Travel
The best time to swim in Greece
When the Aegean, Ionian and Libyan Seas are warmest and calmest.
5 min read
Greek water is famously clear, and the swimming season is longer than guidebooks suggest. The Ionian is a touch warmer in shoulder season; the Aegean can be windy; Crete and the south-east islands stay swimmable longest.
Month-by-month
- May: 19–21°C in the south and Ionian; northern Aegean still fresh.
- June–September: 23–27°C almost everywhere; July and August are peak.
- October: 22–25°C in Crete, Rhodes, Kos and the south; 20–22°C further north.
- November–April: cool to cold; only hardy swimmers in the south, and many hotels close their beaches.