Valletta · Month comparison

May vs September

September ranks #1 overall vs May at #2. The other golden window: sea still warm, heat easing, prices dropping, crowds manageable again.

Valletta May — ornate blue enclosed wooden gallarija balconies on Valletta building facades, the city's distinctive architectural signature

May

#2 of 12 months

Best match

The sweet spot: warm enough to swim, nearly zero rain, manageable crowds, and great value before summer pricing kicks in.

  • Sea temperature reaches 22°C — genuinely comfortable for swimming, and Comino's Blue Lagoon not yet overwhelmed
  • Only 12mm of rainfall all month: reliably sunny days for sightseeing and beach time
Valletta September — Gozo's Ramla Bay seen through Tal-Mixta Cave opening, the red-sand beach and green terraced hills of the quieter island

September

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The other golden window: sea still warm, heat easing, prices dropping, crowds manageable again.

  • Sea at 25°C — the best swimming month if you want warm water without the summer madness
  • Temperatures drop from 32°C to 29°C: warm but no longer punishing, and sightseeing in Valletta becomes pleasant again
FactorMaySeptember
Weather score
9
9
Value score
6
6
Crowd score
6
6
Events score
5
6
Atmosphere
9
9
Avg high temp24°C29°C
Monthly rain12mm21mm
Daily sunshine9hrs8hrs

May trade-offs

  • Prices rising from spring lows — hotels and flights 15–20% higher than April
  • Building tourist numbers on weekends, especially at popular sites and water taxi stops for Comino
  • Book accommodation in advance — May availability shrinks quickly as it's increasingly recognised as the best month

September trade-offs

  • Still busy early in the month — the first two weeks of September retain much of August's tourist volume
  • First light rainfall returns (21mm), though the month is still very dry overall
  • Flight prices remain elevated through most of September from Northern European holiday routes
Scores compare months within Valletta. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →