Lima · Peru
May
Garúa season underway — grey Lima is genuinely liveable, just not photogenic.
Strong option
#8 of 12 months
There are better months for Lima — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
20.5°C
Low
16.2°C
Rain
1mm
Sun
3.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in Lima
Weather
Above average
Value
Excellent
Crowds
Excellent
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in May
- ↑May is when experienced Lima visitors discover the city's winter personality — distinctly different from the summer version, but perfectly functional. The grey skies reduce the temperature to 20°C and create a European-autumn atmosphere over the clifftop parks and Barranco bohemian streets that is, in its way, more characterful than summer's photogenic clarity. The restaurants are quieter (easier bookings), the museum attendance is down (no queues at the Larco), and the overall city is more accessible.
- ↑May 1 (Labour Day, Día del Trabajo) is a national public holiday with outdoor events and markets across Lima. The Artisan Fair at Parque Kennedy in Miraflores is excellent in May — Peruvian textiles (alpaca knits, hand-woven tapestries from Cusco, silver jewellery) at prices meaningfully below the tourist-season premium.
- ↑The Inca-era archaeological sites of the Lima metropolitan area — Huaca Pucllana (an adobe pyramid in the middle of Miraflores, open for evening candlelit tours from 7pm), Pachacamac (30km south, a major pre-Inca oracle and pilgrimage centre) — are significantly less crowded in May and can be properly appreciated without competing with tour groups.
What you sacrifice
- ↓May's 3.5 sunshine hours daily represent the beginning of the grey season — the garúa is firmly established, and overcast skies are the overwhelming norm. Photography of Lima's architecture and clifftop scenery is significantly hampered by the perpetual diffuse light, and the beach experience that defines summer Lima is entirely over.
- ↓Sea temperatures begin declining (21°C in May, dropping toward 17°C by August) — the Pacific becomes genuinely cold for swimming in May, and the beach clubs close or reduce significantly.
How May compares to February (best month)
| Factor | May | February ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 5 | 9 |
| Value | 8 | 5 |
| Crowds | 8 | 5 |
May in other destinations
Lisbon (20.7°C)Barcelona (20.8°C)Tokyo (23.8°C)Bali (31.2°C)Santorini (19.8°C)Paris (18.1°C)New York (20.4°C)Marrakech (26.4°C)Amsterdam (16.4°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (21.7°C)Bangkok (32.6°C)Istanbul (20.7°C)Vienna (19.7°C)Seoul (21.4°C)Dubrovnik (20.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (26.2°C)Kyoto (25.2°C)Phuket (32.6°C)Cape Town (18.9°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (23°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (28°C)London (18°C)Sydney (19°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (38°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (33°C)Miami (30.6°C)Florence (23.1°C)Queenstown (11°C)Madrid (21.7°C)Porto (21°C)Edinburgh (15°C)Copenhagen (16°C)Budapest (22°C)Kraków (20°C)Tbilisi (23°C)Palawan (32°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (25°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (19°C)Mykonos (23°C)Zanzibar (28°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (32°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (25°C)Seville (27°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (34°C)Havana (30°C)Split (22°C)Taipei (30°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (24°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (29°C)Cappadocia (22°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (31°C)Tanzania (23°C)Seychelles (28°C)Nepal (28°C)Jordan (28°C)Azores (21°C)Bora Bora (28°C)Los Angeles (22.8°C)Cairo (34.8°C)Kenya (26.1°C)Jaipur (40.2°C)Las Vegas (33.8°C)San Francisco (17.5°C)Madeira (23°C)Vancouver (17.8°C)Muscat (40.1°C)Cinque Terre (21°C)Kotor (22°C)Tel Aviv (27°C)Santiago (17°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (17.8°C)Penang (33.2°C)Lombok (31.5°C)Cape Verde (27.8°C)Fez (27.8°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (28°C)Oslo (17°C)Auckland (17°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Lima, not across destinations. Methodology →