May in Montenegro, when the season gets going

If I had to persuade someone to visit Montenegro outside summer, I’d talk about May. The coast is enjoyable without the heat, the mountains open up bit by bit, the boats start running and there are two big celebrations, one for a village and one for the whole country. The National Tourism Organisation agrees, starting its best period in May. If fuller rivers are what you are after, look first at Montenegro weather in April.

What the weather’s like

Herceg Novi’s 1961-1990 average is 18.0°C, with highs of 22.6°C and lows of 13.5°C, around 254 hours of sunshine and 10 days of rain. Podgorica is already flirting with heat, with an average high of 24.3°C and a couple of days of 30°C or more. Up north, Kolašin averages 10.9°C and Žabljak 8.4°C. The National Tourism Organisation itself quotes an average high of about 19°C for May in its guide. May 2024 was warm, averaging 19.9°C in Herceg Novi, but wet, with 16 rainy days. The Tivat airport climatography gives an 18.2°C May average for 2013 to 2022, with about 22.7°C through the middle of the day.

Perast celebrates twice

Perast has its two most personal dates in May. On 1 May it raises the maypole, and on the 15th it holds the feast of its patron, Our Lady of Perast, the patron of the church on Our Lady of the Rocks, according to the Kotor tourist board. If my dates fitted, the 15th is the day I wouldn’t miss on the bay.

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The month’s public holidays

May has two two-day holidays. 1 May is Labour Day, and 21 May is Independence Day, marking the referendum of 21 May 2006. That day and the next are days off, so some offices and shops close. The National Tourism Organisation also lists the Budva carnival in May.

The season starts

May is when the coast springs into action. The National Tourism Organisation gives the boat-trip season as May to November, Budva’s seasonal maritime border crossing opens on 1 May and the Mamula island hotel opens from May to October. In 2026 Tivat’s Festival of the Wind ran until 23 May. The rivers are still good for kayaking, which the tourist board allows only from April to June, and Tara rafting is in full swing.

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Up in the mountains

The north is a different story in May. Žabljak, at the foot of Durmitor, averages just 8.4°C, with lows around 3.2°C and about four frosty days in the month (1961-1990), and it rains on some 15 days. Kolašin is a little milder, with highs of 17.7°C. I’d go up for the day or a couple of nights with a proper jacket, rather than expect summer walking weather, and keep the high passes for June onwards.

What about swimming?

On some days, especially late in the month, yes, but I wouldn’t plan a beach holiday for May. For that, Montenegro weather in June brings proper heat without the July and August crowds.