You are going to have many options when planning vacations in Greece. There are many choices to make, but perhaps the most difficult revolves around when to go. Are you aiming to travel Greece when Greece tourism is slow, or are you looking for the summer parties on the islands? The good thing about Greece travel destinations is that many of them are historic sites. The ruins that are thousands of years old will still be there whether it is February or August. Suffice it to say that there is no bad time to go to Greece, as vacations in Greece are rewarding regardless of the season.
You may think that to travel Greece during the winter months means that the islands are closed completely and that there isn’t much to do around the mainland other than visit the ruins. It can get pretty cold and wet during the months of November, December and January, but often in Athens and in the islands you can catch some warmer, sunny days. The islands, and Greece tourism, do slow down considerably in the winter off-season, and some Greece ferries or Greek cruises can experience delays or cancellations due to rough seas. The number of flights or ferries heading to the islands significantly decreases, but you can still visit the islands if you are determined. While many of the larger resorts and tourist restaurants close for the off-season on the islands, but there are smaller hotels and restaurants still open. And, many of the restaurants that are open are popular with the locals, meaning the food is likely to be better.
Islands like Mykonos, Crete,
Rhodes and Santorini
attract visitors year round, and many who rent their houses
out in the summer return afterwards and claim the off-season
is their favorite time. You simply get all the views
to yourself, and a beach can be rewarding in the winter
if you don’t mind the fact that the water can be
cold. Prices during the off-season, specifically
in the winter, are way down and it is a good time to snatch
up those cheap flights to Greece. If you are a skier,
you will love Greece in the winter. The mountains
on the Peleponnese peninsula and in northern Greece get
their fair share of snow, and the skiing can be pretty
good. Many just don’t know about it.
Of particular interest in the winter are the performances
at both the Athens Concert Hall and the Thessaloniki
Concert Hall. The Greek National Opera also offers
spectacular performances in the winter, as well as the
summer. Athens is great in the winter for shopping
and for its nightlife. The weather
is fairly temperate, although it can get pretty cold at
times, and winter shopping
bargains are easily found.
As with the winter months, the fall and spring months can be very rewarding in Greece. These are great months to plan vacations in Greece if you are looking to enjoy the outdoors. Walks or hikes through the Greek countryside in spring can be particularly rewarding. Spring flowers are blooming all over the countryside and birdwatching is at it’s best. Eco-tours are great Greek tours to enjoy outside of the summer months. If you are looking for an “outside the box” idea for Greece travel destinations, try heading to the Greek mountains in the spring and fall and take a jeep tour to some of the areas most don’t know about. You can find a lot of great weather if you travel Greece in the spring and fall, and you will also find great hotel rates. May and September just might be the best months to plan vacations in Greece. The weather is great and prices are still pretty low.
Alas, we come to the summer, when Greece tourism is at its peak. It can get pretty hot in Greece during especially the months of July and August. These two months are the busiest in the islands, and while the ferries and flights to the islands can get pretty crowded, this is the best season to find the most number of them. Greek festivals and events can be found throughout Greece in the summer. The Hellenic Festival is in full swing in Athens, and performances at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus theatre and on Lykavittos Hill are popular draws for both Greeks and tourists. In July, wine enthusiasts can enjoy the wine festivals on Crete. Greece travel destinations most popular in the summer are, of course, the beaches. The beaches in Greece are wonderful, offering something for everyone, and island beaches like Paradise Beach have nightlife that goes well into the wee hours.
There really just isn’t a bad time to travel Greece. The ruins spread throughout the country will be there any time of year, and when it comes to weather, well you just take advantage of whatever you get. When planning vacations in Greece, it can be as simple as deciding whether suntanning and swimming in the Aegean Sea is your main focus, then go from there.
