Where is hot in Europe in May?

May in brief in Europe

Seville leads the table with 27°C by day and 15°C at night and 5 rainy days (2 h 42 min from London). Limassol leads with 26°C by day and 17°C at night, a 20°C sea and 3 rainy days (4 h 48 min from London). Kusadasi leads with 25°C by day and 15°C at night, a 19°C sea and 5 rainy days (4 h from London). Crete leads with 25°C by day and 16°C at night, a 19°C sea and 4 rainy days (4 h 6 min from London). Athens leads with 25°C by day and 15°C at night, a 19°C sea and 5 rainy days (3 h 42 min from London).

Warm rather than hot (20-25°C): Ayia Napa 25°C, Antalya 25°C, Marmaris 25°C, Fethiye 25°C, Albufeira 24°C, Sicily 24°C and 55 more. For scale, London averages 17°C in May.

Warmest spot in each European country in May

• Spain: Seville 27°C (20 places tracked)
• Cyprus: Limassol 26°C, sea 20°C (3 places tracked)
• Turkey: Kusadasi 25°C, sea 19°C (7 places tracked)
• Greece: Crete 25°C, sea 19°C (16 places tracked)
• Portugal: Albufeira 24°C, sea 17°C (5 places tracked)
• Italy: Sicily 24°C, sea 18°C (13 places tracked)
• Albania: Saranda 23°C, sea 19°C
• Montenegro: Budva 22°C, sea 19°C
• Croatia: Split 22°C, sea 18°C (3 places tracked)
• Hungary: Budapest 21°C
• France: Nice 21°C, sea 17°C (2 places tracked)
• Malta: Valletta 21°C, sea 19°C
• Bulgaria: Sunny Beach 20°C, sea 16°C
• Czechia: Prague 19°C
• Slovenia: Bled 19°C
• Poland: Krakow 19°C
• Netherlands: Amsterdam 16°C, sea 13°C

By region

• Europe: 78 destinations, warmest Seville (27°C)

Choose Seville for heat without a long flight

Seville gives you the clearest heat-versus-flight-time win: 26°C afternoons with a flight of 2 h 42 min. It suits travellers who put warmth ahead of sea swimming, though 5 rainy days mean you should leave room for changes of plan. Valencia cuts the flight to 2 h 24 min, but daytime highs ease to 24°C and the sea is a cool 18°C. Albufeira also reaches 24°C, with a flight of 2 h 54 min, but its 17°C sea makes it a weaker choice for comfortable swimming. Sicily is a useful compromise if you accept a slightly longer journey: 24°C days, 4 rainy days and a flight of 3 h 12 min.

Choose Cyprus for warmer water and less rain

Cyprus makes the strongest case if your priority is combining heat with relatively few rainy days. Limassol reaches 26°C, with 3 rainy days and a 20°C sea. Ayia Napa trades a little daytime heat for better swimming conditions: afternoons reach 25°C, the sea reaches 21°C and there are 2 rainy days. Its 18°C nights also suit travellers who dislike chilly evenings. The catch is the flight of 4 h 48 min for either destination, longer than the Spanish and Portuguese options listed here. Choose Ayia Napa if sea temperature matters most, or Limassol if hotter afternoons are the draw. Even here, expect the water to feel fresher than the air.

Weigh Greece and Turkey against your swimming plans

Crete and Kusadasi suit travellers who want warm days and relatively little rain, rather than the warmest water. Each reaches 25°C with 4 rainy days and a 19°C sea; their flights are 4 h 6 min and 4 h respectively. Athens offers the same daytime and sea temperatures with a shorter flight of 3 h 42 min, but 5 rainy days. For warmer swimming water, Antalya reaches 21°C, although its 6 rainy days make it a wetter choice than Ayia Napa. Marmaris offers a 20°C sea and milder nights than Antalya, also with 6 rainy days. Fethiye's 8 rainy days make it less appealing if avoiding rain is your main concern.