If you’re planning a trip to Aruba, you have to consider your budget and the weather on the island. May is relatively budget-friendly as it comes a month after tourism peaks in Aruba. However, it also comes a month before one of the hottest months on the island. Here’s what you can expect for Aruba weather in May:
The weather is hot in Aruba in May with 80°F to 90°F daytime temperature and 8 hours of sunlight. There is little to no cloud cover and nominal rainfall. In other words, Aruba has an arid atmosphere making it a suboptimal location to take a vacation in.
(F)
April89790.3880
May90800.6881
June90800.6982
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about Aruba’s weather, alongside how it impacts your potential vacation there. You will also find out how you should prepare for a May vacation in Aruba, starting with the essentials that you must pack before traveling to Aruba.
Table of Contents- Aruba Temperature In December
- Sunshine In December In Aruba
- Packing List for a December Stay in Aruba
- Portable Travel Umbrella
- Sunscreen (50 SPF+)
- Mobile Protector Devices
- Thermos Travel Mug
- Swimming Clothes
- What Not To Do In Aruba In December
- Do Not Have A Rigid Itinerary
- Do Not Visit Oranjestad When It Is Raining
- Do Not Swim At Night
- Do Not Pack Leather Shoes
- Avoid Driving And Vehicles On Rainy Days
- Best Things To Do In Aruba In December
- December Vacation in Aruba FAQs
- Is December a good time to go to Aruba?
- Can you swim in Aruba in December?
- How rainy is it in Aruba in December?
- Is it sunny in Aruba in December?
- What month is the cheapest to go to Aruba?
- Recap: Is December a Good Time to Book a Trip to Aruba?
Aruba Temperature In May
In May, the temperature in Aruba is high, with the maximum average being 79°F and the minimum hovering around 75°F. This month marks the beginning of the summer on the island that has summer all year long.
Special considerations for summer weather include an appropriate head cover (umbrellas or hats), light clothes, and sunscreen.
Sunshine In May In Aruba
The reason sunscreen is essential for traveling to Aruba is simply that there is too much sunshine on the island in May.
With 8 hours of sunlight in the daytime, there is plenty of time to sunbathe in Aruba. However, the midday sunlight is too harsh for sunbathing, so you will need to wait until 5 pm to head out to work a tan.
But if you plan to head out to the beach to swim, then any time of the day is fine because the water temperature there in May is good.
Water Temperature In Aruba In May
The water in Aruba during the month of May is 81°F, which means it is okay to swim in. In fact, it can help you break free from the daytime heat, which can peak at 90°F.
Add to that the fact that water always feels 10 degrees colder than it actually is because it can drain body heat quicker than air, and you have the perfect natural air conditioner in Aruba’s sea.
Aside from a casual dip in the sea, you can also go diving with a dedicated diving tour. Check out the activities section later in this post to learn more about underwater adventures in Aruba.
Rainfall In Aruba In May
May is one of the driest months in Aruba. The precipitation on the island is around 0.6 inches, which is 600% less than Aruba’s rainiest months. In a way, that’s good news because your plans won’t get interrupted by rain, and you won’t need an umbrella to keep yourself dry.
The bad news is that you will probably need an umbrella to keep yourself out of the sunlight. Being in the shade is important when you are outdoors in Aruba during the day. Anything from a straw hat to an umbrella can do the job.
Packing For A May Stay In Aruba
If you’re going to Aruba in May, you should expect hot weather, occasional rain showers, and nominal a few hours of harsh sunlight alongside many hours of average sunlight. With those conditions in mind, you should pack the following:
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are pretty helpful in May because Aruba has 8 hours of daylight, with 7 out of every ten days having zero cloud cover. Shades like Retro Rewind are unisex and timeless, which means you can use them long after you’re done with your Aruba visit. More importantly, they are anti-UV, which means they protect your eyesight from being harmed due to the harsh Aruba sun.
A Folding Umbrella
A travel umbrella is a must in Aruba in May because it can protect you from direct sunlight as well as from occasional rain. The Repel Umbrella can be easily contracted and taken on trips. It has decent value for the price it commands, and it is one of the highest-rated travel umbrellas on Amazon. It has a global collective average of 4.5 stars on a 5-star scale, and that too from a verified review pool of over 58,000 customers. If you don’t want to carry an Umbrella, get yourself at least two hats. One for the beach and one for casual day-to-day activities.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a must-pack item regardless of when you travel to Aruba because the island has serious sun exposure during the daytime. May marks the beginning of the hottest three months, so you should probably get a high-SPF sunscreen like Neutrogena Beach Defense. It is one of the best-protecting sunscreens that can help you be at ease when you go sunbathing.
Reusable Water Bottles
Single-use plastic water bottles are anyway bad for the environment. To make matters worse, they are quite expensive. A reusable water container like Contigo Snapseal Insulated Travel Mug is a must-have in Aruba, as the weather there in May is dehydrating. You need to replace the water you lose as sweat. This particular bottle is great because it can keep cold water cold, so the May heat doesn’t turn your water warm.
Electrolyte Hydrating Mix
For those who have issues with hydration, it is best to pack hydrating supplements like Liquid IV electrolyte mix. Electrolytes act like sponges, absorbing water, so it stays longer in your body. The Liquid IV paks are great because of the taste, variety, and flavors that they come in. But at the end of the day, any electrolyte beverage or mix can do the job.
What NOT To Do In Aruba In May
By now, you know the temperature, sunlight hours, and rainfall expectancy in Aruba, alongside the island’s sea temperature in May. You can probably deduce the Do’s and Don’ts of visiting the island during this month. But most tourists get too excited about the destination and can miss out on a few crucial precautions.
