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Many delights await the visitor to the Greek islands. The wonderful light, the emerald seas and densely wooded hillsides have been praised in many a travelogue and tourist brochure. But there is another side to a country. Until relatively recently the standard of living was well below the European average and the culture shock was significant. In the last 20 years though, and particularly since Greece joined the European Union and, even more importantly ditcched the drachma for the euro, things have changed.
Gone are the days when you could dine out for a fiver with free wine thrown in. Now prices are more on a par with the UK and hidden extras can find their way onto the bill. Your room may still be "basic Greek" with little in the way of luxury but you may now have the option of air conditioning - though you will certainly have to pay extra. This is not the Greeks out to make a fast buck - this is economic necessity. They have faced a massive rise in prices themselves and have little option than to pass it on to their customers. A pity perhaps for the tourist who remembers the old days of cheap food, cheap wine and cheap lodgings. Not sucha pity for the Greeks who are no longer born to lives of grinding poverty.
     
  Dining  Driving  Environment   Health   Flying   Sailing  Weather Greek FAQ
   
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  FLYING
     
  Not all Greek islands take charter flights and those that do attract the package holiday firms - and suffer for it. Concrete mixers come out to play; burger joints, cocktail bars and discos shoot up as quickly as the prices. Islands that are big enough, Corfu, Lesbos and Crete for example can retain pockets of Greek country life but smaller islands, Skiathos in particular, tend to get swamped by tourist tackiness

INTERNATIONAL
There are five international airports: Athens, Corfu, Heraklion, Kos and Thesaloniki.
CHARTER
Several islands also take regular charter flights and these include:
IONIAN: Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos
AEGEAN: Samos
SPORADES: Skiathos, Skyros
CYCLADES: Mikonos, Santorini
DODECANESE: Kos, Rhodes.
CRETE: Chania, Heraklion
Tourists for Thassos fly to Kavala and those for Lefkas land at Prevezza on the mainland
DOMESTIC:
Other islands take domestic flights, usually from Athens. These include:
AEGEAN: Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos, Lesbos
SPORADES: Skiros
CYCLADES: Astipalaia, Milos, Naxos, Paros, Syros
DODECANESE: Karpathos, Kastelorizo, Leros.
CRETE: Sita

 Olympic operates almost all domestic flights. You must reserve seats on domestic flights especially in August or on public holidays. Delays in domestic flights are common and smaller planes cannot take off or land when it is windy.

olympic
Olympic

airports
Airports

icon Passing through a Greek island airport can be a dismal experience. Most have nothing but basic facilities. Flights in are not so bad, though you may have to wait for your luggage as airport workers think nothing of waiting for the next flight to arrive to save themselves an extra journey to the terminal building. Charter flights out are nearly always arranged to leave at roughly the same time so airport check-ins are packed, seating sparse and tempers frayed. Flight delays of an hour or more are common

   
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  SAILING
     
  Ferries operate all year round in the Greek islands although the more remote might get only one ferry a week. There are four kinds of ferry - hydrofoils, catamarans, ferries and caiques.

Hydrofoils are twice as fast but cost twice as much and are a boring way to travel. You sit in aircraft type seats in the gloomy interior and there are no snack bars or facilities other than a small toilet. They are built on an old Russian design that is unsuitable for bad weather and trips are likely to be cancelled in storms.

Catamarans are super sleek, super fast and super expensive ferries and are only found on the longer, more commercial routes. It's a sleek way to travel if you have the cash.

Ferries come in all shapes and sizes and are the workhorses of the islands, taking passengers, supplies and vehicles from island to island. They offer comfortable seats, sundecks, toilets and and cafes, though food and drink can be poor and exorbitantly priced. Safety concerns following the Express Samina disaster off Naxos in which 82 died have eased. New rules ban boats more than 30 and permits for new routes are only issued for vessels built after 1990. Statistically, you are very safe travelling on a Greek ferry but beware older boats, check exits and life jacket point if you are concerned.
Check out timetables at the nearest ticket agent (there are several in each port) as times can vary daily. There's not much point in booking in advance expect in August when boats can be packed with Greeks on holiday. Buy tickets and hand them to the officer on the gangway when the ferry arrives. Dump your luggage along the edge of the vehicle desk and climb the steps to the passenger decks.

