Cascais weather in May

May in Cascais: nice, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Cascais🇵🇹 Portugal · Lisbon & Central Portugal · Beach82
  1. 65Jan
  2. 69Feb
  3. 74Mar
  4. 78Apr
  5. 82May
  6. 86Jun
  7. 88Jul
  8. 86Aug
  9. 87Sep
  10. 79Oct
  11. 67Nov
  12. 64Dec

#5 of 12 months in Cascais · #632 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 82/100 (tier A)

Days
22°C
Nights
15°C
Wet days
5
Sun
12.4 h
Humidity
75%
Daylight
14 h
Cascais, Portugal
Photo: Mateus Castro · Pexels

Traveller notes on Cascais in May

Regulars are specific this counts as a genuine sunbathing month when conditions run normal, one visitor even describing early May as scorching and warm enough for paddling in the water despite how early in the season it is. Our row backs that mild, genuinely wet read, 21.9C over 15.3C nights feeling 13C, with 35mm of rain across 4.6 days and a real 23.8 kph wind. Regulars are consistent conditions here stay genuinely changeable rather than guaranteed, a sunny warm day and a cooler rainy one both realistic outcomes depending on exactly when a trip lands. The sea itself stays properly cold this early, well short of comfortable swimming temperatures for most visitors regardless of how warm the air gets. The sea sits at 16.5C. The record: 12.4 hours of sun, humidity 75 percent and AQI 48.
SunbathingPossibleButNotGuaranteed · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Cascais

Cascais-forum threads on November weather call it right at the seasonal hinge: some visitors catch stretches close to beach weather, others land square in grey winter days, and the difference often comes down to which specific week a trip falls in. Posters describe overall luck with the weather as decent more often than not, rain expected but genuinely manageable around a normal sightseeing itinerary rather than a trip-ruiner. Regulars are consistent that swimming is off the table this late in the year - the water and air have both cooled enough that sunbathing and a proper swim no longer make sense, even on a warm afternoon. The clearest upside repeated across threads: the summer crowds are fully gone by November, giving the seaside promenade and old town a noticeably calmer, more local feel that many posters say they prefer to the peak-season version. The record: 18.2C days feeling like 17C, 13.4C nights, 81mm across 9.8 days, a 17.7C sea, 80 percent humidity and 7.5 hours of sun.
PraiaDaRainhaNovemberRegular · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Cascais-forum threads on summer wind draw a useful distinction: the town's own small beaches aren't much bothered by it, but Guincho beach just outside town is exposed enough that locals skip it on a windy day - worth knowing before picking a beach based on the town center's calm. August itself is called the peak month for tourists, with the in-town beaches getting properly crowded, especially on weekends when Lisbon locals show up too. The record shows a cooler, breezier month than the sunny reputation implies: 26.5C days feeling like 28C, 18.8C nights, essentially none at all, a 15.9C sea on the cool side for swimming, 76 percent humidity and wind averaging 25 km/h - dry and sunny, but the Atlantic side of Portugal, not the Mediterranean.
GuinchoWindWatcher · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June in Cascais is getting busier without being at its height - early dinners still get a table - and the thing regulars organise around is the wind. Flat calm is rare here and some wind is simply the norm, our row putting it at 24.4 kph. Their practical rule is geographic: it is not much of a problem in the town itself or on the small beaches inside it, but on a windy day locals do not go to Guincho, out beyond the edge of town and fully exposed. The water is the other caveat, under 20C on this coast in June - our row says 18.1C. Days can be warm and the nights are basically cool. The record: 23.6C days, 17C nights, 3.1 precipitation days carrying 9.7mm and 12.9 hours of sun.
NotGuinchoOnAWindyDay · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
September in Cascais is high-20s C days with evenings that cool enough for a light jacket, and it is still beach season, with lifeguards and rentals running. Two Atlantic facts shape it. The sea peaks at about 20C here and never really gets warmer than that, so September is as good as it gets rather than warm. And the wind sorts the beaches: the small ones inside the town are sheltered, while Guincho, just outside and square on to the ocean, is where locals do not go when it blows. Sesimbra and Ericeira are the alternatives along the same coast. The record: 25C days, 18.2C nights, 3.2 precipitation days, 10.9 hours of sun, an 18.4C sea and a 22 kph wind.
GuinchoOnAWindyDay · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Cascais climate normals — May

Daytime high22°C / 71°F😎 nice
Nighttime low15°C / 60°F
Feels like (high)22°C / 72°F
Sea temperature17°C / 62°F🧊 bracing
Rainfall35 mm / 1.4 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days5 days
Humidity75%💦 very humid
Dew point12°C / 54°F
Sunshine12.4 h/day
Daylight14.3 h
Wind24 km/h / 15 mph
Air quality (US AQI)48🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Cascais 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.

Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Cascais'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).

Fair weatherCascais's best weather comes in June, July and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Cascais — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Cascais?

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Cascais in May — FAQ

Is May a good time to visit Cascais?
May in Cascais: nice, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Cascais on SeasonMap's comfort score (82/100).
What is the weather like in Cascais in May?
In May, Cascais averages a daily high of 21.9°C and a low of 15.3°C, with about 35 mm of rain over roughly 4.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Cascais in May?
Cascais has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 48 in May.

Within 300 km: Lisbon's Jacaranda bloom around 15 May – 20 Jun, and Évora's Cork stripping around 15 May – 31 Aug.