Cartagena weather in May

In May, Cartagena sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 61 mm of rain across 4.7 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 15°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cartagena's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cartagena's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
8th warmest
Overnight low
5th coldest
Rainfall
61 mm
4.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
8:35 AM – 6:51 PM
Cloud cover
57%
11th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.1 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Cartagena is place in Chile.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 15°C by the end.

A typical May day in Cartagena reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 9°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 13°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11710
2179
3179
4179
5179
6169
7169
8169
9169
10169
11169
12169
13169
14169
15169
16169
17169
18159
19159
20159
21159
22159
23159
24159
25159
26159
27158
28158
29158
30158
31158

Cartagena weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 14°00.1148.8
Feb21° / 14°20.313.28.7
Mar20° / 12°40.712.38.4
Apr18° / 10°182.211.27.2
May16° / 614.710.35.5
Jun14° / 12279.84.3
Jul13° / 675.5104.2
Aug14° / 595.110.84.6
Sep15° / 28311.85.5
Oct17° / 10°141.812.86.7
Nov18° / 11°40.713.77.9
Dec20° / 12°30.414.28.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26337
36238
46139
56040
65941
75842
85644
95545
105446
115347
125149
135050
144951
154951
164852
174753
184753
194753
204555
214555
224456
234456
244456
254555
264555
274555
284654
294753
304753
314753

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Cartagena gets around 61 mm of rain over 4.7 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 15% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
210
310
410
510
610
711
811
911
1012
1112
1213
1313
1414
1514
1615
1715
1816
1916
2017
2118
2218
2319
2419
2519
2620
2720
2820
2920
3020
3121

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1973
2973
3973
4973
5982
6982
7982
8982
9982
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18982
19982
20982
21982
22982
23982
24982
25982
26982
27982
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 8:23 AM to 8:45 AM, and sunset from 7:04 PM to 6:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.78:237:04
210.78:247:03
310.68:257:02
410.68:257:01
510.68:267:00
610.58:276:59
710.58:286:58
810.58:296:57
910.58:296:56
1010.48:306:55
1110.48:316:55
1210.48:326:54
1310.38:326:53
1410.38:336:52
1510.38:346:51
1610.38:356:51
1710.28:356:50
1810.28:366:49
1910.28:376:49
2010.28:386:48
2110.28:386:47
2210.18:396:47
2310.18:406:46
2410.18:406:46
2510.18:416:45
2610.08:426:45
2710.08:426:44
2810.08:436:44
2910.08:446:43
3010.08:446:43
3110.08:456:43

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.1 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.46 kWh/m² to a high of 8.96 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.1 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
202.9Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.7Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Cartagena?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.5
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.5
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Cartagena for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cartagena in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Cartagena sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 9°C. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near Cartagena in May

The nearest coast averages about 14°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in February at about 16°C and coldest in August near 12°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan16Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr14Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun13Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep12Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov13Bracing
Dec15Bracing

UV index in Cartagena in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cartagena peaks around January 17 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 17UV 13Jun 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr5High
May3Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct9Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Cartagena in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Cartagena is worst in July — around 88 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.5× the cleanest month (February, 35 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorJul 1287 µg/m³Feb 1836 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan45Poor
Feb35Moderate
Mar40Poor
Apr58Unhealthy
May83Unhealthy
Jun85Unhealthy
Jul88Unhealthy
Aug77Unhealthy
Sep64Unhealthy
Oct45Poor
Nov37Poor
Dec38Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Cartagena?

Cartagena sits at 33.6°S, 71.6°W, 82 m above sea level, in Chile. The nearest listed city is San Antonio, 5.0 km away.

Topography around Cartagena

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Cartagena.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cartagena has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 202 m around an average of 57 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 488 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,259 m.

The land around Cartagena is covered by water (35%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 3 km, water (39%), grassland (25%) and trees (20%) within 16 km, and water (30%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
202 m
16 km
488 m
80 km
2,259 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: San Antonio 5.0 km · El Quisco 19 km · Casablanca 32 km · Melipilla 39 km · Curacaví 48 km · Placilla 49 km · Valparaiso 58 km · Quilpué 58 km

Chile travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / L
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 48% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$17,995
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 517
Religion
Catholic 57%none 26%Evangelical or Protestant 16%other Christians and traditions related to Christ 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Cartagena (-33.5538°, -71.6076°, elevation 82 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).