When to visit

There is no "best time" to visit Crete, it depends on what you are looking for. Here is a list of pros and cons for each period of the year. Sougia, like most small villages in the South is practically shut down from November to the end of March.

In March and April the weather is still unstable and can be very pleasant or very rainy. The nights will still be cool or even cold. The sea is still too cold (for most) to swim in. After the winter rains the island is at its greenest and literally carpeted with flowers. End of March and April sees the first tourists and is also the time of the Greek Easter (not on the same date as the Catholic Easter), the most important feast of the year giving you the best opportunity to experience the hospitality of traditional Crete. This is the best time to come if you want to walk as it is not too hot.

In May and June you are almost guaranteed to get good weather, the sea is warmer, there are still a lot of flowers and not too many tourists. It is maybe the best time of the year to visit Crete.

In July and August the weather is often very hot and the village can get pretty crowded especially at weekends. You must reserve your accommodation in advance otherwise you might end looking for a room, any room, for a long time.

September and October are very popular months as the weather is not as hot anymore. The sea is still really warm and there are less tourists than in high summer. It is also one of the preferred period for walking. One drawback is that as it has not rained for several months the nature is really dry.

November and December: Tourism comes to an abrupt stop at the end of October with the end of charter flights. These months are as quiet as January and February but the chances of good weather are much higher. It is also still possible to swim. All in all not a bad time to be in Crete if you are prepared to risk some days of rain.

January to March is the real winter, with lots of rain and some very cold spells (although it never ever freezes).

Please note that this table was compiled for Heraklion and that the air temperature in Sougia is generally a couple of degrees higher. The sea temperature is about a degree lower.