Malta in May, my favourite month to go

When someone asks me when to go to Malta for the first time, I say May. It’s the month when everything switches on at once, beaches, boats, feasts and long opening hours, without the punishment of high-summer heat. Here’s why, with the figures alongside.

May weather at a glance

May averages around 20°C (68°F), with a 24.3°C (76°F) average high, 307.2 hours of sunshine and about 10 mm of rain. That’s almost twice December’s sunshine. The sea climbs to about 18.4°C, and in May 2022 it measured 19.4°C, still cooler than the air. Warm air over cooler water is the classic recipe for fog, and on 17 May 2022 the islands woke up in it.

What’s worth knowing is that summer sometimes jumps the gun. In 2024 the year’s first heatwave turned up in mid-May, between the 16th and the 18th, peaking at 32.3°C (90°F) on the last day. In 2022 the month closed with 31.2°C on the 31st. The May record stands at 35.3°C, from 2006.

Does it rain in Malta in May?

Rarely, but not never. The norm is about 10 mm, and some years are bone dry, like 2024 with 5.8 mm, or 2026 with 3.2 mm and the summer’s last rain on 16 May. Then there are surprises. On 19 May 2025 a depression that formed over Algeria dropped 36.3 mm in under 24 hours, more than three times a normal May’s rainfall, with thunderstorms and strong winds.

May 2023 was the odd one. Cloudy, with 236.8 hours of sunshine against a 307 norm, an average wind of 10.1 knots and 20 wind warnings in that month alone. So I wouldn’t take a May for granted, even with the statistics on its side.

Beaches, Comino and the sea in May

May opens the sea season. In 2023 Visit Malta listed boats from Ċirkewwa to the Blue Lagoon from 1 May to 31 October, every half hour. Since May 2025, landing at the Blue Lagoon has also meant reserving one of three free slots, and as it takes 4,000 people at most, I’d check whether anything has changed this year.

The 2026 Blue Flag season started on 29 May, with supervision on MTA-managed beaches. You can swim before that date, but without lifeguards. With the water at 18 or 19°C I’d swim in the second half of the month, and to choose a spot I’d start with the best beaches in Malta. Before 29 May, pick a beach with easy entry and swim with company.

Feasts, temples and salt pans

Late May kicks off the festa season, the long weekends of statues, band marches and fireworks that Visit Malta places from late May well into September. On Gozo, St Paul’s feast in Munxar usually opens the year, although in 2026 it moved to 13 September. The full calendar is in Malta’s village feasts.

Heritage Malta scheduled a sunset visit to Ġgantija on 29 May 2026, and the 2026 Malta Biennale ran until May. On Gozo, the Xwejni salt pans start their harvest in mid-May. Mark 1 May, Workers’ Day, a public holiday, and 26 May 2027, when Heritage Malta delays opening the Grandmaster’s Palace ceremonial halls until 13:30.

How I’d plan a week in May

Two days for Valletta and the Three Cities, one for the southern temples, one for Gozo with Ġgantija and the salt pans, and the rest for the sea. I’d take the morning slot for Comino, 08:00 to 13:00, and keep the afternoon for Mellieħa or a cove in the north. With an average of around ten hours of sunshine a day, May fits all of that in without rushing, and summer opening hours still let you leave the temples until after 17:00. Pack sun cream from the first day, and a light layer for the evening ferry back from Gozo.

How busy is May?

Busier than you might think. Malta International Airport handled 927,709 passengers in May 2025, slightly more than June (923,374). Even so, it’s well below the million-plus of July and August. If you’re tied to the late-May school break, book early all the same. The bus keeps its winter fare, €2 a ticket, until mid-June. If you’d prefer warmer water, move on to Malta in June, and if you’d like even less heat, see Malta in April.