Your May weather guide
WarmWeather in Nerja in May
May is a good time to visit Nerja if you want warm days rather than intense heat, but it is less convincing for a swimming holiday. Average daytime highs are 22.6°C, nights average 16.2°C, and the sea is a cold 17.5°C. For a UK traveller, that means weather suited to spending time outdoors, with light layers for evenings. Some rain is likely, so go expecting warmth rather than guaranteed dry days.
Long-term climate averages for Nerja, not a forecast · 1991-2020
Nerja, month by month
Your snapshot
At a glance
The useful details for Nerja.
- Average daytime high
- 22.6°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 26°C
- Average night-time low
- 16.2°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 13°C or lower
- Compared with London
- +6.0°C
- London averages 16.6°C in May
- Sea temperature
- 17.5°C
- year to year: 17°C to 19°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 9.0h
- 64% of 14.0 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 4
- 21 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 69%
- Days over 25°C
- 23%
- 1% over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 33.2°C
- 2015-05-14
- Record low 1991-2020
- 8.4°C
- 2013-05-01
- Flight from London
- ≈ 2 h 48 min
- 1627 km, short-haul (estimate for a direct flight)
Records are observed extremes within 1991-2020, not typical holiday conditions. Warm-day percentages are shares of days, not day counts.
How May compares
May is the 6th warmest month of the year in Nerja. Within Spain it is 28th of 87 (Spain in May). Against London's average high of 16.6°C in May, Nerja is 6.0°C warmer by day and 7.9°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in May
The typical May day in Nerja peaks at 22.6°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 26.4°C or more. Roughly 1 in 4 days top 25°C and 1 in 111 pass 30°C. Nights average 16.2°C; one night in ten drops to 13.2°C or lower, so pack a layer for evenings. Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest May day here reached 33.2°C (2015-05-14) and the coldest night 8.4°C (2013-05-01).
Rain in May
Some rain (4-8 rainy days): about 4 days with 1 mm or more, 21 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest May was 2011 with 60 mm, the driest 1995 with 0 mm. Humidity averages 69%.
Sea temperature in May
The sea averages 17.5°C - too cold for most (under 18°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 16.7°C to 18.5°C. For the warmest sea here, come in August (23.8°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 9.0 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 14.0 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 07:08 and sets about 21:16 local time in mid-May. Average cloud cover is 36%.
Is May a good time to visit Nerja?
It is a reasonable choice: warm days. The best months for Nerja on our scoring are July, August, June; months averaging 25°C or more: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
Warm days with room for a light layer
Pack light clothes for daytime, but keep a jumper or light jacket handy for sitting outside after dark. The colder nights can fall to 13.2°C or below, so an evening outfit that relies on daytime warmth may leave you chilly. There is plenty of usable daylight: about 14 hours, including around 9 hours of sunshine. That gives you flexibility to spend time outdoors without concentrating everything around midday, when shade and sun protection will be useful. May suits travellers who prefer comfortable warmth to persistent heat, though individual days can still feel noticeably hotter than the monthly average suggests.
Limited rain, but a cold sea
Rain need not dominate your plans: May has about 4 rainy days, so it makes sense to leave some flexibility rather than plan the whole trip around wet weather. A light waterproof is a sensible addition to your bag, and a dry forecast is a better cue for a long spell outdoors than the monthly average alone. The bigger catch is the sea. At 17.5°C, it is cold rather than comfortably swimmable, even when the air feels warm in sunshine. If swimming is central to your holiday, May is a compromise. If you mainly want time beside the water and are happy to skip a dip, the sea temperature matters much less.
A little perspective
Nerja through the year
May is highlighted. See how it compares with the rest of the year.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Sun/day | Rain mm | Rainy days | Days 25°C+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.6°C | 9.8°C | 15.0°C | 5.5 | 47 | 7 | 0% |
| February | 16.1°C | 10.2°C | 14.8°C | 6.2 | 43 | 7 | 0% |
| March | 17.9°C | 11.7°C | 15.1°C | 6.7 | 55 | 7 | 1% |
| April | 19.4°C | 13.3°C | 15.8°C | 7.7 | 35 | 6 | 1% |
| MaySelected | 22.6°C | 16.2°C | 17.5°C | 9.0 | 21 | 4 | 23% |
| Junebest | 26.7°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C | 11.5 | 8 | 2 | 76% |
| Julybest | 30.1°C | 23.0°C | 22.4°C | 12.8 | 1 | 0 | 99% |
| Augustbest | 30.3°C | 23.5°C | 23.8°C | 11.2 | 3 | 1 | 100% |
| September | 26.6°C | 20.4°C | 22.0°C | 8.4 | 18 | 3 | 76% |
| October | 22.9°C | 17.1°C | 19.6°C | 6.5 | 45 | 6 | 20% |
| November | 18.7°C | 13.2°C | 17.2°C | 5.6 | 62 | 7 | 1% |
| December | 16.4°C | 11.0°C | 15.9°C | 4.9 | 64 | 7 | 0% |
Day = average daytime high, night = average night-time low, 1991-2020.Sun is hours per day; rainy days count 1 mm or more.
Day, night and sea
Monthly average temperatures, 1991-2020
- Day
- Night
- Sea
Best months here
On warmth, low rainfall and sunshine, start with these.
Keep exploring
Similar in May
Closest matches on daytime temperature, sea temperature and sunshine, in other countries.
A little more detail
Nerja in May FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is Nerja hot in May?
Nerja is warm in May: the average daytime high is 22.6°C and nights average 16.2°C. Roughly 1 in 4 May days reach 25°C.
Can you swim in the sea in Nerja in May?
The sea around Nerja averages 17.5°C in May, which is cold for swimming without a wetsuit. Between 1991 and 2020 it ranged from 17°C to 19°C depending on the year.
How much does it rain in Nerja in May?
Nerja sees about 4 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 21 mm of rain in a typical May. The wettest May between 1991 and 2020 was 2011 (60 mm) and the driest was 1995 (0 mm).
How sunny is Nerja in May?
Nerja gets around 9.0 hours of sunshine a day in May out of 14.0 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does Nerja compare with the UK in May?
Nerja is on average 6.0°C warmer than London by day in May (22.6°C against 16.6°C).
What is the hottest May on record in Nerja?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest May day in Nerja reached 33.2°C on 2015-05-14, and the coldest night dropped to 8.4°C on 2013-05-01.
How much warmer is Nerja than London in May?
Nerja's average daytime high is 22.6°C, compared with 16.6°C in London - a difference of 6°C. That is a noticeable step up in daytime warmth, though you should still bring a layer for evenings rather than pack only summer clothes.
Is May likely to be very hot?
Usually it is warm rather than very hot. About 23% of days reach 25°C, while only 1% reach 30°C. May therefore suits travellers who want warmth without making strong heat the main feature of their holiday.
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid) and NOAA Coral Reef Watch 5 km sea temperatures, 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at Nerja. Sea temperature from the nearest 5 km sea cell, 3.1 km from that point. Sunshine hours are estimated from average cloud cover.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C