Crete month by month
Plan your visit to Crete by month. Compare weather, crowds, events, and prices across all twelve months with historical climate data.
Crete's measured year splits at April. December through March holds between 16°C and 18°C highs with 10 to 11 rain days per month. February sits at the floor, 16°C. April then drops rain from 11 days to 4 and lifts the average high to 21°C. By June the temperature reaches 29°C with 2 rain days. July and August both hit 32°C with 1 rain day each. September matches June's 29°C but brings 5 rain days back. October and November fall to 25°C and 22°C, both with 5 rain days, before December resets to 18°C and 10 rain days.
The 12 month guides below this index follow what shifts across those periods. If your trip window falls between May and October, open those months first. May and October both average 25°C highs and 5 rain days, but May opens the dry half of the year while October closes it. For the least rain, start with July or August. For the cooler months, note that March carries 11 rain days, the wettest reading in the measured year.
April is Crete's decisive month, when rain days drop from March's 11 to 4 and the average high reaches 21°C.
- January
- High
- 17°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 50 mm
Most of the island's tourist infrastructure closes between November and April. That's the headline for January in Crete. Hotels along the north coast beach strips in Malia and…
- February
- High
- 16°C
- Low
- 9°C
- Rain
- 62 mm
February is the quietest month on Crete, and the island feels like it belongs entirely to the people who live here. Daytime temperatures hover around 15.9°C (61°F), nights drop to…
- March
- High
- 18°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 68 mm
March in Crete catches the island mid-hibernation. Most beach resorts along the north coast, from Platanias west of Chania to Stalis east of Heraklion, remain shuttered until late…
- April
- High
- 21°C
- Low
- 13°C
- Rain
- 27 mm
April is when Crete shakes off winter without yet surrendering to the tourist machine. The single most important thing to know about April 2026 is that Greek Orthodox Easter,…
- May
- High
- 25°C
- Low
- 16°C
- Rain
- 33 mm
May is likely the single best month to visit Crete. That is the headline. Daytime temperatures settle around 25°C (77°F), the sea has warmed enough for swimming at beaches like…
- June
- High
- 29°C
- Low
- 21°C
- Rain
- 14 mm
June might be the single best month to arrive in Crete. Daytime temperatures reach about 29°C (85°F), the Libyan Sea has warmed to around 23°C (73°F), and rainfall drops to roughly…
- July
- High
- 32°C
- Low
- 24°C
- Rain
- 2 mm
July is the hottest month on Crete, and the most expensive. Daytime temperatures reach 32°C (89°F), rain is practically absent at 2mm for the entire month, and every beach lounger…
- August
- High
- 32°C
- Low
- 23°C
- Rain
- 5 mm
August in Crete is the hottest, most crowded, and most expensive month of the year. Daytime highs average 32°C (89°F) with lows around 23°C (74°F), and rainfall is nearly…
- September
- High
- 29°C
- Low
- 21°C
- Rain
- 13 mm
The single most important thing about September in Crete is the water. The Cretan Sea reaches its peak temperature of around 25-26°C (77-79°F), the warmest it will be all year, and…
- October
- High
- 25°C
- Low
- 17°C
- Rain
- 22 mm
October in Crete might be the island's best-kept timing secret. Daytime temperatures sit around 24.6°C (76°F), the Libyan Sea still holds roughly 22-23°C from months of summer…
- November
- High
- 22°C
- Low
- 14°C
- Rain
- 24 mm
November is when Crete exhales. The tour buses stop running the Heraklion to Knossos loop on repeat, the chartered flights from Düsseldorf and Manchester thin out, and roughly half…
- December
- High
- 18°C
- Low
- 11°C
- Rain
- 55 mm
December in Crete means one thing above all else. Most of the island's tourist infrastructure is closed. The beach resorts stretching from Malia to Hersonissos sit empty, their…