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Climate - The type of weather
to expect during your stay in Crete
| The climate of Crete is temperate
Mediterranean. As the southernmost island of
Greece it is, with Cyprus, the sunniest island of
the Mediterranean with an average of 300 sunny
days a year. The summers are long and warm weather
stretches well into the autumn. Winters are mild,
with snow on the mountains and a good deal of rain
in the plains, but still a good deal of sunshine.
The combination of rain and relative warmth make
it one of the greenest places in the Mediterranean
basin, especially in spring. |
Current temperature
(Souda, NW Crete) |
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January and February: This is the real
winter time. The weather can be cold and rainy,
but when the sun comes out you can enjoy
stupendous views of the snowy mountains (there is
at times over 3m of snow on them). This is also
the time when flowers start to grow, almond trees
blossom in January, anemones are plentiful and the
citrus trees are full of fruit. You might find it
difficult to get food and lodgings in tourist
resorts but will have no problems in the cities.
If you come to Crete for culture and essentially
want to spend time in the museums, visit
archaeological sites and churches, it is not at
all a bad time. Winter is almost the only time of
the year when you can visit Knossos and the
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion without having
to jostle with crowds. Although Crete can be cold,
it never gets as cold as in northern Europe: the
lowest temperature measured in Heraklion was
-0,1°C (in 1928).
May and April: The weather is still
unstable and can be very pleasant or very rainy.
The nights will still be cool or even cold. The
sea is still too cold to swim in. After the
winter rains the island is at its greenest and
literally carpeted with flowers. April sees the
first tourists and is also the time of the Greek
Easter (not on the same date as the Catholic
Easter), the most important feast of the year
giving you the best opportunity to experience the
hospitality of traditional Crete.
May and June: You are almost guaranteed to get good weather, the
sea is warmer, there are still a lot of flowers,
not too many tourists. It is maybe the best time
of the year to visit Crete, especially if you
intend to hike as the weather isn't too hot yet.
 July and August:
The high season! The weather is hot, very hot, too
many tourists especially since the Greeks have
"discovered" Crete as a holiday destination. Hot
and dry, particularly on the shores of the Libyan
Sea (South coast of Crete). The sea of course is
wonderfully warm and if you search a little it is
possible to find villages and beaches that remain
fairly quiet.
September and October: These are better months as
the weather is not so hot. The sea is still
really warm and there are far less tourists. The
Cretans - especially the ones who work with
tourism - although tired from the summer season
are getting more relaxed. It is also one of the
preferred periods for hikers. One drawback is that
as it has not rained for several months the ground
is really dry.
November and December: Tourism comes to an abrupt stop
at the end of October with the end of charter
flights. These months are as quiet as January and
February but the chances of good weather are much
higher. It is also still possible to swim. All in
all not a bad time to be in Crete if you are
prepared to risk some days of rain.
Editorial courtesy of west crete.com
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