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When is the best time to vacation in Greece? When does the tourist season in Greece start and end? Holiday season in Greece: time for active tourists

Resorts of Greece- one of the most popular in the world, and this is not without reason, because a holiday in this country allows you not only to sunbathe and swim, but also to study the monuments of the ancient era. There is magnificent nature and wonderful opportunities for water activities: no matter where you go in the country, excellent diving always awaits you.

Greece is located in the very south of Europe, and its territory consists not only of the mainland, but also of groups of islands in the basins of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Ionian seas.

The country is in the zone mild Mediterranean climate, which means that there are warm and wet winters and hot, dry summers.

You can go to Greece at any time, but you need to choose it based on the purpose of your trip. In the heat, you can enjoy the sea and the sun, but it is not very convenient to go on excursions to historical places. It is best to travel deep into history in cool weather, but then it is impossible to swim in the sea or go diving.

If you decide to go to Greece in order to have a great time on excellent beaches, then you need to go during swimming season which lasts from mid-May to October, and May and June are only the opening of the season, when the heat does not reach its peak, therefore, there are not too many tourists, and prices are lower than in July-August. On the other hand, the sea has not yet warmed up enough, so June is not suitable for families with children.

If you are an amateur hot weather, then the ideal time for you to travel to Greece is July and August, when the sea has already warmed up well and the sun is very hot, so you are guaranteed a perfect tan. August is the peak tourist season. If you are going to Greece this month, then you need to purchase a ticket in advance. It is also worth saying that on some days it becomes unbearably hot here, nightclubs and restaurants stop working. In August - the highest prices for holidays in. Strong winds are possible in the Aegean Sea, which will delight surfing enthusiasts.

In September-October Temperatures become cooler, making these months great for those who can't handle heat well. In addition, unlike May and June, the sea has already warmed up in the fall and is perfect for swimming. That is why the tourist season in Greece is in full swing at the beginning of autumn. In hot years, beach holidays can last until mid-November.

During the swimming season precipitation is minimal, and for July and August rains are generally very rare.

The average temperature in the winter season is from +5 to +10°C. It is best to refrain from traveling to this country in December, January and February, as it is quite cool outside, and Greek houses and hotels are poorly adapted even to such cold weather. However, this only applies to lowland areas.

In the mountainous parts of Greece, winter is even colder and snow often falls, but this is beneficial for those who love ski resorts who work in this country from December to March. This is an excellent opportunity to combine active recreation with exploring ancient monuments.

What is wonderful about winter Greece is that it begins to bloom and turn green right from January. This month brings warm spring weather for two weeks, but February is still quite cold.

In March it becomes warm, real spring comes to the country, the temperature does not drop below +20°C. The most beautiful nature in Greece - in April and May when everything around is in bloom, the weather is beautiful, and it is precisely this time, when the swimming season has not yet opened, that is best suited for an excursion holiday.

Greece is so well located geographically that you can vacation there all year round and in every month of the year you will find something new and unusual for yourself. They say Greece is completely different in winter or autumn. Well, shall we check it out?

When can you swim in Greece?

Let's start with the traditional beach season in Greece. It starts in May and lasts until August. The air temperature during the peak season (late July and August) rises to 40 degrees and above. The sea warms up to 27 degrees. At this time, all the classic “beach” resorts are visited.

From May to June, lying on the beach can also be combined with walks to interesting places and attractions. The air temperature still allows this to be done (+26 - +30 degrees).

It is during this period that it is best to come to Greece on vacation with children. The sun is not very hot yet, and the sea is quite warm.

The best option is to come to Chalkidiki, Rhodes, Crete and Corfu. Family hotels on these islands are waiting for their little vacationers during this period.

From July to August, for relaxation it is better to move to the northern parts of the country, to the island of Corfu. Or climb to the islands of Hellas, where the climate is milder and the air temperature is leveled due to the surrounding water. The optimal holiday in this regard is Crete or Rhodes.

You can forget about excursions to the ancient colossi. However, active recreation related to water comes to the fore. On almost any island in the Aegean Sea you can try diving, fortunately there are enough conditions for this.

In other seas of Greece, it’s a good idea to master windsurfing, jet skiing, parasailing or water skiing. If you don’t want to be active, then rent a yacht and watch how the colors of the seas change. In July–August, the Greek seas actually change color from traditional blue to turquoise and azure. And the Ionian Sea takes on an unreal purple color.

