Sicily · Month comparison
July vs May
May ranks #1 overall vs July at #11. The undisputed best month — 23C, near-dry, schools in session, every site at its photogenic peak.
July
#11 of 12 months
Worth considering
Festino di Santa Rosalia floods Palermo with 500k worshippers — but the south coast hits 38C+.
- ↑Festino di Santa Rosalia in Palermo on 14-15 July — 400-year-old festival with parade chariot down Corso Vittorio Emanuele
- ↑Taormina Arte programme runs concerts in the Greek theatre — Andrea Bocelli, Sting, full orchestras
May
#1 of 12 months
Best match
The undisputed best month — 23C, near-dry, schools in session, every site at its photogenic peak.
- ↑23C with low humidity and 9 hours sun — perfect conditions for Etna trekking and temple visits
- ↑Infiorata di Noto on the third weekend — flower-petal carpets laid through the baroque town
| Factor | July | May |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 7 | 10 |
| Value score | 3 | 7 |
| Crowd score | 2 | 6 |
| Events score | 9 | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 7 | 10 |
| Avg high temp | 32°C | 23°C |
| Monthly rain | 5mm | 25mm |
| Daily sunshine | 11hrs | 9hrs |
July trade-offs
- ↓Inland Sicily hits 38-40C — Agrigento and Piazza Armerina effectively un-visitable midday
- ↓Scirocco wind episodes can push temperatures past 42C for 1-2 days at a time
- ↓Hotel rates 2-3x May for identical rooms
May trade-offs
- ↓Sea at 19C — first viable swimming days only at the end of the month
- ↓Some south coast scirocco wind episodes can push temperatures briefly to 35C
Scores compare months within Sicily. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →