Mountains, coastline, islands…a variety of terrains which influence the weather and climate in Greece. Three climates and a variety and local difference make Greece a country suitable for vacation in any season.

Location

Greece is located in the southeastern Europe. It’s a mountainous country, with a large coastline. It also includes numerous islands in the Aegean Sea. As a result of these mixed terrains, there are many local differences in the weather and climate. However, the general features of the weather are pretty much the same all over Greece.

Climate and Weather

In Greece we can find three climates: Mediterranean, Alpine and Mid-European temperate climate.

• Mediterranean climate is found in Athens, Crete and the Cyclades. The winters are mild and wet while the summers are dry and hot. Occasionally snowfalls can occur.
• The Alpine climate is found in Central and Western Greece, Western Macedonia and parts of the Peloponnese.
• The Mid-European Temperate climate is found in Eastern and Central Macedonia and in parts of Thrace. The winters are cold and damp while the summers are hot and dry.

As a general description for the entire country, the summers are warm –and in a lot of places hot –with little or no rainfall for three months. At sea level, winter is mild although occasional cold weather can occur. You may find snow almost everywhere in Greece but rarely in the islands.

Spring and autumn are transitional seasons, when the weather changes from day to day. But for those who fancy visiting Greece for its cultural heritage rather than beaches, April, May, September and October might just be the most enjoyable months in Greece.

In the mountains the weather in spring and winter can be very cold with heavy snowfall and long lasting frost. Summers are pleasant. The days are sunny and warm.

In the islands and around the coast, the summer heat is greatly reduced by the breezes. But sometimes it can get very hot inland and in large towns, such as Athens, mostly when the air is calm.

In Northern Greece (i.e. Thessaloniki) the winters are colder and rain is pretty common in summer, sometimes accompanied by thunderstorms.

In the Aegean Islands and Crete the winters are the mildest in entire Greece while the summers are enjoyable as the heat is reduced by the breezes.

While the sea is still to cold for bathing in April and May, in October and even November the temperate is great for enjoying a swim because the sea retains the summer’s warmth.

Seasons & Temperatures

Summer in Greece is the most popular time to visit the country. However, spring is balmy and the time when nature comes to life. It’s an excellent choice if you want to save money on both accommodation and transport. While winter in Greece is perfect both for those who want to escape colder regions in Europe and those who want to ski in a cheap location.

Let’s now take a look at the temperatures during summer for some of the top destinations in Greece.

Athens and Corfu:

Min Temp: Jun 20C/68F; Jul 23C/73F; Aug 22C/72F
Max Temp: Jun 28C/82F; Jul and Aug 31C/88F

Crete

Min Temp: Jun 20C/68F; Jul and Aug 23C/73F
Max Temp: Jun 30C/86F; Jul and Aug 31C/88F

Mykonos

Average Temp: Jun 24C/75F; Jul and Aug 27C/81F

Rhodes:

Min Temp: Jun 17.6C/63.7F; Jul 20.4C/68.7F; Aug 20.1C/68.2F
Max Temp: Jun 30.8C/87.4F; Jul and Aug 33.3C/91.9F

Santorini

Average Temp: Jun 24C/75F; Jul and Aug 27C/81F

Here’s more information about what you can do and how the weather is over the year:
>>January in Greece
>>February in Greece
>>March in Greece
>>April in Greece
>>May in Greece
>>June in Greece
>>July in Greece
>>August in Greece
>>September in Greece
>>October in Greece
>>November in Greece
>>December in Greece