Last updated 5 June 2023
Bathed in more than 250 days of sunshine a year, is there ever a bad time to visit Greece? Depending on your interests, here’s how to make the most of the weather, local events, and budgets.
SPRING – ONSET OF THE TOURIST SEASON
From April, tourism to the islands starts to build. Santorini is an exception here, which is probably already busy with year-round visitors. While smaller islands remain quiet until late spring. Days get longer, already with nine hours of sunshine in May. Afternoon temperatures hover around a perfect 20 degrees Celsius, but expect some risk of rain. This shoulder season is a beautiful time climate-wise and price-wise.
EASTER (24 April 2022)
Easter is one of the biggest religious festivals of the year. Greeks return home to their villages to roast lambs and participate in the season’s festivities with family. If you’re in Greece at this time, lookout for local events. Church processions (Epitaphios) take place on Good Friday morning, and on Easter Sunday, there’s feasting and fun in village squares of islands such as Corfu, Sifnos and Kalymnos. Good Friday and the following Monday are public holidays.
BEACH VACATIONS (JUNE – SEPTEMBER)
The beach – a summer staple in Greece, and one of its biggest attractions with an unrivalled set of conditions for enjoying the sand and sea. Mediterranean waters get warm from June (hovering around 21°C) and remain balmy through to September. The Greek summer solstice with the year’s brightest and longest day in 2022 is June 21. It marks the end of spring.
Sea temperatures in Chania, Crete (Source: https://www.seatemperature.org/ )
Sea temperatures in Mykonos (Source: https://www.seatemperature.org/ )
July and August are the hottest months in Greece. Temperatures average around 32 °C, occasionally rising to 36 °C. With hardly a cloud in the sky and little rain (if any) to disrupt your outdoor plans, you’ve arrived in the land of clear blue skies and endless sunshine. These are not my favourite months -the sun scorches between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., making afternoon plans difficult. And nearly impossible if your holidays happen to coincide with a heatwave. This is also peak summer season and the most expensive time for hotels and flight bookings. I would avoid the first 15 days of August in particular, when domestic tourism surges as Greeks take to the islands for their own vacation. On smaller islands that are popular or quickly gaining popularity, infrastructure is stretched, making it an uncomfortable experience for all.
For me, early June and early September are the best times to visit with young children. The waters have warmed up, and there’s a good dose of sunshine that’s less intense so you can still enjoy the beach in the afternoon without burning. The tradeoff? The odd chance of rain and cloudy skies. Fewer are the crowds, and by the third week of September, the smaller islands start to wind down for summer.
Summers are longer in the southerly isles of Crete and Rhodos, which remain warm through Spring and Autumn, albeit with increased chance of rain and even storms. These are good options if you’ve been procrastinating and need smart options for a last-minute summer.
For island specific weather updates, including beach specific swimming conditions (type of sand, depth, weather it’s organised, and more), visit Meteo.gr.
1 TO 15 AUGUST (VIRGIN MARY ASSUMPTION DAY) IN ATHENS
1 to 15 August Annually
The city starts emptying out as Athenians take to the islands from 1 to 15 August. The 15th is a public holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary’s ascension to heaven after death. It’s also when the biggest Panagiri (traditional festival with feasting, music and dancing in celebration of religious dates) of the year is held. Expect an especially wild night out in Paros, Kefalonia, or Ikaria. Ikaria in particular is famous for her “Panagiria” throughout Greece.
Businesses in Athens generally close for the week after 15 August, apart from major shops downtown catering to tourists, large departmental stores and supermarkets. It’s a hot, hot time, not helped by the summer smog of the concrete jungle.
AUTUMN & WINTER SIGHTSEEING
Apart from Santorini (which now opens throughout winter through the coordinated efforts of hotels, businesses, travel companies and local authorities) and islands with larger cities like Crete, Rhodos, Corfu and Evia, smaller islands close for the season from October to March. Syros is an exception as the administrative capital of the Cyclades and a thriving cultural scene.
Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit archaeological sites, as most have little or no shade from the sun’s blaze. The clocks change for daylight savings towards the end of October. When the sun starts to set earlier which may be a holiday mood dampener, you may want to travel before then.
Head to mainland mountain village attractions like Arachova and neighbouring Delphi, home of the ancient sanctuary that served as the seat of the Oracle. To the surprise of many, Greek winters can attract a considerable amount of snow. If you’re around in January and February, Kalavrita and Parnassos ski resorts are just a 2-hour drive from Athens.
Meteora in Central Greece, another “bucket-list” destination and UNESCO Heritage Site, is an other-worldly display of the engineering feats of men. The inspiration behind The Eyrie in the Game of Thrones, 24 monasteries sit atop sandstone peaks towering over 300 meters into the sky. Also in Central Greece, Pelion is beautiful for ambient drives through lush, wooded mountain slopes and walks through rustic villages.
There’s plenty more mountain villages to delight nature lovers. And yet untouched by mass tourism, it’s a good opportunity to see the cozy, romantic side of Greek culture and its traditions.