Caiques are found in every port lined up on the quayside touting island trips and visits to small islets. No facilities on board so take your own food and drink. No toilets either and be prepared to suffer on the hard wooden seating. They can also sway about in the swell so beware seasickness.

Check with the local ticket agents for times of sailings - they can change daily.
Buy your snacks before you get aboard, ferry food is poor and expensive and best avoided unless you have a passion for microwaved mini-pizzas.
Don't site behind the funnel on the sundeck or you may choke on the fumes.
Some hydrofoils have a small outside deck at the rear where you can get some fresh air and get covered in spray
hydrofoil
Hydrofoils are utilitarian

catamaran
Catamaran are sleek

Ferry
Large ferry docks in Mykonos

caique
Boat trips in a caique
     
greek top ISLAND HOPPING

 
  Heavily subsidised ferries encouraged island hopping in the 1960s and the tradition has continued. Once the preserve of backpackers, many now prefer more adventurous holidays. All you need are ferry times and a relaxed attitude to timekeeping. The Greek ferry system is geared to the needs of islanders, not tourists, so most ferries fan out from the mainland ports of Piraeus, Rafina Lavrion and Volos. You normally fly to Athens and get a ferry from Piraeus or fly to one of the main islands and hop a ferry from there.
The Cyclades is the ideal island hopping group having frequent ferries and short journey times. Flying to Mykonos first can save time. As well as the popular tourist islands of Santorini, Paros and Naxos there are many smaller ones worth a visit.
N. Aegean islands are well spread out and you can spend a good few hours sailing between them. Samos, Patmos, Lipsi, Leros, Kalymnos and Kos are well connected by ferries and make for good island hopping.
The Dodecanese offer a variety of islands with lots of historical interest plus the possibility of a trip to nearby Turkey or to Crete. Most fly to Rhodes then hop on ferries going north.
The Sporades offer a varied quartet of islands strung out in a line with ferries between Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos. Skyros is another matter and can only be reached via Evia and there are no easy links to other island groups.
The Ionians don't lend themselves to island hopping as ferries are fewer and links not as direct. There are regular sailings to Italy though if the fancy takes you and mainland Greece is across the causeway from Lefkas.


     
 
     
greek top FERRY WEBSITES
Ferry websites can be a pain for two main reasons.
1. Spelling - they can be very picky about spellings of islands and ports. Heraklion in Crete for example can be listed as Heraklio, Iraklion or Iraklio and islands can be Paxos or Paxi, Lefkas or Lefkhada - get your Greek guidebook out.
2. Routes -The main ferry routes radiate from the mainland and, if the island is on one of these radial routes all well and good - Piraeus - Andros - Tinos - Mykonos - Santorini for example. Finding which islands are connected through a website is not easy. They all ask for departure and destination ports and, if there's no direct route, return a blank result even when there can be a convenient island to change ferries.

The best timetable site


Latest schedules

paleologos
Timetables,tickets
   
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  DRIVING
      Ways to blend in on Greek roads
  ROADS
These have improved greatly in recent years as a result of Greece joining the EU. But island highways still leave a lot to be desired. Potholes and loose gravel are the most dangerous hazards, missing or misleading signposts are as irritating as they are commonplace. Cliff roads are rarely fenced despite the Greek weakness for throwing up wire fencing almost everywhere else. Fallen rocks can litter mountain roads and it is not unusual to find herds of goats wandering about or the odd snake taking a siesta on the hot tarmac.
Greece has the highest accident rate in Europe after Portugal. If you do have an accident and you are in the AA or RAC you can get free roadside help from ELPA - the Greek equivalent. Also note it is an offence to leave the scene of an accident and you can be held by police for questioning for up to 24 hours.
   Toot your horn at every opportunity. Greeks do it at the drop of a hat.
 Ignore speed limits. Greeks do unless driving a tractor.
Tailgate to stop others weaving in and out at high speed.
 Don't indicate - it is an unnecessary affectation.
 Always overtake on blind corners. Overtaking on a clear road is for wimps.
  Flashing lights means 'Get out of my way now or I will ram you!'
 Ignore No Parking signs. One way signs can also be ignored.
  Up to six cars can squeeze through after lights turn red.
       
