Rethymno in May: weather, water temperatures and things to do
Is May a good time to visit?
May in Rethymno is warm, with daytime temperatures averaging +23 °C. These conditions suit walks and sightseeing. The water is cool, averaging +19 °C.
Weather in May
Late May is warmer during the day than the start of the month.
- Water
- +19 °C
- Daytime air
- +23 °C
- Night-time air
- +17 °C
Sun and precipitation in May
Monthly averages
Sunny
21 days
Sun and clouds
8 days
Cloudy
2 days
By part of the month
| Dates | Sunny | Sun and clouds | Cloudy | Days with precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | 6 days | 3 days | 1 day | 3 days |
| 11–20 | 8 days | 1 day | 1 day | 1 day |
| 21–31 | 7 days | 4 days | fewer than 1 day | 3 days |
Early, mid or late May?
| Travel dates | Day | Night | WaterWater |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 May | +21 °C | +16 °C | +18 °C |
| 11–20 May | +23 °C | +17 °C | +19 °C |
| 21–31 May | +24 °C | +18 °C | +20 °C |
Water in May
Seasonal data gives an average water temperature of +19 °C for the month. It averages +18 °C in the first ten days and +20 °C towards the end. These are seasonal averages, so the water on your travel dates can be warmer or cooler. Before your trip, check the water temperature and weather in the forecast for Rethymno.
Rainfall in May
Historical records show that May has precipitation from time to time.
April, May or June: which should you choose?
| Month | Day | Night | WaterWater |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | +19 °C | +13 °C | +16 °C |
| May | +23 °C | +17 °C | +19 °C |
| June | +27 °C | +21 °C | +22 °C |
Both the air and the water are cooler in April than in May. Both the air and the water are warmer in June than in May.
The annual charts for Rethymno compare air and water temperatures throughout the year. For historical weather in May across different years, see the weather archive.
Things to do in May
- Around the Venetian harbour, you can see the old customs house and the Ottoman-era lighthouse.
- The Venetian Fortezza offers panoramic views of Rethymno and the Cretan Sea.
- The temporary exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Rethymno is housed in the Church of St Francis. It displays regional finds from the Palaeolithic to the Venetian period.
About the data
Air temperatures use the WorldWeatherAI archive for 2020–2025. Precipitation uses data for 2020–2025. Water temperatures use WorldWeatherAI seasonal data.
Cloud cover is estimated from local six-hour intervals weighted by their overlap with daylight: up to 25% clear or mostly clear, 75% or more mostly cloudy, and partly cloudy in between. These are the site’s categories. Rounded day counts add up to the period length; icons do not represent particular dates. Precipitation is counted separately and may coincide with sunshine. Sunshine hours come from the archive, not from cloud cover. Each metric requires complete data for the same set of years; incomplete metrics are omitted.