Bilbao (Guggenheim) weather in May
May in Bilbao: nice, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#2 of 12 months in Bilbao · #151 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 90/100 (tier S)
- Days
- 22°C
- Nights
- 11°C
- Wet days
- 11
- Sun
- 10.8 h
- Humidity
- 81%
- Daylight
- 15 h

Traveller notes on Bilbao in May
Regulars rate June above May here and give the reason as instability rather than cold: May swings, and when it rains it can be the sirimiri - the slow, fine, long-lasting drizzle this coast is named for - or ordinary showers, or a thunderstorm, and they say plainly that it is hard to call. Our row reads 21.6C days over 11.3C nights with 74.8mm across 11.2 days, and a sea at 16.6C that matches their 16 to 18C and rules out swimming for most. They add a note on the long view: the month-long unbroken rains this region was known for no longer happen. The record: humidity 81 percent, 10.8 hours of sun inside 14.7 of daylight, and AQI 42.
Other months in Bilbao
Regulars call this normally the driest month of the year here on paper, warm and agreeable in the mid-to-late 20s Celsius, while being honest that the Atlantic coast setting means rain can still arrive any time regardless of the seasonal odds. Our row backs that warm, genuinely humid read, 27.4C reading as a hot 29C, over 16.9C nights, with 54mm of rain across 7.5 days and humidity at 80 percent. Regulars are consistent that a rain layer belongs in the bag even on what looks like a reliably warm week, since the region's unpredictability doesn't fully disappear even in its best month. The sea sits at a swimmable 22.9C, a real highlight for anyone splitting time with San Sebastian's beaches. The record: 11.1 hours of sun, a 15.8 kph wind and AQI 41.
Regulars call this a warm, not especially rainy month by local standards, with nights cool enough by evening that a light jacket comes out from around nine o'clock. Our row backs the warmth, 25.5C reading as 26C over 14.5C nights, though rain is a real presence at 93.4mm across 10.1 days - clashing winds off the Atlantic make this coast's weather genuinely hard to predict even in a normally dry month. Their honest local habit is the useful detail: people are out in rain gear regardless, and the streets stay packed whatever the sky is doing, so a shower here is rarely a reason to change plans. Inland spots like Rioja and Laguardia can run warmer and drier than the coast on the same day. The sea holds 22.2C. The record: humidity 79 percent, 9.6 hours of sun, a 16.1 kph wind and AQI 39.
June in Bilbao is sunny and warm and a raincoat is still advisable, which regulars explain with a local figure rather than an average: the city records rain on something like 185 days a year and has no dry month at all, though June itself takes only about five of those wet days. Our row gives 78.2mm across 10.2 precipitation days under 24.5C, and the 83 percent humidity is the Basque coast showing through. The word to know is sirimiri - a slow, fine, long-lasting drizzle rather than a downpour, the same thing San Sebastian regulars warn about - and it is why a hood beats an umbrella here. The record: 15C nights, feels-like 26C, 10.7 hours of sun, a 20.4C sea and AQI 43.
Bilbao forum threads describe February as genuinely wintry and noticeably cooler and wetter than Spain's more southern regions, with posters consistent that real rain is a normal feature of the month rather than an exception. Northern Spain's Atlantic-facing Basque Country was described by posters as a genuinely rainy region overall, with no clearly dry month and rain a real possibility on any given day of the year, not just in winter. Real snow was called uncommon but not impossible, typically limited to a week or two around late January or February when it does show up. Posters were still positive about a February visit despite the weather, framing it as workable with proper rain gear and layers rather than a month to actively avoid.
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Bilbao climate normals — May
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Bilbao in May
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Busyschool holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Bilbao's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Best weatherBilbao's weather peaks May–July, best around June.
May includes Cantabrian anchovy season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Bilbao in May
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Nature
Cantabrian anchovy season
15 Mar – 15 Jun · usuallyForaging seasonThe spring coastal fishery is short and quota-limited, and while it runs every bar in the Casco Viejo is serving the fresh ones rather than the tinned. Bonito follows in high summer.
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Bilbao — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Bilbao?
Bilbao in May — FAQ
- Is May a good time to visit Bilbao?
- May in Bilbao: nice, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit. It ranks #2 of 12 months for Bilbao on SeasonMap's comfort score (90/100).
- What is the weather like in Bilbao in May?
- In May, Bilbao averages a daily high of 21.6°C and a low of 11.3°C, with about 74.8 mm of rain over roughly 11.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Bilbao in May?
- Bilbao has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 42 in May.
Within 300 km: Bordeaux's May holidays and ponts on 1–25 May.