If you are planning to visit Santorini in October, here’s what you need to know.
October is possibly the best time to visit Santorini in Greece because it’s not too busy and crowded (as it is in July and August), and the weather is still awesome, with a temperature between 15-25 degrees Celsius (or 65-80 Fahrenheit) and mostly sunny. It’s the best weather you could ask for a trip! Also, all the beach clubs in Santorini will be open and fully operational (even though this is their last month for the season as they close down for the winter). So, to calm you down I should also say that Greece is one of the hot countries in October.
BEST HOTEL FOR OCTOBER IN SANTORINI: Cosmopolitan Suites (Fira)
See also my guide for September in Santorini (warmer weather but more crowded…).
READ ALSO:
Where to Stay in Santorini
Best Hotels in Santorini
Best Beach Hotels in Santorini
Best Santorini Boat Tours
Keep reading…there’s more!
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES FOR GREECE:
Booking.com is the website with the most available rooms and Private Villas in Athens, Santorini , Mykonos & Crete (more than Airbnb!)
Ferryhopper is the best website to book your ferry tickets or check the timetables for Santorini, Mykonos , Crete & all greek islands
Get Your Guide has the best and largest variety of Tours in Athens and the greek islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Crete etc)
Rentalcars is the easiest way to rent a car or a quad for Greece with thousands of available options
Expedia has all the available flights to and from the greek islands
Santorini Weather in October
October in Santorini is a relatively hot and dry month.
Temperature can be anything between 15-25 degrees Celsius (or 65-80 Fahrenheit) and it will be sunny most of the times. Sometimes the temperature is around 25-30 degrees Celsius.
You may get some rain for a few hours or a cloudy evening sometimes but in general you will be wandering the streets of Fira and Oia with t-shirts and shorts during the day without sweating or getting exhausted like you do during the summer months of June, July or August.
When it gets dark you may need a light jacket or a hoodie but that’s it. Seriously.
It won’t feel at all like a Western European autumn.
It will feel more like London or Paris summer weather in June or July.
Where should I stay in October in Santorini?
October in Santorini still feels like summer to be honest, so your options will literally be the same as they are in July or August.
However, because the whole island slows down it might be better to choose a location closer to Fira which is the capital.
BEST HOTEL FOR OCTOBER IN SANTORINI: Cosmopolitan Suites (Fira)
However Oia and Imerovigli will still be great options (if views are your priority). Oia and Imerovigli will probably be even better as they will more quiet with less tourist masses.
If you want to stay close to the beach and you are not worried too much about the caldera/volcano views or sunsets, then you can stay at Kamari (very family-friendly small town by the beach with lots of options for restaurants) or alternatively you can always stay in Perissa or Perivolos (the famous black beaches) :
Most of the beach bars and restaurants in Perissa, Perivolos and Kamari have their last operational month in October, so there is still a lot going on in October.
October is still considered high season in Santorini!
What do I need to pack for a trip to Santorini in October?
You definitely need to pack your swimsuit(s), (those bikinis you saw on instagram and then you bought online along with his brand new speedos ), t-shirts, shorts, some light jackets (mainly for the evenings and nights) and generally everything you would wear let’s say in June or July in London,UK.
Can I swim in Santorini in October?
Of course you can! The sea water will still be warm from the summer and actually even hotter than it might be in May or June sometimes.
Also, because of the fact that Santorini does not attract that many people in October you will literally have a large part of the beach or the swimming pool for yourself!
(Don’t worry… you won’t be completely alone… it’s still high season!)
Kamari and Perissa/Perivolos beaches will be awesome and all the yummy snack and beach bars will be catering you.
Is October a good time to travel to Santorini?
Absolutely! October is one of the best months to travel to Santorini because it’s not that busy and you’ll still get awesome weather.
It is true that businesses (hotels, restaurants, cafes, beach bars etc) are slowing down because it’s the end of the high season (April-October) but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It basically means you will get more attention and possibly better service from the people who will serve or cater you.
For some of the hotels, beach bars and restaurants, October is their last month before they close but that is a good thing, seriously.
July and August in Santorini are really busy (like…crazy busy…!) and you can feel that everywhere: on the busy streets of Fira, during sunset time in Oia, at the beach bars of Perissa and Perivolos (where it might be super difficult to find a sunbed to lay down) and on the exhausted waiters and housekeepers of the island.
What are the things I can do in Santorini in October?
You can literally do everything you’d do during April, May, June, July, August or Septemberas it is still considered high season.
- swimming at the amazing Santorini Beaches
- wine tasting at any of the Best Wineries of the island (this is the most detailed Wineries Guide on the internet!)
- visit the Akrotiri prehistoric ruins
- have a lunch or dinner at one of the best restaurants of the island
- use Santorini as your base to visit other greek islands or…
- do one (or more…) of these things
What are the flights to Santorini in October ?
Here are the companies with direct flights to Santorini (from major European cities and from Athens):
(unfortunately no flights from outside Europe…you have to get off at Athens and then take another plane or ferry)
What are the ferries to Santorini in October?
Read my super detailed guide for all the ferries in Santorini here:
How To Get From Athens to Santorini
For the latest schedules and ferry timetables you should always check the best website for booking ferries in Greece: Ferryhopper
CONCLUSION
Don’t get me wrong, you will have a great time in Santorini whenever you choose to go but I strongly believe that the first weeks of October and possibly the last weeks of September are really the best! You will see and appreciate the beauty of this island much more.
MORE TIPS FOR GREECE
Hi!
Great article about Santorini in October!
Do you recommend to book a hotel room months in advance? Or perhaps to try find some great deals later or when already arrived as the island is less crowded in October.
Hi Henri,
Thanks for your kind words.
I highly recommend you book your hotel in advance.
Santorini is going to have a very different September and October this year as more and more people will decide to visit the island these months because it was probably more difficult in July and August because of Covid restrictions. I would definitely not leave it till arrival to find a room. Because there is high demand in Santorini your chances of finding a room you want can be very low even in October. You can definitely do that in other islands but not in Santorini and Mykonos… hope that helps!
Hi, what will santorini be like during the last week of October? Will there still be places open like restaurants and bars? And what will the weather be like? Thanks
Hi Jeevan,
The last week of October is pretty much when all businesses are shutting down for the winter. This year though is special and everyone on the island says that the “summer” will be till November as more and more people would like to visit the island without Covid restrictions in place. However, the last week of October is risky in my opinion if you want to make sure all businesses are open. You should still be able to swim in the sea though and even if businesses are closing I assume that more than half will still be open. The weather will start to be unpredictable and you may get a bit of wind and slightly colder nights or cloudy skies. Chances are you are going to get sunny days and a temperature of about 20-25 degrees Celsius.
Hello,
I plan on going next week, how is the weather so far? And will businesses such as bars, restaurants, clubs?
Hello,
I plan on going next week, how is the weather so far? And will businesses such as bars, restaurants, clubs be open?
The weather currently in Santorini is quite good, but to be honest I don’t think it’s going to last very very long as usually there is cold comeing the last weeks of October and early November. When I say cold I mean temperature around 15-20 degrees and less sunny as it normally is in the summer.
The weather in Santorini at the moment is still pretty good and sunny and the temperature around 20 degrees.
Most of the businesses are slowing down to be honest and getting prepared for the winter which means you will have less options for eating and drinking out. There will definitely be some open businesses but there is a good chance this will be their last week that are operating in this season.