greek top TAXIS
Taxis can be cheap in towns and drivers must use a meter. Fares are controlled nationally but not always observed. Generally taxi drivers are honest and friendly but in tourist hotspots like Faliraki or Laganas this may not be the case. Drivers in Athens for example are notorious for ripping off tourists and other visitors.
On popular islands like Rhodes and Skiathos out of town charges can double for no apparent, or legal, reason so take care if you want to go off the main road.
Fares are set by the government but it is always a good idea to agree the price (for the car not for each person) before you set off and if rates are reasonable there's no reason not to give a generous tip as fares are lower than in the UK.
Greek taxi drivers will often pick up other passengers on the way, its normal in Greece, but the fare stays the same.
  Taxi rates valid at 2004 in euros
Day rate (5am - 12pm)
Night rate (12pm - 5am)
Meter starts at 0.73
Minimum fare 1.47
Rate per km (day) 0.23
Rate per km (night) 0.38
Waiting time per hour 7.00
Radio taxi - simple call +1.17
Radio taxi - appointment +1.76
At airports + 0.88
Ports, rail and bus stations + 0.44
Luggage - per item + 0.15
       
greek top CAR RENTAL
Car rental outfits are everywhere and you can strike up a good deal especially out of season though fixing up rental through your travel agent as part of the holiday package can be even cheaper. This way a car can be waiting at the airport or delivered to you door. Several online firms allow you to book ahead in the UK. Seatbelts are compulsory and children under ten years must sit in the back.

MOPEDS
Motorbikes are available virtually everywhere and most rent-a-moto outfits like to have the latest models. If you do hire a moped take special care on the potholed roads. Helmets are required by law but locals appear to ignore this rule with impunity.

  Only drive if you have a licence. Rental firms don't always ask.
Carry your papers with you including the hirer's phone number.
Wear a helmet. Hirers must provide one .
Check brakes before you set off. Some get minimal maintenance.
Some offer good prices but charge extra fees if you get stranded.
       
greek top BUSES
Greek buses are cheap and punctual. Check local shops or post offices for timetables which may also be posted up on the odd bus stop. Beware of travelling during 'tourist hours' - 10am-noon and 4-6pm when everyone wants to travel and buses are crammed full - and them some more. They are sweaty pits of almost unbelievable mayhem. Conductors and drivers are helpful but be prepared for buses to take the odd detour to drop off driver's relatives or deliver a parcel. Don't worry, they get you there in the end.
  Greek bus
       
greek top ROAD MAPS
For many islands these are works of fiction, bearing little resemblance to the road network. If you do get a map get a Greek one. You may not be able to pronounce the village names but at least the map hieroglyphs may almost resemble the the road signs and you might just get a inkling of where you are. That said, many signs do now have a phonetic English equivalent though they may still point the wrong way or announce you are in a place that does not exist. You will do well to adopt the Greek motto - there is always tomorrow.
If in doubt stop at the nearest taverna and order a coffee and ask the waiter for directions. You could just settle for enjoying where you are - at least you won't feel lost any more.
   
