When is the best time of year to visit Greece?
The best time to visit Greece is usually between late April and late October when there is sunshine round the clock and rain is rare. Beach lovers should aim for June until September.
Main photo: Oia, Santorini (Alamy)
When is the best time to island-hop?
September to early October are ideal months to island-hop in Greece (it’s when many Greeks do just that). Crowds have thinned out, room rates are lower, the days are still long and warm, and sea temperatures are bliss. Just watch out for those pesky dry northern winds (meltemi) that can ramp up around then and imperil outdoor dining and beach outings (unless you’re a windsurfer). May until mid-June are also great for beating the tourists and high-season prices but seas are brisk. In July and August, ferries to more remote islands are more frequent; while from November to March, most Greek islands shut up shop for winter.
What about Mykonos and Santorini?
Greece’s two most famous islands warrant a standalone category with their own specific considerations. Most don’t go to Santorini for the beaches; they’re seeking fiery romantic sunsets and volcanic caldera views — which explains the island’s virtually year-round season. For serious sun without crowds, go in May and June, or best sit it out until after mid-September.
Party island Mykonos presents a Catch-22: to sidestep the crazy prices and heaving beach bars (savvy regulars book up loungers weeks ahead), you’ll need to avoid July and August. But, then, that wouldn’t really be Mykonos. By late September, the international set has mostly departed and this Cycladic peacock mellows out.
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When is the best time to explore the mainland?
Travel to Greece between April and June; or October to December. The mainland has fabulous beaches sprinkled all over — but summery pursuits are only half the story. Glorious hiking is to be had in spring and autumn — especially in the myth-steeped Peloponnese (head for The Mani and Costa Navarino) and Epirus in the north (a hybrid of Yosemite and the Scottish highlands). These milder and mostly sunny months are also ideal for exploring monumental landscapes such as Meteora and Monemvasia; traipsing heavy-hitting archaeological sites like Delphi and Olympia; and strolling romantic ports such as refined Nafplio, Greece’s first capital.
Is there a ski season in Greece?
Believe it or not, it does get frosty enough for a ski season — Greece is a mountainous terrain, after all. Technically, it’s between December and March; in reality, February and early March are your best bets, as sporadic bursts of warm weather in December and January often melt snow cover. Join the social whirl of cosmopolitan Arachova on Mount Parnassus, just two hours from Athens (think of it as a Winter Mykonos); ski with sea views on Mount Pelion, fabled holiday haunt of the Olympian Gods; or choose popular Kalavryta, a well-organised winter sports hub, famous for its rack railway that slices through Vouraikos Gorge.
When are the cheapest months for travel in Greece?
Tourism season in Greece typically cranks up after Greek Easter. If you’re looking to save, the best hotel deals on the islands are found during the shoulder seasons from April through to early June; then again from mid-September to mid-October (though September has increasingly crept into peak-price bracket on many bigger islands and in Athens). In the latter, you’ll score discounted stays from December to March. Don’t expect constant sunshine but it can be a great interlude for exploring emptied-out ancient ruins and museums. December can also be terrific for off-season hikes and comforting cuisine around the snow-capped mountains of Crete.
Sunshine and rainfall
Mild wet winters are chased by blazing hot, dry summers and 250 days of annual sunshine. December is the wettest month (up to 188mm rainfall). August is the hottest and driest (average temperatures hover around 28C).
When to avoid Greece
There’s no bad time to visit, but the summer holidays will always be the busiest, so aim for the shoulder seasons in late spring and early autumn if you can to get the sun without the crowds.
Key dates for your calendar
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April-May: Greek Orthodox Easter Holy Week
Whether you’re religious or not, you’ll be stirred by the sacred spectacle of Greek Orthodox Easter. This week-long celebration of candlelit processions, midnight fireworks, Lenten goodies and revolving Easter Sunday lambs on spits, is easily the most important and colourful holiday for Greeks, who return en masse to their ancestral villages and islands. Easter traditions vary across Greece — from the famous flying urns of Corfu to the burning the effigy of Judas in Monemvasia. But no matter where you are, Good Friday’s midnight mass is a guaranteed highlight. Grab a candle and join the procession as Greeks walk to their nearest church to hear mournful Easter hymns.
June-September: Athens and Epidaurus Festival
Summer is prime outdoor festival season in Greece and the undisputed queen is the prestigious Athens and Epidaurus Festival. The action revolves around two of the world’s best-preserved ancient stone arenas: the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, beneath the Parthenon, and the 4th-century BC Theatre of Epidaurus, prized for its pitch-perfect acoustics. During this three-month blast of music, theatre, dance and visual arts, you might catch anything from Shakespeare to Beckett and anyone from Helen Mirren to Nana Mouskouri. The biggest buzz? Seeing works by ancient Greek playwrights such as Sophocles or Aristophanes staged at the actual venue where they were first performed.
November: Thessaloniki International Film Festival and Athens Marathon
The annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece’s answer to Sundance, makes a wonderful excuse to check out the fantastic flavours and cool buzz of Athens’s ancient little sister up north. Held in early November, the festival sees the whole city roll out the red carpet, with parallel events in seafront bars, dockside cafes and historic squares — so you’ll experience this loose and welcoming port hub at its best.
The world’s most famous foot race — the classic Athens Marathon — also gets off the blocks in November. Every year, long-distance runners from across the globe challenge their bodies and spirits to retrace the legendary footsteps of Pheidippides in the experience of a lifetime. Not a runner? Witnessing the competitors cross the finish line at the original Olympic stadium is its own memorable marker. Expect music, live commentary and fever-pitch excitement.
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