Santorini Weather - Perfect Blue Sky and Lots of Sun!

There is no denying that a large deal of Greece's appeal to tourists is its great climate.

While the summers in inland Greece and its cities can be almost unbeararably hot at times, the islands in the archipelago are graced by the cooling effect of wind and water, which results in a much more comfortable experience.

The Santorini weather is an excellent example of such optimal conditions.

That is not to say that it cannot get very hot on this island during the summer months.

The average maximum temperature in July is 28°C (82°F), but it is not unusual to have days close to 40°C (104°F).

Nevertheless, thanks to the pleasant sea breeze the heat usually stays on the side of bearable.

From April until September, the weather is normally very nice, with rain being a highly unusual event.

The wind may make some nights a little chilly, even in the summer months, so a light sweater is recommended if you intend to stay out late.

If you love water sports you should know that the sea temperature stays above 20°C (68°F) from the end of May through all of October, normally peaking at 24°C (75°F) in August/September.

With a view that goes on for miles and miles

The exceptional Santorini weather is also known for allowing very clear views of the sea and surrounding islands.

On certain days when conditions are particularly good, you may be able to see even the mountains of Crete, an island situated 110 km south of Santorini!

The spectacular Santorini sunset

The Santorini sunset is one of the most famous and photographed in the world.

Every afternoon crowds gather at the best cliffside viewpoints in and around Oia to quietly watch the sun go down.

The quiet is interspersed with some ooohs and aaahs and finally broken by a spontaneous round of applause as the sea takes the last bite out of the red fireball.

Perhaps you didn't know that it is in large part the unique Santorini weather conditions that are responsible for creating this most spectacular sunset.

Obviously, the natural setting is amazing, but it is the high humidity in the region that makes the sunset view truly unique as it adds an extra touch of dramatic coloration to the sky.

So, what is winter like on Santorini?

The winter climate can be quite pleasant with sunny weather and temperatures between 12-16°C (52-60°F) in the daytime.

The nights are chilly with temperatures commonly around 5-8°C (41-46°F) but occasionally even lower.

Winters are fairly dry. In fact Santorini receives the least rain of all the Cycladic islands.

Expect most of the rain to fall from December through February, but still no more than some 10-12 rain days per month. Even in the winter Santorini gets 4-5 hours of sunshine each day!

Snow is a very rare event, separated by many years, but some snow actually fell as late as February 2008.

Hard winds, sometimes reaching storm magnitude, occasionally hit the island during the winter season.

Santorini weather statistics

More on Santorini Weather

If you want to read more about Santorini weather and the island's different seasons, you can check out our page on Santorini Seasons.

Also check out current Santorini weather live by satellite!