Note to shopping lovers: starting in the second half of July, various shopping centers and stores begin sales. In Greece, the largest sales take place in July and December.

Velvet season in Greece.

The Greek velvet season starts from September to October. It's September in Greece
especially its first half, is practically no different from July in terms of temperature indicators. However, due to the smaller number of people and slightly lower temperatures (in the north of the country the air is heated to +27 degrees, in the south - to +33; the water temperature stays within +23 degrees), the rest is much more comfortable.

It's time to relax with the kids and visit various historical monuments.

Around mid-September, starting from the northern regions, the rainy season begins in Greece. At first, this is a short-term phenomenon, and closer to October, prolonged rains cover the entire territory of the country. The warmest places where you can still lie in the sun are the southern islands - Rhodes, Crete, Patmos and others.

By the end of October, the air temperature drops to about +20 - +23 degrees, water - +18. Only desperate lovers of invigorating water can swim now.

During the Velvet Season, beach holidays are replaced by excursions and wellness for your loved ones in various SPA salons.

Low season in Greece.

Starting from November, the weather in Hellas completely deteriorates and the most desperate beach lovers have already gone home. However, the Greeks do not want to succumb to weather melancholy and arrange a holiday for themselves: in the fall, various food fairs begin (new wine, fruit, etc.), for example, in Thessaloniki. And such small colorful fun smoothly turns into pre-Christmas preparations. Almost all
December, thematic fairs and sales open in all cities of Greece.

During this period, excursion holidays can be combined with public festivities along the streets of the cities. And it’s worth looking at pre-Christmas Greece – it’s like plunging into a fairy tale.

Also, starting in December, the ski season opens in the country. Hotels in Fterolaki, Kalaria and the like are already opening their doors here.

Naturally, you need to visit Greece for Christmas. At this time, it is not as cold here as in our latitudes and people often go out to celebrate the holiday on the streets of their cities. Surely you will remember for a long time your participation in Christmas processions, especially if you meet the evil spirit “kalikanzari” - a kind of disguised person with a goat, pig or devil’s head
specific rags, with glowing eyes, who brazenly pesters everyone (sometimes not even with very good intentions).

Literally immediately after Christmas and until January 6, large-scale sales open in Greece. People line up in long lines to buy something they like at a discount of up to 80%. But this color also attracts a lot of tourists.

From January to February, Greeks continue to diligently have fun at various festivals. The largest of them takes place in the city of Kastoria. You can also check out the festival in Partha, Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities in the country.

And, of course, in winter, don’t forget to visit a couple of
SPA treatments to restore health undermined by mass fun.

Spring in Greece, or rather Greece in Spring! This is something unforgettably beautiful! Already in March, the air temperature remains at a decent +17 - +19 degrees, the sea is still a bit cold ~ +15 degrees. Literally everything and everywhere is covered with flowers of the most unimaginable colors. Having arrived in the country at this time to look at the Acropolis in Athens, you will no longer want to look at it in the summer - unreal beauty!

As is already clear from the above, you should come to Greece on excursions in the spring.

When is the best time to come to Greece?

In the spring - on excursions.

In summer (June) – relax on the beach with children. July – on sale.

In autumn (September) – come with your loved one (or kids) to the beach and on excursions. September – October: for seasonal fairs.

In winter (December) - for the pre-Christmas holidays, Christmas and skiing. January – large-scale sales and festivals.

Whenever you decide to come to Greece, you will always receive relaxation, celebration and a sea of ​​positive emotions.

When to go to Greece for a beach holiday? When is the best time to vacation in Greece? budget tourists? Greece is a popular country among our compatriots. In the summer months it is one of the top 10 holiday destinations. Most often visited in Greece are Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos, Athens, Thessaloniki and the Halkidiki peninsula.

Geographically, the country stretches from north to south. The weather in Greece differs on the mainland and the southern islands.

Athens

The capital of Greece, Athens, has a Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers. In winter (December to mid-March), the climate is determined by cold air from the Balkan Peninsula. This could cause rain or even snow. The temperature in the coldest month in Athens in January is +7+13 degrees. In summer the temperature reaches +35 degrees.

Santorini

Santorini is the largest and southernmost of the Cyclades (an island group in the Aegean Sea) and also has a Mediterranean climate. Rain is possible in Santorini from October to March. From June to mid-September it is summer in Santorini, when the weather is sunny and warm +26+29 degrees. There is almost no precipitation in summer. At the beginning of autumn the weather is sunny, but rains gradually become more frequent. In winter the temperature drops to +10 degrees.

