Practical guide · Oct–Apr

The sea never gets truly cold in southern Greece, but it never gets warm in winter either. On this guide's figures, midwinter sea temperatures sit around 16°C off Crete, Rhodes, the Cyclades and the Ionian, and around 14°C in the north — Thessaloniki, Kavala, Lesvos and the Sporades. Cold enough to take your breath away; warm enough that plenty of people go in anyway.

Who actually swims

Winter swimming has a devoted following in Greece — early-morning regulars at city beaches who swim every day of the year. And on 6 January, for Epiphany, the whole country goes to the water: a priest throws a cross into the sea, a lake or a harbour, and swimmers dive in to bring it back. It is the one winter day you will not be the only person in the sea.

Where the water is warmest

The south-eastern Aegean holds its warmth best. Rhodes, Kos, Kastelorizo and eastern Crete are the mildest winter swimming in the country, with daytime air around 16°C to match. A calm, sunny January afternoon in a sheltered bay is genuinely pleasant; the same water on a windy day is not.

• Crete — Heraklion, Chania and Sitia
• Rhodes and Kos
• Kastelorizo — the warmest winter figures on this guide
• Kalamata and the southern Peloponnese

The warm alternative: thermal springs

For hot water rather than bracing, the thermal springs page lists 86 recognised springs by airport — from organised spa towns with pools and opening hours to free natural pools beside a river. Winter is when they make most sense: cold air, water in the high thirties, and steam rising off the surface.

Loutra Pozar in the north, with its steaming river pools below the mountains, is the best-known winter soak. The thermal springs page says which of the others are proper spas and which are a pool by the side of the road.

The other practical guides

Licensed tour guides A licensed guide is the difference between looking at old stones and understanding them Read the guide → Mobile internet & eSIM Connectivity in Greek cities is easy; connectivity in a stone village, gorge, ferry cabin or snow-covered mountain road Read the guide → Safety & emergencies Most winter trips in Greece are trouble-free Read the guide → Travel insurance Insurance is not a ritual document attached to a booking Read the guide → Healthcare & EHIC Most health needs during a Greek holiday are manageable Read the guide → What to pack Greece in winter is three climates under one name Read the guide → Ferries & flights In winter the ferries thin out and the wind gets a vote, so the reliable way onto most islands is the airport — and 29 o Read the guide → Snow in Athens Rarely in the city, often on the mountains around it Read the guide →