   
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  DINING
       
  Greek food is not all peaches and cream. It can be healthy - plenty of salads and olive oil - but it can be rather boring too. Dishes are mainly borrowed from the Italians and Turks and involve either stuffing ingredients into a pot and boiling them in oil or in stabbing them with a skewer and setting fire to them.  But it's not all a dog's dinner. Chicken is cheap, lamb delicious, omelettes wonderful and yoghurt and honey out of this world.   taverna
       
 

icon Most hot meals in Greece are served lukewarm. Dishes are cooked in the morning and reheated for the evening customers. This is not done for economic reasons, it's a cultural thing. Greeks believe tepid food is better for the digestion and more agreeable in a hot climate - and who is to say they are not right. Some visitors find this difficult to stomach, used as they are to meals served up piping hot to combat the cold.
icon Many meals arrive swimming in olive oil, once scorned by tourist visitors but now known to be very healthy. A European study found the Cretan diet to almost guarantee and long and active life consisting as it does plenty of olive oil and fresh vegetables with a little meat and washed down with red wine.   
icon Dishes are often displayed in cabinets outside the taverna and customers are also welcome to wander around the kitchens. Some like to display the menu on neon-lit advert hoardings, usually so bleached by the sun that meals bear a more than passing resemblance to diseased vomit. These tavernas usually have touts to drag in diners from the street. Avoid both the touts and the tavernas. Waiters all get a percentage of the take in their wages so it is not strictly necessary to tip - but, hell with it, you are on holiday after all. Extras on the bill are usually local taxes.
icon Service is sluggish at best. Expect to wait to order, to wait for your meal and to wait for the bill. Note how irritating it can be to wait for service while watching the sun set on a balmy evening outdoors.
icon Greeks eat little in the morning so hotel breakfasts tend to be spartan. Eggs are overboiled until they turn green. Go for the yoghurt and honey as Greeks excel in producing both.
icon Fish tends to be expensive (despite the well stocked Med on the doorstep) and looks even more so as it is usually priced by the kilo.
icon Some tavernas still offer a 'free' gift of food or drink after a meal. You may get apple slices with nutmeg, baklavas or even an ouzo brandy. Too often this happens on your first visit only, although some continue the tradition.

GREEK WINE
Greek wines have had a deservedly dire reputation for years. Ask for red wine in a heavily touristed area and you will get a bottle of sour plonk pulled straight out of the fridge, virtually undrinkable. Things have improved recently thanks to subsidies to winemakers to modernise their plant and there are now half decent wines to be had. Even the cheap and cheerful Demestika, once nicknamed Domestos, is now not too bad.
Names to look for are Boutari and Rotonda for reds and Lac des Roches and Achaia Claus for whites. Many islands have their own distinctive labels. Crete, Santorini and the Ionian islands of Kefalonia and Lefkas are notable examples.
icon My best of the bunch for sites on Greek wines:
Dedicated to the promotion of Greek wine.
Greek wine information plus online shop.
Recent history and excellent overview
.iconRetsina is Greece's best known wine with a distinctive taste of pine resin inherited from pine plugs once used to seal wine jars. Pine needles are now added to flavour the fermenting wine. Kingsley Amis likened drinking it to swallowing a boiled-down cricket bat. It is an acquired taste and is best drunk cold. Draught retsina is a big improvement on the bottled stuff and, strangely, tastes best of all from the can.
Ouzo is a lethal aniseed flavoured drink best given a wide berth unless you are prepared to pay for the best. The best is distilled on Lesvos and is about 50% proof.
Greek brandy such as Metaxa and Botrys are sweet and course. Metaxa with coke is a popular drink in cocktail bars.
icon Drinking Greek coffee is like crunching volcanic sand and best avoided. Nescafe sachets are ubiquitous and exorbitantly priced. The brand is Nescafe Classic - not one I have seen outside Greece. They also come in tiny coffee cups which ensure the coffee is both too strong to drink and is guaranteed to go cold within seconds.
icon Expect to pay through the nose for soft drinks especially fresh orange juice although, it has to be said, the stuff is absolutely delicious.

