What's the weather like in Santorini?
Made up of five volcanic islands, magical Santorini is located 200 kilometres southeast from mainland Greece and enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate, making it a suitable destination year-round.
Surrounded by a dazzling ocean lake in the southern Aegean Sea, the island’s spectacular landscapes are matched by equally magnificent weather. There’s very little rainfall and plenty of refreshing sea breezes to disperse the humidity during the summer months.
Spring
The weather steadily starts warming up from the beginning of spring with temperatures ranging from 14° in March to an average of 20° by mid-May.
At the beginning of the season, light rain can be expected over a handful of days, with around nine hours of sunshine a day to work on your tan by the pool. Most locals avoid dipping their toes in the sea until the end of spring when sea temperatures reach a more inviting 19°.
If you’re hoping to hike the volcanic islands and pack in plenty of sightseeing on foot, spring is an ideal time to visit and the island will be relatively quiet compared to the busier summer months.
Packing some layers, a pair of trousers and light jacket will come in handy for those cooler evenings and sporadic rain showers. But by May you’ll find plenty of reasons to unpack your swimming gear and head to the volcanic sands.
Summer
June marks the start of the best weather on Santorini with average temperatures reaching up to 26° by the month’s end.
During the summer months the island enjoys up to 13 hours of sunshine a day and sea temperatures rise to 25°, the perfect conditions for days spent enjoying watersports at the beach and al fresco dinners overlooking the ocean.
July and August are by far the busiest months on the island with temperatures rising up to 30° and crowds of people congregating in places like the small, picturesque village of Oia on the north coast to watch the world-famous, Aegean sunset.
Autumn
Similar to spring, Autumn is a fantastic time to visit Santorini, and throughout September you can expect little to no rainfall, less crowds and temperatures still sitting around the 25° mark.
The Aegean is still warm from the summer months and having dropped a few degrees since the height of the peak season, the air is much more comfortable for sightseeing and wandering through the island’s quaint towns and villages.
As October creeps in, so does the chance of rain, with the odd, light rain shower making an appearance despite the mild temperatures. By the end of November, it’s advisable to pack some light rainwear or a compact umbrella as temperatures drop to around 15° with rainfall affecting a quarter of the month.
Winter
By Santorini’s standards, winters here are damp, cold and windy, with January being the rainiest and coldest month of the year. That said, winter on the idyllic island is becoming more and more popular with plenty of restaurants, and hotels in the capital Thira and popular Oia staying open through the low-season.
Although you’ll need to pack some warmer clothes to deal with the 10° temperatures, you can rest assured the Greek island’s winter is much milder than the rest of northern Europe.
While the weather isn’t at its prime throughout the winter, visitors are still able to enjoy bright skies and around seven hours of sunshine a day. The cooler temperatures make walking and being active much more comfortable, and the sparse crowds will make viewing the famous sunsets and exploring the nearby caldera even more intimate.