Is Crete good for winter sun?

Greece's largest and most southerly island, Crete has mild and sunny weather throughout winter; in fact, it has some of the warmest winter weather in Europe with average highs generally around 15-16°C and average lows around 9-11°C. This makes it easy to get out and see everything this island has to offer.



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Crete is an ideal place to visit all year round. Its mild climate and its unique mountainous features attract visitors before and after the established touristy summer season. Crete's stunning natural beauty awakens in visitors an imperative need to discover its mountains, its gorges, its paths.

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The “warmest” Greek destination is, according to Holidu, Aghios Nikolaos (pictured), on Crete, with average winter sunshine of 261+ hours and an average winter temperature of 16.4C.

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Located between Rhodes and Crete, Karpathos is the hottest destination in Greece. Monthly temperatures average 30°C (86°F) throughout the summer, with very little rainfall. It's one of the most southerly isles in the country, which helps explain its sizzling temperatures.

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South Crete is generally a couple of °C warmer (but water temperatures are roughly similar). The east of the island, has less rain than the north and especially the north-west.

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Crete is an ideal place to enjoy swimming at any time of the year. All needed, beyond a good mood and leisure time, is a relatively nice day without much wind and extreme cold. You don't need to go too far away, because the informal meeting points of winter swimmers are located very close to the towns of the island.

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1. Crete. Greece's largest and most southerly island, Crete has mild and sunny weather throughout winter; in fact, it has some of the warmest winter weather in Europe with average highs generally around 15-16°C and average lows around 9-11°C.

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The largest Greek island has mild weather, pristine beaches, great offerings for foodies and wine lovers, hundreds of ancient sites, breathtaking landscapes and hiking paths and wild nightlife. It is the largest island in Greece, but has its own unique history and culture.

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Crete is Greece's largest island—just driving from one end to the other makes for a five-hour journey, and there's much to do and see in between. If you want to experience all Crete has to offer, plan to spend a full week exploring its monasteries, olive groves, towns, and coast.

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What's the distance between Athens and Crete? The distance between the port of Piraeus and Crete ranges between 145 nautical miles (269 km) and 200 nautical miles (370 km), depending on the port (Heraklion, Chania, Sitia, or Kissamos port).

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Greek islands which are smaller and less touristic have a shorter season, larger islands like Crete, Corfu and Santorini have extended seasons sometimes up to full year. Hotels have different opening/closing dates but the general rule for islands is that they open in April and close at end October.

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If you don't plan on hitting the beaches, consider a trip to Greece during the winter. While the weather is cooler (the average temperatures hover around 50 degrees Fahrenheit), the crowds are much thinner. In 2023, around 635,000 people visited Greece in January, and a mere 572,500 came in February.

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Crete weather January If you don't mind the odd rain shower, January can be a good month to explore Crete. At this time of year, Crete has a cold average temperature of just 11°C. With highs of 16°C it can be mild in the afternoons, but the evenings can get chilly with lows of 8°C.

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It really depends on where you stay on the island, there are numerous tourist resorts, but also quiet village locations and small unspoilt sea size villages too.

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The best time to visit Crete is from mid-May to June or from September to October.

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Chania Town is probably the most beautiful town in Crete. The Old Town of Chania, with the evident Medieval style, is a wonderful place to walk around, lined up with elegant Venetian mansions.

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This one is a close call with both destinations seeing temperatures sitting in the balmy mid- to late-twenties during the summer months. Out of the peak season, the Greek island of Crete warms up as early as May hitting around 25C, while the Algarve isn't far behind at around 22C.

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The average Crete temperature decreases as you travel north. July and August are the warmest months, and January is the coldest month of the year. In summer, the average maximum temperature ranges between 20-30ºC (70-90°F) and in winter between 10-15ºC (50-60°F).

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