Barbados
Barbados in May
☀️ Dry seasonWarm, humid and some showers.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · quick-dry fabrics · sunglasses & hat
Why May scores 8.4What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.6
- ✓Warm (31°C highs / 25°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.4°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~74 mm rain)
- Air quality9.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~11 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.4 Very good | 8.9 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Dry season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 31° / 25° | 29° / 23° |
| Rain | 74 mm | 68 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 23° | dew pt 22° |
| PM2.5 | 11 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Bridgetown weather-station normals. Rainfall: Bridgetown weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Whit Monday 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: May Day (1 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore BarbadosEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA Caribbean island known for its beaches, rum heritage, cricket culture and the historic capital of Bridgetown.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Crop OverDate variesUsually June to the first Monday of August (Grand Kadooment)
A harvest festival with calypso, parties and a costumed parade.
Why go: Grand Kadooment Day is the biggest party.
Where: Island-wide
Independence DayEvery year30 November every year
Celebrates independence from Britain in 1966.
Why go: A public holiday with parades and ceremonies.
Where: Island-wide
Holetown FestivalDate variesUsually mid-February
Marks the first English settlement in 1627 with music and crafts.
Why go: Good for local crafts and food.
Where: Holetown
Harrison's Cave
A limestone cave explored by tram.
Carlisle Bay
A bay near Bridgetown with calm water, shipwrecks and turtles for snorkelling.
Bathsheba
A rugged east-coast beach with large boulders and surf.
💡 Strong currents make swimming unsafe.
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison
A UNESCO-listed colonial town and military garrison.
St Nicholas Abbey
A 17th-century plantation house with a rum distillery.
Oistins Friday Fish Fry
A weekly evening of fried fish, music and dancing at the Oistins fish market.
Cou-cou and flying fish
Cornmeal and okra with steamed flying fish, the national dish.
Fish cakes
Salt cod fritters, often served in bread as 'bread and two'.
Macaroni pie
Baked macaroni and cheese.
Pudding and souse
Pickled pork with steamed sweet potato pudding, traditionally eaten on Saturdays.
Rum punch
Rum, lime and sugar drink.
Barbados rum
Rum from Mount Gay and other distilleries.
💡 Supermarkets and distilleries
Bajan pepper sauce
Hot sauce made with Scotch bonnet peppers and mustard.
💡 Supermarkets
Earthworks pottery
Hand-painted pottery from a long-established studio in St Thomas.
💡 Earthworks studio and gift shops