Heraklion

Located on the largest Greek island of Crete. In winter you can see snow in the mountains of the island. Crete is the southernmost island of Greece, so it is not as exposed to cold weather as other Greek islands. In the warmest month of August the temperature is +22+29 degrees, in the coldest month January +9+16 degrees.

Tours to Greece

When is the best time to vacation in Greece?

When is the best time to go to Greece for budget tourists? The best time to visit Greece is spring-early summer (April-mid-June) and autumn (September-mid-October). At this time, prices are low, the weather is good, there are few tourists, but you won’t be able to swim in the sea (except in September). At this time, you can buy cheap tours to Greece. On the downside, some hotels, shops and restaurants are closed during the off-season; most establishments are only open during the season from June to September. In September the sea is still warm and you can swim. Autumn is the best time to visit Greece due to the abundance of fruits and vegetables and is the peak harvest season. Fruits are much cheaper in the fall and have the richest flavor. You must try tomatoes, figs, melons and grapes in Greece in the fall. At this time it is easy to visit attractions and archaeological sites in the open air because it is not too hot as in summer.

High season

When is the best time to go to Greece for a beach holiday? Summer (late June-early September) is high season in Greece. The popular destinations of Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Thessaloniki and Athens have a huge flow of tourists. In the summer months the temperature is +25+29 degrees. The most popular and expensive month to visit Greece is August. During this time, you need to book tours in advance.

Water temperature

The best time to visit Greece beaches on the Greek islands is from late June to early October. At the beginning of June the sea is still cool, and in mid-summer the water temperature reaches +25 degrees in Heraklion and +24 degrees in Santorini. In spring, the average water temperature is +16+20 degrees.

In spring and summer, Greece has long daylight hours of up to 14 hours, and in winter an average of 10 hours.

How much do air tickets to Greece cost?

The best prices for flights to Greece are in. There you can take a domestic flight to other cities, or take a ferry to the Greek islands. The low-cost airline Aegean Airlines flies from Russia to Greece; they often have sales on air tickets.

Off-season

In the off-season, flights to Athens are 20% cheaper than in summer. The budget airline Aegean Airlines reduces prices by almost 2 times. In the off-season, people come to Greece to see the tourist attractions.

High season

In summer, air tickets to the Greek islands of Crete, Kos, Rhodes, and Santorini are 50% more expensive. At this time, there is high demand, more flights and higher prices for hotels and entertainment.

Festivals in Greece

Various festivals are held in Greece, mainly in the summer.

  • Apokri (February-March) - carnival before Lent. Patras, Corfu, Xanthi and Rethymno host large carnival parades and entertainment parties.
  • Orthodox Easter (March-April) is the most important holiday in Greece. Street processions and church services are held. Saturday begins Holy Week, known as the Saturday of Lazarus.
  • Rocket Wars (Rouketopolemos) (March-April) - Held annually on the Greek island of Chios during Easter.
  • Athens Epidaurus Festival (June-August) is an open-air opera and classical music festival.
  • The Hippocrates Festival (July-August) takes place on the island of Kos and is a celebration of dance, theater performances and outdoor concerts.
  • Athens Photo Festival (June-July) is an association of artists and photographers from all over the world.
  • Rockwave Festival (June–July) is a rock music festival in the village of Malakasa.
  • The Pistachio Festival (September) takes place on the island of Aegina, where pistachios are sold everywhere.
  • Thessaloniki International Film Festival (November) is one of the most important cultural events in Greece.

People spend the whole year planning where it is best to spend their holidays, leaning towards one option or another. The most important thing when choosing a vacation spot is to choose the right time to travel to a particular country. Today we will look at when the season begins in Greece and when it ends in different parts of this popular country among tourists.

Climate features in Greece

Greece is the southernmost country in Europe. Thanks to this geographical location, the climate in the country is very mild; in winter, the air temperature almost never drops below zero; January is considered the coldest month. The hottest months of the year are July and August. At this time, the air temperature in the shade can reach plus forty degrees.

When describing the climate of Greece, it should be noted that there is a difference between the weather in the continental part of the country and on the islands. For example, the summer heat on the islands is much easier to bear, because here, unlike the calmness of the continent, a light sea breeze constantly blows. The territory of the island of Rhodes is endowed with some of the most pleasant climatic conditions, with its long, moderately hot summers (air temperature rarely exceeds +25 degrees) and warm winters. The sea water temperature in the Rhodes area, even in winter, does not drop below +16 degrees.

