Greece has one of the hottest summers in Europe and in the Mediterranean sea with high temperatures during the day (more than 30ºC or 86 °F during the day). But when is summer in Greece?
Summer in Greece is considered the period between (and including) the months of June, July and August.
These months and September are also considered the high season in Greece and the greek islands and it’s the busiest time of the year for tourism.
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May and October are usually considered the “shoulder season” when the weather is less hot but still sunny. Business will be open in Greece in May and October.
Officially though, the summer in Greece starts on the 21st of June and finishes on the 23rd of September.
Summers in Greece are usually very hot and dry with temperatures raising more than 30ºC or 86 °F during the day and around 25ºC during the nights. So, in June, July and August you wouldn’t normally need any jackets, even in the night. The weather is very pleasant and if you avoid being under direct sun light then you will have a great time.
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Weather in Greece
Here are the average temperatures in Athens Greece for the whole year (the islands have slightly colder temperatures in general becasue of the winds):
As you can see from the figure above, Greece has very mild and warm weather compared to other countries in Europe or even compared to US weather. The weather in Greece overall is very similar to the weather of California, USA.
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However, the weather on the greek islands can be very windy in the summer (July and mostly August) but this is very unpredictable and it depends on the year. I remember as a child though, some very windy days during August but it was just some days. Usually the wind calms down after 24-48 hours and you can definitely enjoy the beach life again.
There are some greek islands that are notoriously windy (such as Andros or even some parts of Crete) but in general, you shouldn’t worry that much, and chances are that you won’t face any typhoons or storms (there is none of this in Greece by the way!).
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What is the best month to visit Greece?
Summer in Greece is when all the tourists arrive and flood the country and its islands, so usually my advice is to visit Greece or any of the islands in early June or late September.
Yes, the weather would still be hot to enjoy the beach life and all businesses will be open. It is literally still high season in Greece but with less crowds.
Obviously, the very famous islands such as Santorini and Mykonos will stil be full of people but things are definitely calmer than in July or August.
I am explaining everything in more detail in my other post about the best time to go to Greece.
Does Greece shut down in October?
Greece does not shut down in October, but many businesses that rely on good weather and are close to the beachside areas on the greek islands shut down at the end of October every year because there are no people visiting the beaches as the water and the weather is too cold.
In general, Greece welcomes visitors all year round but there are many businesses (especially on the greek islands) that operate only between May and October as there is no demand or enough customers outside of these months.
Bear also in mind, that most of the flight companies only have direct flights to the greek islands from the major European cities, between April and October. So, this is making it a bit more challenging to go to an island outside of these months as the ferries become less frequent outside of these months.
CONCLUSION
If you are wondering when is summer in Greece then you are probably looking to visit the country during its hot and high season. I usually do not recommend visiting in July or August as it’s always very crowded but in my opinion, the best time is early June and late September.
