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Where to go in May
A very merry month of stays…
With spring in full swing, and a glint of summer on the blue, blue horizon, turn your compass towards the coast for breaks in May, where you’ll find festivals, folk celebrations and gear-ups to major sporting events. Or meander through châteaux-dotted wine routes or strings of sandy isles.
Barcelona
Avg. temperature: high 17°C; low 8°C
The first of May is Barcelona’s sleepy public holiday, but things liven up quick, with events that are conscientious (eco-friendly shopping at Feria BioCultura; Sant Ponç medicinal-herb fair) and cultured (a documentary film festival; International Museum Day and Night of the Museums, both with free admission and performances).
Scotland
Avg. temperature: high 17°C; low 4°C
Swerve the crowds (if not the midges) and head to bonny Scotland in mild May, when the days get longer, the bluebells start to bloom and the landscape bursts back to life. It’s one of the Highlands’ driest months, the Highland Games commence (and run all the way up until September) and wildlife sightings will be abundant — from red squirrels and lambs to sea eagles, seals, dolphins and even orcas.
Croatia
Avg. temperature: high 18°C; low 11°C
Croatia awakens from winter in May, but don’t overcrowd Dubrovnik — shake out your sea legs and go coastal for sailing off the Dalmatian Coast at marina-side stays in Split or Šibenik, sports events in Hvar or secret-garden concerts on car-free isle Cavtat. There’s a cornucopia of wine and shellfish festivals in the Istria region — a jump-off point for twinning your break with Slovenia or Italy.
Turkey
Avg. temperature: high 19°C; low 10°C
In Turkey, spring rites are a spectacle of dancing and fire-leaping at folk fest Hıdırellez. And you’ll also jump for joy at Bodrum’s waterside hubs: arts collective Scorpios and buzzy Birdcage 33, a short flit from yacht-lined Yalıkavak Marina’s hub of glamorous restaurants, designer shops and bars. This month also sees in public holidays, cultural happenings and bird-watching ops.
Bordeaux
Avg. temperature: high 17°C; low 7°C
Designate a driver — Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion pair as beautifully as the region’s red wines and cheeses for a road trip. May kicks off with Open Days for nosing around and into cháteaux wine glasses; or take a Grand Cru(ise) along the Route des Châteaux. Just don’t be hungover for the city’s multiple brocante antique markets and its tennis tournament.
Caribbean
Avg. temperature: high 30°C; low 24°C
At the end of the dry season, the Caribbean is ideal. A hop down the curve leading from the Dominican Republic to Grenada would be dreamy, but fine-tune a few stops: Barbados and St Lucia pair well for tropical flowers, Piton-scaling, healing wallows in sulphuric springs and fish frys. Or Turks and Caicos has just-right watersports weather — whichever you choose, talc-soft beaches to yourself are a given.