When does the season start and end in Greece?

If we take the whole country as a whole, the tourist season in Greece begins in May, when the water in the sea warms up to an acceptable temperature for swimming, and the air is not yet as hot as in July or August, and ends in late October - early November. Among those who rarely can afford to go on holiday abroad, there is a misconception that the ideal time to travel to Greece, like any other resort country, is mid-summer. Arriving in Greece in mid-July, you will not be able to stay on the beach for a long time due to the intense heat and will not be an unnecessary decoration, because... at a temperature above 40 degrees the pressure may jump. Of course, if you are stubborn and decide not to waste your rest and languish in a sun lounger all day long under the scorching rays of the sun, you will get your portion of sea air. But will this be a real vacation? Moreover, it should be noted that most tourists try to get to Greece at this time, due to which prices for accommodation and various excursions almost double in July and August.

If you really want to enjoy your holiday, then the best time would be the end of May - the beginning of June, when the season in Greece has just begun, or the period from September to October, when the heat has already subsided, but the sea remains warm. Greece is especially good during the velvet season. True, if you are going to go on vacation to the northern regions of the Hellenic country, then you shouldn’t delay your trip until mid-autumn, since by that time it will already get pretty cold there and you won’t be able to splash around in the sea much.

The longest swimming season in Greece is on the island of Crete. In Crete, the season begins earlier than on the coast, so you can come to Heraklion to relax in early April. Here the sea is already warming up by this time, because in Crete there is no real winter. The average winter temperature in Heraklion ranges from +13 to +18 degrees. It also cannot be said that the island, like Rhodes, is very hot in the summer, so if you, due to circumstances beyond your control, which often arise due to inconsistency of vacation schedules in many institutions, have to take a vacation in the middle of summer, then Crete and Rhodes would be an ideal choice among all other resorts in Greece.

I would like to hope that after reading this article, you will get a complete understanding of when the season in Greece begins and ends and you will be able to independently choose the right time to travel to this wonderful country. In our opinion, the best time to holiday in Greece is May, June, September and October. At the same time, at the beginning and end of the season it is better to go on vacation to the Greek islands.

The holiday season in Greece begins in early May and ends in October. Most tourists prefer to come in July-August, although the most comfortable months for vacation are June and September.

May is the culmination of the Greek spring. The most suitable period if you are planning a purely sightseeing holiday. Here you can enjoy the blooming of local nature, which is especially beautiful in March - April. The swimming season opens in mid-May, but even in Crete the water is still invigorating (+19…20º).

For a holiday at the beginning of the season, it is better to choose the islands:

  • Corfu

The weather in Greece is great for a beach holiday. The water is already warm (+22), there is no summer heat yet, and high daytime temperatures are easily tolerated due to the constant wind from the sea.

In the second half of July and early August, in southern resorts the air temperature reaches +35°, although +30° is considered the norm. Hundreds of thousands of tourists vacation at the resorts with all the attendant disadvantages (inflated prices, long queues and crowded taverns). The Greeks themselves prefer to relax in Chalkidiki or Corfu. It is better to plan your trip for the first half of July or the end of August, when there is less risk of experiencing extreme temperatures.

In September and October, the “velvet” season begins throughout Greece. The summer heat is receding, but prices for tours do not show a drop, since Greece is very popular in Europe. Pensioners, romantics and people who know how to save wisely flock to the local resorts.

It’s better to fly to the islands for vacation. In Crete, the season lasts until mid-October. On Kos and Corfu, beach infrastructure is usually closed at the beginning of the month.

The peak tourist season is in August and September. It is better to focus on the third ten days of September for the optimal ratio of price and quality of vacation. At this time, there are no problems with last-minute tours due to special offers from hotels.

Dynamics of changes in tour costs

Although the weather stabilizes closer to summer, the cost of tours has several peaks, which are supported by demand.

  1. The first price rise occurs during the May holidays. But at this time, the entire infrastructure has not yet been deployed. Even water parks open after May 10th.
  2. After the holidays there is a slight decline, when you can buy a tour at a good price and relax in comfortable conditions.
  3. At the beginning of June, prices rise due to the start of the holiday season and holidays in Russia (June 12)
  4. There is a slight decline in demand until the first days of July - and this is the best time to travel to Greece with children if you cannot fly in September-October
  5. In September there is a slight seasonal decrease in the cost of travel packages.
  6. The price collapse occurred at the beginning of October. Great time to travel to Greece if you're on a budget.