The best time to visit Santorini
Santorini has no harsh winter, but it has a harsh season: July and August bring the most heat and the most people, while May, June, September and October keep the same caldera with less of both.
- Best
- May–June and September–October
- Hottest
- July–August
- Wettest
- January, averaging 10 rainy days a month
Santorini isn't chosen by whether it's open — it's open all year — but by how hot it is and how full it gets. May, June, September and October keep the same path and the same caldera with milder weather and fewer people; July and August bring both to their peak.
Month by month
Average of daily means, 2021–2024 — not the daily maximum.
July and August bring the crowds, not just the heat
The average temperature in July and August is around 27°C, but that's an average of day and night together — an afternoon outdoors, with no shade on the path or in the queue for the caldera boat, feels hotter. It's also when boats to the caldera and to Ios run at their busiest, so a place on the tour or a ferry ticket is worth booking ahead.
Out of season, fewer connections
From November to March the island slows down: the boat to Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni doesn't run reliably, since it's run by private operators who cut back sailings in winter, and ferries to nearby islands also run less often. Arrive then and you get fewer day-trip options, not cold weather — even January averages above ten degrees.
The rain that changes plans
January carries the most rain, averaging ten days a month — that doesn't close the island, but it changes the caldera-rim path: wet limestone gets slippery, and the view towards Oia disappears into haze. Outside January and December, rain rarely lasts a whole day.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
When is the best time to visit Santorini?
May, June, September and October — mild temperatures and fewer people on the caldera path and in Oia, without the peak of summer.
How hot does Santorini get in summer?
The average is around 27°C in July and August, with almost no rain and the busiest crowds of the year.
Does the caldera boat run all year?
Not reliably — outside roughly May–October, private operators often cut back sailings.
Ready for Santorini?
Where to next
Getting around Santorini
→The island has two ways in — the airport and Athinios port — and one hub for everything after that, Fira…
Mykonos · 116 km
→A white town on the wind, beaches on the south coast and Delos a boat ride away
How well does Santorini suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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