Here are a few things you should not do in Aruba in the month of May:
Leave Your Hotel Without A Water Bottle
Whether you get a refillable water bottle or a single-use mineral water bottle, leaving the location of your stay without a water bottle is dangerous. Depending on the climate you come from, Aruba’s heat can rapidly dehydrate you, so you might end up feeling dizzy and nauseous if you don’t sip water throughout the day. Gulping water after getting dehydrated will only make you sick.
Drink More Than 2 Cups Of Coffee
Caffeinated drinks aren’t ideal for summer. But if you’re in a place like Aruba, you have to be extra careful with your coffee. It is a diuretic afterall. Drinking coffee can create a hydration burden which you must offset with a healthy hydration habit. Even with appropriate hydration, you cannot stomach more than two coffees in Aruba. And yes, that includes iced coffee.
Go Outdoors Without Appropriate Head Cover
Umbrellas and hats are two of the obvious choices of head cover that allow you to have a portable shade anywhere you go. Besides these, you should probably have a kitchen towel with you. If your head starts heating up, you can drench the towel in water and keep it over your head. Leaving your hotel without appropriate head cover is risky.
Make A To-Do List Without Considering The Weather
If you use a generic tourism resource to make a list of things to do in Aruba, you’re most likely ignoring the weather. The itineraries built around the best Aruba has to offer are designed for March and April, which are peak months for tourism. Most of the things listed are outdoor activities, which May is too hot for. Balance outdoor and indoor activities with the weather in mind.
Wear Dark Clothes
Don’t pack your suitcase with black clothes because despite looking cool, they are literally hot. Black clothes absorb heat and can be unwearable in the harsh summers of Aruba.
As you can tell, most of the things you should avoid doing have to do with the harsh sunlight and the hot weather. But before you assume that there is nothing to do in Aruba in May, let’s look at what sensible tourists do when they take a May trip to the island.
Best Things To Do In Aruba In May
The best thing Aruba has to offer in May is a wide range of discounts on pretty much anything under the sun. So you should take advantage of the strong points of May in Aruba if you’re going to weather the negatives, like harsh sunlight and hot weather.
Here are the best things to do in Aruba in May:
Stay At A Deep-Discounted Hotel
Hotels that might otherwise be out of your budget can be comfortably within your reach during May. Depending on the specific hotel, you might get a 30% to 50% discount. AirBnBs have up to 70% markdowns in May and June, so you can even hop from luxurious place to luxurious place without ever touching a mainstream tourist attraction.
Go Diving At Jane Sea
Jane Sea freighter wreck is one of the best things to witness up close in Aruba. Diving is one of the few mainstream Aruba attractions that are far more fun in May than it is at any other time of the year. And that’s mainly because the hot weather makes the relatively colder water all the more enjoyable to dive in.
Roll-Up With Company To A Casino
From Wind Creek Aruba Casino to The Casino at Hilton, Aruba has plenty of gambling opportunities. While most people come to Aruba for its tropical weather and its many beaches, high rollers come to the country to have fun at its multi-dozen casinos. Visiting the Vegas of the Caribbean in May, you might as well visit a casino.
Visit The Aruba Aloe Factory Museum And Store
When it comes to souvenir shopping, there’s very little that compares to the Aruba Aloe. Watch Aloe products being made from scratch in a guided tour and buy stuff to take home at the Aruba Aloe Factory Museum and Store.
Buy Art And Crafts From Cosecha
While the main Cosecha is temporarily closed, the area itself is known for local arts and crafts. You can support local artists and get authentic souvenirs by shopping at and from around Cosecha in Oranjestad.
Swim In The Sea
Swimming is another mainstream tourist activity that is more fun in May than it is in the peak tourist season of March. Take a break from the heat and take a dip in the sea during the daytime.
Sunbathe In The Evening Sun
Just because it is hot in May doesn’t mean sunbathing is off the table. You can sunbathe after 5 pm when the sunlight is slightly dimmer but not too dim.
FAQ: May Vacation In Aruba
Is May a good time to go to Aruba?
May is a good time to go to Aruba if you enjoy indoor activities and your main interests are swimming and diving. It is also a good time to go if your primary reason is to save money. Other than that, May is probably too hot for an enjoyable vacation.
Can you swim in Aruba in May?
You can swim in Aruba in May because the water temperature is 9 to 19 degrees lower than the temperature of the island. This makes swimming in Aruba in May more fun than swimming in other months.
How rainy is it in Aruba in May?
There is a nominal chance of decent rain in Aruba in May. It receives an average of 0.6 inches of rain, which is six times less than its rainiest month. If you pack an umbrella, it’s for sun cover, not to protect yourself from rain.
Is it sunny in Aruba in May?
It is very sunny in Aruba in May. May, June, and July are the sunniest months in Aruba, with an average of 8 to 9 hours of daylight and nominal cloud cover. You can sunbathe as late as 6 pm on some days!
Is May the cheapest month to go to Aruba?
July is the cheapest month to go to Aruba as it is also the hottest month. The demand for sunny spots decreases in the summers, so there aren’t many tourists flocking to Aruba from May to the middle of September. Any flight and hotel booking during these months is likely to be at a lower rate than the rest of the year.
Final Thoughts: Should You Travel to Aruba in May?
The weather in Aruba in May is hot and arid. May marks the beginning of summer in Aruba, which lasts four months. And summer marks the beginning of discounted stays and experiences, which peak in July.
May is a good time to go to Aruba if you are prudent enough to tailor your vacation and itinerary so that you can get the most out of your summertime trip. Follow the advice in the article above to have a regret-free May vacation in Aruba.