When to Travel

WHEN TO TRAVEL

As the southernmost island in Greece, Crete enjoys about the same amount of sunshine as Cyprus— 300 days/year. Winters are mild and somewhat damp, while the summers are long and totally free of precipitation. The warm weather begins in April and stretches till November. The southern coast is somewhat hotter and all over the island there are Meltemi winds from mid to late-summer. The mountains experience cooler weather and quickly-changing weather patterns are more naturally occurring in those regions.


MONTH BY MONTH

The hottest months in Crete are July and August, with temperatures ranging from 29-38, but generally falling somewhere in the middle. By the sea there is always a breeze, which tempers the heat somewhat. June and September are sunny with more moderate temperatures of 23-28 and the sea is best at this time of the year. March, April, October and November are most often warm and enjoyable with daytime peaks of 17-25. The island is un-crowded and perfect for excursions and sightseeing at this time of the year. December is often still good, but it is winter, so warmer outerwear is still essential. In January and February it is often raining and can be very windy, unsettled and even dramatic weather at times. Daytime peaks are 9-17, but colder in the mountains.


ANNUAL WEATHER

 

MONTH
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

AVG TEMP
16
16
17
21
24
28
29
30
27
24
21
17

WATER TEMP
16
15
16
17
19
21
24
25
24
23
20
17