, peppers and tomatoes.
Antiguan rum
Rums such as English Harbour and Cavalier from the Antigua Distillery.
💡 Supermarkets and duty-free shops
Susie's Hot Sauce
A locally made pepper sauce.
💡 Supermarkets and gift shops
Local crafts
Batik, pottery and paintings by Antiguan artists.
💡 Craft markets in St John's