Mexico
Tulum in May
🌦️ Shoulder (showers)Hot, humid and some showers.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 8.3What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.2
- ✓Hot (32°C highs / 22°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23°C)
- !Wet: ~104 mm rain, ~4 heavy-rain days
- Air quality9.9
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~5 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.3 Very good | 9.1 Excellent |
| Season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 32° / 22° | 29° / 18° |
| Rain | 104 mm | 61 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 23° | dew pt 19° |
| PM2.5 | 5 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Tulum weather-station normals. Rainfall: Tulum 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 TulumEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA town on Mexico's Caribbean coast in Quintana Roo, known for Mayan ruins on a clifftop, beaches and nearby cenotes.
Sea turtle nesting seasonDate variesUsually May to October
Sea turtles nest on local beaches, with hatchlings later in the season.
Why go: Avoid lights on the beach at night and keep away from marked nests.
Where: Tulum and Riviera Maya beaches
Coming up later
Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos)Every year1–2 November every year
Families honour the dead with altars and food; in Yucatán this is known as Hanal Pixán.
Why go: Respect family and cemetery observances.
Where: Across the region
Tulum Archaeological Site
A walled Mayan city on cliffs above the Caribbean, including El Castillo.
💡 Arrive at opening time to avoid heat and tour groups.
Cenotes
Natural freshwater sinkholes for swimming and snorkelling, such as Gran Cenote and Dos Ojos.
💡 Use biodegradable sunscreen or none, as many cenotes require it.
Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
A UNESCO-listed reserve of lagoons, mangroves and reef south of Tulum.
Tulum beaches
White-sand beaches along the hotel zone.
💡 Sargassum seaweed can be heavy roughly between April and October and varies by year.
Cobá
A Mayan site in jungle about 45 minutes inland, with the tall Nohoch Mul pyramid.
💡 Climbing the pyramid has been prohibited in recent years.
Akumal
A bay north of Tulum known for snorkelling among sea turtles.
Cochinita pibil
Yucatán-style slow-cooked pork marinated in achiote and sour orange.
💡 Taquerías in Tulum town
Tacos al pastor
Spit-roasted pork tacos with pineapple.
💡 Taquerías in town
Ceviche
Raw fish or shrimp cured in lime juice.
💡 Beach restaurants
Sopa de lima
A Yucatán chicken soup flavoured with local lime.
💡 Local restaurants
Hammocks
Woven cotton hammocks, a Yucatán tradition.
💡 Shops in Tulum town
Mexican handicrafts
Embroidered textiles, ceramics and Otomi-style fabrics.
💡 Shops in town and the hotel zone
Melipona honey
Honey from native stingless bees kept by Mayan communities.
💡 Craft and natural-products shops