Greek weather

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When is the best time to travel to Greece? Where should you go on your holiday in Greece? First off, check the weather.

With such a broad range of landscapes, it is no surprise that precipitation rates and temperature ranges can vary considerably from region to region across the year. In general though, the Spring and Autumn months are characterised by cool weather, with occasional rain showers, the Summer months are hot with hardly any rainfall, and the Winter months are cold, with occasional heavy rain and snow at higher elevations. The further south you go, the warmer the temperature, the further north and west you go, the greater the chance of rain and cooler temperatures.

Athens and Attica

The famous smog that blanketed Athens in the 80s and 90s has been diminished considerably by pedestrianisation measures and the development of a proper metro system, but the air quality still isn’t as good as one could hope for. Hot summers, mild winters (with a few days of snow on occasion) and occasional thunderous rainfall.

The Peloponnese

The typical Mediterranean climate, with hot, humid summers and mild winters in the low-lying areas (but heavy snowfall in the mountains).

The Aegean islands

Hot summers, mild winters, and low overall rainfall (which causes water shortage problems in the summer months). Strong northern winds (the Meltemi/Etesian winds) can be encountered between May and November, but although these can disrupt sailing schedules they also bring cooler temperatures, lower humidity and improved visibility.

Thessaly, Thrace and Macedonia

A hot summer climate, with relatively heavy rainfall in the autumn and winter, and very heavy snow falls in the mountainous regions.

The Ionian islands

A typically mild Mediterranean climate, with long, dry, hot summers and mild winters.

If you would like to check what the weather is currently doing in Greece, please take a look at a Greek weather forecast.

Find out about our Greek Islands cruise by gulet.

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