Cuba
Varadero 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 8.4What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.3
- ✓Hot (32.1°C highs / 24.6°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 21.5°C)
- !Wet: ~117 mm rain, ~2 heavy-rain days
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~5 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.4 Very good | 9.3 Excellent |
| Season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 32° / 25° | 27° / 20° |
| Rain | 117 mm | 25 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 22° | dew pt 18° |
| PM2.5 | 5 µg/m³ | 7 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast).
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: International Workers' Day (1 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore VaraderoEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA beach resort on Cuba's Hicacos Peninsula, known for a long white-sand beach and all-inclusive hotels, about two hours east of Havana.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Hurricane seasonEvery year1 June to 30 November every year
The official Atlantic hurricane season, with highest risk from August to October.
Why go: Consider travel insurance and watch forecasts.
Where: Region-wide
Dry seasonDate variesUsually November to April
Drier, less humid weather and peak tourist season.
Why go: Book ahead for winter holidays.
Where: Region-wide
Varadero Beach
Around 20 km of white sand and calm turquoise water.
Xanadu Mansion
A 1930s mansion built for Irénée du Pont, now a hotel and golf clubhouse.
Saturno Cave
A cave with a freshwater pool for swimming, near the airport.
Ambrosio Cave
A cave with pre-Columbian pictographs in the Varadero Ecological Reserve.
Matanzas and Bellamar Caves
The nearby city and cave system, easy day trips from Varadero.
Catamaran trips to Cayo Blanco
Boat excursions for snorkelling and beaches.
Ropa vieja
Shredded beef stewed in tomato sauce.
💡 Paladares (private restaurants)
Congrí
Rice and black beans cooked together.
💡 Local restaurants
Lobster
Grilled Caribbean spiny lobster.
💡 Paladares and beach restaurants
Mojito
A rum cocktail with lime, mint and sugar.
💡 Bars everywhere
Cuban rum
Aged Cuban rum.
💡 State-run shops
Cuban cigars
Hand-rolled cigars.
💡 Official Casa del Habano stores; keep receipts for customs
Cuban art and crafts
Paintings and crafts by local artists.
💡 Craft markets in Varadero