Greece in December

Athens and Thessaloniki festive and cheap; mountain villages busy at Christmas; islands closed.

• Athens and Attica · Athens, Piraeus, Cape Sounioncool

  Dry and sunny; July–August often over 35 °C with heatwaves to 40+ °C. Winters mild with rainy spells.

• Cyclades and Dodecanese · Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Rhodesrainy

  Windy: the meltemi blows hardest in July–August and cancels small boats. Sea warm enough June–October.

• Crete · Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, the south coastrainy

  Longest season: sea swimmable into November on the south coast; White Mountains keep snow into spring.

• Ionian islands and west · Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthosrainy

  Greener and wetter than the Aegean; less wind, calm seas in summer.

• North and mountains · Thessaloniki, Meteora, Zagori, Pelioncool

  Cold winters with snow in the mountains; Zagori and Pelion are cooler escapes in summer.

• Athens14° / 8°, 11 rain days

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

• Christmas

  25–26 Dec

  Family holiday; many restaurants close on the 25th; mountain villages busy.

Crowds · Greece

Low

Prices · Greece

Low

• Layers: a fleece or light jacket
• A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast

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