It’s time to enjoy the outdoors, so our list of the best places to travel in May includes national parks — one of the oldest, Yosemite, along with an introduction to the newest, New River Gorge, in West Virginia. Greater Zion is home to Zion National Park, and if you prefer wine with your scenery, why not plan a visit to Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Cashiers, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina, as well as perennial favourites San Antonio and Williamsburg, are blooming in the spring. Oceanside, California gets a cameo appearance in a new film. Consider San Juan, just a few hours from Miami, or Madeira, Portugal, if you want to go on an island vacation. In May, before the summer tourist season, the Amalfi Coast in Italy sees fewer visitors.
Here are the 7 Best Places to Travel
1. Oceanside, California
Oceanside, California, is noted for its surfing beaches, harbor, and one of the longest over-water wooden piers on the West Coast. It is located 40 miles north of San Diego. Another claim to fame is its appearance in the first “Top Gun,” as well as the restoration of the Graves House seen in the movie.
The Top Gun House, located at the new Mission Pacific Hotel, will open in May to coincide with the release of “Top Gun: Maverick.” The Seabird Resort, located near the beach, offers private balconies, a spa, and Pacific views. Visit the Oceanside Museum of Art, shop at Tremont Collective, and dine at Valle, which features flavours inspired by the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California.
2. Greater Zion, Utah
Sand Hollow State Park in southwest Utah is noted for its natural beauty and outdoor activities such as boating, hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, and scuba diving (yes, you read that correctly!). There’s plenty to do all day and night in Zion National Park, including stargazing. This year’s IRONMAN World Championship will be held in St. George instead of Kona, and triathletes from all around the world will participate on May 7.
Native American jewellery, weaving, metalwork, sculpture, beading, ceramics, paintings, and Native delicacies, as well as dancing, storytelling, and traditional drumming, will be featured at the three-day Festival of the Americas at Kayenta Art Village on May 13-15. Throughout the spring and summer, Tuacahn Amphitheater hosts Broadway-style musical events.
With the weather warming up in May, consider glamping at Under Canvas Zion, which is about 20 miles from the national park, or staying at Red Mountain Resort in St. George.
3. New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, West Virginia
New River Gorge, the nation’s newest national park and the first in West Virginia, is a great place to visit in the spring. The whitewater rafting season begins in May, and it features some of the greatest rapids on the East Coast.
More ways to enjoy the park’s mountains and magnificent gorge vistas include hiking, fishing, backpacking, climbing, and scenic drives. Fayetteville, a picturesque town nearby, has places to stay, shop, and eat. Local favorites include Pies and Pints and Wood Iron Eatery. Rent a cabin from Country Road Cabins or Opossum Creek Retreat, or stay at an Airbnb like the Modern Bungalow, Charming Barn Loft, or Secluded Yurt. The closest airport to the park is in Charleston, West Virginia, about 70 miles northwest.
4. Yosemite National Park, California
May is a magnificent month in Yosemite because of the warm, dry weather, gushing waterfalls, and spring flowers. You may appreciate the park’s natural splendor as well as the Yosemite History Center and Yosemite Climbing Museum & Gallery before the summer hordes arrive. From May 20 to September 30, 2022, a reservation will be required to enter the park between the hours of 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Beginning March 23, reservations will be available on recreation.gov.
Stay at Château du Sureau, an exceptional boutique hotel nestled on nine acres in the Sierra Nevada foothills, for a genuinely spectacular experience. With 10 guest rooms, Elderberry House Restaurant, a spa, an outdoor pool, and spacious gardens, the Relais & Châteaux property is about 16 miles from Yosemite.
5. San Juan, Puerto Rico
You’ll want to spend a day in Old San Juan, whether you’re visiting for the beaches, hotels, casinos, or a poolside pia colada, the cocktail that was invented in San Juan in 1954 at the Caribe Hilton (according to most accounts).
Take a stroll down its cobblestone alleyways to visit the five-century-old La Fortaleza, which was formerly a stronghold for San Juan and is now the governor’s official residence. Buildings painted in pastel colours, old churches, colonial-period dwellings, and an Old World ambiance transport you to another age.
6. Amalfi Coast, Italy
This UNESCO World Heritage Site in Italy’s Campania area encompasses around 34 miles of breathtaking coastline terrain and beach communities situated on cliffs.
From old churches to isolated beaches, piazzas, and delectable cuisine, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello each have something unique to offer travellers. With pleasant, dry weather in the 70s and less crowds than the summer months, May is considered the best time to visit. On your route to an aperitivo or shopping expedition, take a hike or a stroll around the towns to take in the sights.
There are a variety of hotels, villas, and B&Bs to choose from, but for a unique experience, consider the family-run Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, which is housed in a 17th-century monastery that has been restored into 20 sea-view guest rooms and suites, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant and a luxurious spa.
7. Madeira, Portugal
Madeira, which is part of an archipelago off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic, has a temperate temperature and nice weather in May. It’s a two-hour flight between the Azores and mainland Portugal, or a two-hour boat voyage from the Canary Islands in Spain.
Madeira’s flowers are at their peak in spring for the annual Madeira Flower Festival, which runs from May 5 to 29. Folk groups will play, there will be music, there will be a procession with flower-decorated floats, and there will be floral installations all across Funchal during the cultural festival. Hikes along the coastal cliffs or on levadas, which were originally intended to move water, allow visitors to take in the scenery.
Another option to explore Madeira’s centuries-old structures and colorful street art is to take a stroll through the medieval capital city of Funchal.