  Bread is always placed on the table with a cover charge for it

.icon STARTERS (metzes)
Tsatziki - yoghurt, garlic and cucumber
Choriatiki - salad with feta cheese
Dolmades - stuffed vine leaves
Gigantes - butter beans in sauce.


taverna

icon MAIN COURSE
Souvlaki - a kebab
Keftedes - meatballs
Stifado - beef and onions
Kleftiko - oven baked lamb
Moussaka - mince and aubergine in cheese sauce
Brizoles - chops
Kotopoulo - chicken
Pastitsio - baked macaroni
Gemista - stuffed tomatoes


taverna

icon SWEETS
Baklavas - pastry and honey
Mila - apple
Karpouzi - watermelon
Stafilia - grapes
Pagato - ice cream


icon
icon Beer is mostly imported lager with the awful Heineken and doubly awful Amstel available everywhere.
Greek beer is worth a try and if you spot Hellas or Mythos (above) on the shelves then ask for it.
If, like me you prefer your beer warm, then shrug off the laughter and insist on a bottle that has not been in the fridge - at least it won't taste like you are drinking your own teeth.
   
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  MONEY
       
  One of the great benefits of a Greek holiday used to be the healthy exchange rate. The strong £ meant plenty of old Greek drachmas for your money and you could get a decent meal with wine for around £5. Those days are gone, never to return. Greece is in the Eurozone and prices are nowadays more on a par with those in the UK.
Euro coins come in eight denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.
Banknotes come in denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 notes.
There are now 12 countries in the Eurozone - Austria, Belgium, Eire, Finland, France, Holland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. Together they have a GDP that is almost as great as the United States.
icon The rate of exhange for euros hover at 70p = 1 euro so the easiest way to convert prices on the fly is:
Convert € to £s: multiply by 7 and divide by 10
So €7 = 7x7 = £49 / 10 = £4.90 - say £5
Convert £s to €: multiply by 10 and divide by 7
So £7 = 7x10 = €70 / 7 = €10
icon Expect to pay € 30-40-a night (£14-£28) for a simple double room depending on the place and the time of year. Out of season, or on less popular islands, you can pay as little as €20.
  euroeuro
euro coins
euro
euro notes
   
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  ENVIRONMENT
       
GREEKS & CONCRETE
Greeks love concrete. They pour the stuff everywhere, usually very badly. Wet cement is tamped down with old bits of wood and the result - an uneven, unsightly mess. In 1997 the government clamped down on shoddy and indiscriminate building but it was 20 years too late to save many streets from the breeze block squalor.  Take care on the street - repairs are often unfenced, kerbs can perch 20cm above the road on concrete steps can vary enormously. You get used to it but beware - most holiday accidents happen in the first 24 hours (well before you get used to it)
No Greek street scene would be complete without an unfinished building on the go. Houses are often left half finished, some for years at a time. Builders may turn up from time to time for a brief flurry of cement mixing, but then they leave the half-built homes for weeks, months, even years.
  Street scene
       
 

GREEKS & LITTER
Landscapes of such beauty that leave the rest of us gaping in wonder are seen by the Greeks as nothing more than a thumping good site for tipping a load of old junk. There is a hillside in Kefalonia that is awash with forgotten washing machines, coolers and fridges and a seaside cliff site in Paros that looks like a demolition junk yard.
Roadside verges on the islands are almost everywhere covered in litter. Plastic bags are the most popular, but cans, bottles and nylon rope are not without their followers. In towns and villages you will find roadside bins surrounded by bottle, boxes and bags. The biggest litter dumps of all are often the beaches and the sea. Plastic bags bob along like shoals of jellyfish and bottles, cans and nail-riddled driftwood are a common sight.

