Puerto Viejo weather in May

In May, Puerto Viejo sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 388 mm of rain across 27 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Puerto Viejo's 7th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puerto Viejo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
26°
12th coldest
Rainfall
388 mm
27 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
5:14 AM – 5:40 PM
Cloud cover
85%
7th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.74 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical May day in Puerto Viejo reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12826
22826
32826
42826
52826
62826
72826
82826
92826
102826
112826
122826
132826
142826
152826
162826
172826
182826
192826
202826
212826
222826
232826
242826
252826
262826
272826
282826
292826
302826
312826

Puerto Viejo weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 24°30121.911.55.0
Feb27° / 24°18418.411.75.3
Mar27° / 25°15819.211.95.3
Apr28° / 25°20621.212.24.6
May28° / 26°3882712.43.7
Jun28° / 26°44628.312.63.3
Jul28° / 25°58130.312.53.3
Aug28° / 26°4152912.33.4
Sep28° / 26°27327.212.13.5
Oct28° / 26°3222811.83.6
Nov27° / 25°58127.411.63.7
Dec27° / 25°48026.411.44.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 87%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12278
22179
32080
42080
51981
61882
71882
81783
91783
101684
111585
121486
131486
141387
151387
161387
171189
181189
191189
201090
211090
221090
23991
24991
25991
26991
271090
281090
291090
301090
311090

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Puerto Viejo gets around 388 mm of rain over 27 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 87% and peaks near 90% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
179
280
381
482
582
683
784
884
985
1085
1186
1286
1387
1487
1588
1688
1788
1889
1989
2089
2190
2290
2390
2490
2590
2690
2790
2890
2990
3090
3190

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 76% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
128315
228216
318316
418217
518217
618118
718118
818019
917920
1017821
1117821
1217722
1317623
1417524
1507525
1607426
1707426
1807327
1907327
2007228
2107228
2207228
2307228
2407228
2507228
2607129
2707129
2807129
2907129
3007129
3107129

Wind in May

Winds average 7 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:18 AM to 5:13 AM, and sunset from 5:38 PM to 5:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:185:38
212.35:185:38
312.45:175:39
412.45:175:39
512.45:175:39
612.45:165:39
712.45:165:39
812.45:165:39
912.45:165:39
1012.45:155:39
1112.45:155:40
1212.45:155:40
1312.45:155:40
1412.45:145:40
1512.45:145:40
1612.45:145:40
1712.45:145:41
1812.55:145:41
1912.55:145:41
2012.55:135:41
2112.55:135:42
2212.55:135:42
2312.55:135:42
2412.55:135:42
2512.55:135:42
2612.55:135:43
2712.55:135:43
2812.55:135:43
2912.55:135:43
3012.55:135:44
3112.55:135:44

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.74 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.73 kWh/m² to a high of 5.6 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 4.74 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.6Bright
224.6Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.7Bright
294.7Bright
304.7Bright
314.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Puerto Viejo?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
4.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Puerto Viejo.

What to pack for Puerto Viejo in May

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

In May, Puerto Viejo sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 27 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Puerto Viejo in May

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 15 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in January near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar28Warm
Apr28Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Puerto Viejo in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Puerto Viejo peaks around March 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 19UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Puerto Viejo 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 Puerto Viejo is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1418 µg/m³Nov 226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar9Good
Apr13Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct10Good
Nov6Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Puerto Viejo?

Puerto Viejo sits at 9.7°N, 82.8°W, 0 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Changuinola, 36 km away.

ChanguinolaPuerto LimónSiquirresBoqueteTurrialbaSan IsidroParaíso

Topography around Puerto Viejo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Puerto Viejo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 206 m around an average of 29 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 884 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,593 m.

The land around Puerto Viejo is covered by water (52%) and trees (46%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and water (43%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and water (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
206 m
16 km
884 m
80 km
3,593 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Changuinola 36 km · Puerto Limón 48 km · Bocas del Toro 66 km · Siquirres 96 km · Boquete 103 km · Turrialba 105 km · San Isidro 108 km · Paraíso 124 km

Costa Rica travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 59% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$19,970
2025
Happiness
7.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
81%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
17.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 516
Religion
Roman Catholic 48%none 27%Evangelical and Pentecostal 20%other 3%

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 Puerto Viejo (9.6569°, -82.7545°, elevation 0 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).