Really HOT in the Greek Isles in summer???

We usually cruise in the fall and spring and stay home in the summer...since we live in San Diego it's pretty nice here...and we like to avoid the crowds in Europe during the summer months...but...

We have not been to very many of the Greek Isles and I was wondering when is a good time to cruise there?...I'm thinking summer would be very hot?? Any help is appreciated!! LuAnn

Yes, July/August will be hot and busy in any of the Greek Islands. We were in Crete for a week two years ago in mid May. It was sunny and warm during the day, but a bit chilly in the evenings.

The short answer is yes, it will be very hot. If you want the change of climate, do it. We did a round trip cruise from Rome to Istanbul in August, and we would never do that again.

Summer in Greece is awful. Way too hot and way to crowded with tourists that only take vacation in the summer. Avoid. Spring and fall are great and less crowded.

Probably very hot indeed.

Since you are travelling a long way, and appear to have limited experience in the islands, that could be a real deterrent when combined with the crowds.

The only caveat I would make is that if you are willing to adjust your activity level, and enjoy the traditional Greek respite in the early afternoon, then you can still have a rather unique experience.

However, perhaps that's a plan for a later cruise.

The best times to see the Greek Islands without the heat and when it's comfortably warm are late May/ early June and late September/early October.

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Yes - June & September are best if you can be flexible.

October is risky IMO, and getting riskier as the month progresses, the weather almost always 'breaks' at some point in October and most resorts shut totally.

I suspected as much!!! But appreciate your confirmation!!!

I think we will try and "tack on" something after a spring T/A or an early fall T/A...sounds like that might be best!!! LuAnn

Agree that May/June or Sep/Oct are best for the Greek islands. Have just returned from Crete (7-14 Oct). Weather was a perfect 25-27 degrees in the daytime and evenings around 21 degrees. No rain but occasionally windy. Everything was open but owners of restaurants were saying that they shut up shop at the end of October.

Lynne

I suspected as much!!! But appreciate your confirmation!!!

 

I think we will try and "tack on" something after a spring T/A or an early fall T/A...sounds like that might be best!!! LuAnn

Sounds like a very good plan. We were in the Greek Islands and Athens in late June this year. The weather was unbearably hot which was a bit of a surprise to me.

The weather in mainland Europe had been unusually hot this summer, but normally June is bearable.

Yes, the Greek Isles will be ungodly hot in the summer. I stayed in Crete for 5 days on a Europe land trip in July 2015 and every day was in the 90s, one day even crossed 100. It was dry heat, which is so much better than humid heat, but that does not negate the fact that I was happy to get in the pool/beach. It will be packed with many tourists as well. I would avoid it in the summer months and go at a cooler time, like the fall. :)

June can be very hot too. Not unbearably I guess, compared to August, but uncomfortably so. If and when I go back, it will be mid-May or late September I think.