  Roadside bin
       
  GREEKS & CHAIN LINK
I am not one to argue that chain link fencing does not have its place in the modern world. Military installations, industrial compounds, dangerous mine shafts and poisoned wasteland all need protection from interlopers and crude ugliness may be the price to pay for making such sites secure. Not in Greece. Greeks throw up chain link fencing anywhere and everywhere it is bent, rusting, broken and completely ineffective for its original purpose (whatever that may have been). The stuff just lies around in a purposeless sprawl.
There is a historic coastal site at Alyki in Thassos of astonishing natural beauty that boasts the ruins of some of the earliest Christian basilicas. It also harbours a concentration camp labyrinth of ten-foot-high rusty chain link fencing, the only purpose of which appears to be to keep visitors off the ruins.
  Junk
   
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  HEALTH
       
  icon Many islands have a health centre despite their small size. Young trainee doctors are often posted there for our equivalent of an intern year and are usually very good and, most importantly, often speak excellent English - so you can explain what is wrong without an embarrassing pantomime performance.    
Pharmacies are also a good place to visit for common ailments. Pharmacists in Greece are very often highly trained and can offer good medical help and advice for free - unlike assistants in British chemists who always seem, to me at least, one pill short of a party. Again there is usually someone there who speaks excellent English. Medications can be rather more expensive than in Britain.
Care in Greek hospitals has much improved in recent years and is now generally very good too. But note that nurses will only perform medical duties - they will not look after you as the proverbial angels do in British hospitals, you are expected to take care of yourself ill or not. On the islands, of course, you won't get to hospital without a boat trip.
  icon British visitors can get a form E111 from DSS offices. This entitles you to the same care as you would expect if you were a Greek. It may get you into a hospital but it won't cover the cost of relatively expensive medicines or nursing. Outside Athens few seem to know or care about the form. You are better advised to get good travel insurance, pay up front, keep receipts and claim when you get back.
     
  GREEKS & TOILETS
Holiday brochures rarely mention toilet facilities on the Greek islands. It is usually left to holiday reps to break the bad news on the coach ride from the airport - when it is too late to do anything about it.
Visitors are told to never, ever put toilet paper down the lavatory bowl. For some incomprehensible reason, sewer pipes in Greece are of such small calibre that toilet paper invariably clogs them up causing a calamitous backup of sewage. So, instead of being dropped into the pan, used toilet paper must be shoved into a plastic bin provided next to the pedestal. This bin, usually a cheap plastic model and often without a lid, is emptied from time to time as the owner of the hotel or apartment sees fit.
Plastic supermarket bags are often used to line the bin, but not always and the bin can be emptied daily, but not always and, over time you should get as used to it as the Greeks, but not always. It is an unsanitary and, forgive the pun, inconvenient way of disposing of used toilet paper. There little to recommend lifting the lid on a taverna toilet bin on a stiflingly hot day to see a pile of shit-smeared toilet paper.
Greeks, I am told, prefer the bin disposal method and now regard it as part of their social heritage. Count your blessings - some taverna toilets have no pedestal at all and defecation is done squatting over a malodorous hole in the floor (see right).
  Toilet sign
Notice in Greek toilet

Greek toilet
   
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  WEATHER
  The Greek islands enjoy a warm and sunny Mediterranean climate. Everywhere the summers are hot and dry with brilliant light and clear skies. Temperatures are in the 80s, tempered only by the northern meltemi winds which can blow fiercely for days at a time in August. Many people go in spring when the sun is more temperate and the wild flowers are in bloom. Winters are generally mild but islands can have snow and, when it does rain, it tips it down in buckets. 
The summer season in the Greek islands runs from May to October. The weather can be unpredictable out of season but,ironically it is best to book two weeks not one at this time of year. One week can be a washout and the next glorious but you rarely get two bad weeks in a row. If you are planning an early or late holiday think about the southerly islands such as Crete and Rhodes where the weather will generally be more settled.
Once the weather does settle - from late May to mid-September - it is almost guaranteed to be hot, bright and clear. Too hot sometimes, particularly on southern coasts of southern islands when tourist police can clear beaches at midday to prevent daft sunbathers getting grilled alive. Average sea level temperatures are 27° C in July.
From late June to early August islands suffer from the the brisk meltemi wind which, though it freshens the air, can make sunbathing on northern shores uncomfortable.
In winter low-pressure systems move in from the Atlantic, bringing rain while cold winds blow in from the Balkans. The same low-pressure systems draw warmer winds from the south so there can be a marked difference in winter temperatures between north and south islands. The Ionian Islands and the western mountains get most of the rain, often three times that in the sheltered east. The Ionian and Aegean islands are notably in October and November.

