Montenegro in MayFirst swims, holidays and the mountains opening

According to our climate data, Kotor averages 22 °C by day and 16 °C at night in May, Budva 23 and 16 °C, and Ulcinj 22 and 15 °C. May is wetter than people expect: Kotor sees rain on about 13 days and Budva on up to 16, often as short showers. Podgorica reaches 24 °C by day. Žabljak has 14 °C by day and 5 °C at night, with about 18 days of rain, the most of any month there.

The days keep getting longer: on 1 May the sun sets at 19:45 in Kotor, and at 20:15 by the end of the month.

By late May, yes, if you don't need warm water. The sea warms from about 16 °C in April to about 19 °C by the end of the month. The bathing season officially starts on 1 May, but not every beach is fully equipped at first, and in May lifeguards are posted every 100 metres, against every 50 metres in July and August.

• Opening: the Kotor–Lovćen cable car started its 2026 season on 1 May, with a pre-season return ticket of €20. The Kamenari–Lepetane ferry switches to its summer timetable (from 4 May in 2026), and the off-season price of €4 per car applies until 31 May.
• The Durmitor Ring over Sedlo opens once the snow is cleared: on 21 May in 2026, but as early as 18 April in 2025.
• The Kotor serpentines follow a special regime from 25 May to 15 October: downhill towards Kotor is closed from 8:00 to 15:00, and uphill from 14:00 to 19:00.
• Not yet running: canyoning in Nevidio, whose 2026 season ran from 15 June to 30 September. The Durmitor mountain huts open in June.

First swims. By late May the sea is warm enough for a short swim, and the beaches are not yet full.

Sea and mountains in one week. May is good for combining both: a beach on the coast, then Durmitor, Bjelasica or the Tara canyon, where the river is still full. The meadows flower as the snow retreats; Montenegro has 80 to 100 orchid species and subspecies, and picking plants in the national parks requires a permit.

Pelicans and birds. On Skadar Lake the Dalmatian pelican chicks hatch by late May; 2026 was the best breeding season on record.

The cable car to Lovćen. The cable car takes about 11 minutes from Kotor up to Lovćen, with the bay below the cabin.

In 2027 Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May, right after the Labour Day holidays on 1 and 2 May, so the start of the month is festive. The Budva carnival runs until 4 May 2027. On 12 May, the feast of St Basil of Ostrog, thousands of pilgrims come to Ostrog, and on 15 May Perast marks its Vow Day with the Boka Navy. Independence Day is on 21 May. In our calendar for 2027 there are also the Podgorica Book Fair (5–11 May), the Night of Fortresses in Ulcinj (9 May), the Lim River Regatta (28–30 May) and the Lovćen Trail (29–30 May).

In May 2025 hotels counted 31% fewer guests than in August, and Žabljak 45% fewer. Prices are usually lower than in July and August and there is plenty of choice. The holiday weekends in early May and around Independence Day are busier, especially in Budva.