 


Meteo France satellite view

Meteo France offers weather forecasts for European countries, including the Greek islands. Its satellite images are in colour and full screen. Updated every six hours you have options to view the latest or images taken 6,12,18 and 24 hours previously as well as an animated sequence.

       
Timing your Greek island holiday can be tricky and much depends on what you plan to do when you get there. July is not a good time if you plan to do any hiking, early May can be a disaster for sunbathers and clubbers get only fag end of season entertainment in October.

THE MELTEMI
The meltemi is a fierce wind that scours the islands throughout August. It results from high pressure over the Balkans and relatively low pressure over Turkey bringing strong, north east winds. It occurs mainly during the summer with July and August the worst affected months, but springs up occasionally in May and October. It usually starts in the early afternoon and can die out at sunset although, not uncommonly, it will last through the night and repeat for three to six, sometimes even ten, days. Northern islands are less affected than those in the south which can suffer from summer gales, particularly bad on north facing beaches. Ferry sailings and boat trips can be cancelled, sunbathing can be unpleasant and night sleep disturbed.

icon Early visitors can get wonderful weather, not too hot and excellent for walkers with wild flowers out in force. There are few, if any, crowds so you can pick your spot on the beach or your table in the taverna. Everyone is cheerful after the winter lay offs. But the weather is unpredictable and you can get a week of rain. Some tavernas do not open until the end of May, most beach cantinas are closed and ferry services can be few.
In spring most islands are carpeted in green and covered in wild flowers with more than 2,000 species of plants many unique to the islands. Crete, in particular, is known for its abundance and variety of wild species from mountain to coast. Spring is the season favoured by walkers on islands everywhere as the air is rich with the scent of blooms and heathers. You may see nothing but olives and geraniums in high summer with the wild flowers and grass reduced to dry, burnt sticks.

icon The high season brings the sort of weather you expect from the Med - long, hot (very hot), sunny days with bright, cloudless skies. Beaches and tavernas are bustling and you may find it hard to find a sunbed on popular beaches if you don't get there early. Nights can be hot and sticky and open windows let in mosquitoes. Sometimes it can get so hot visitors will shower soak bed linen in cold water just to get some relief - and some sleep. The meltemi wind can make sitting on the beach a trial and can keep windows rattling merrily all night long.

icon Late arrivals can get fine weather with days not too hot and nights cool and pleasant for sleep. The sea is usually much warmer and beaches less crowded. But it is the fag end of the season, the landscape is burnt and dusty, waiters are looking forward to the winter break and night falls early.
  Aegean
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
10 10 12 16 20 24 27 27 24 19 15 12
50 50 54 61 68 75 81 81 75 66 59 54

Ionian
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
10 10 12 15 19 21 27 26 23 19 15 12
50 50 54 59 66 70 81 79 74 66 59 54

Sporades
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
10 10 12 15 19 23 27 25 22 19 15 12
50 50 54 59 66 73 81 77 72 66 59 54

Saronic
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
11 12 13 16 20 25 27 27 25 21 17 15
52 54 55 61 68 77 82 82 77 70 63 59

Cyclades
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
11 12 13 17 20 23 27 27 24 20 17 14
52 54 55 62 68 73 82 82 75 68 63 57

Dodecanese
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
11 13 14 17 20 22 27 27 25 20 17 14
52 55 57 62 68 71 82 82 77 68 63 57

Crete
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
11 13 14 17 20 24 28 28 25 21 18 15
52 55 57 62 68 75 84 84 77 70 64 59


Flowers
Spring flowers on Alonissos
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A tourist survival guide to the Greek islands