Greece Weather in July 2024:Travel Tips for First-Timers

In July, much of Greece has intense sunlight, heat, and blue skies. The attractions are crowded with tourists. The weather is arid. We recommend seeing the highlights of Athens, going out to the natural and historical areas, and two islands for a break from the heat and crowding.

Read on for our weather information and travel advice including average temperatures and rainfall, places to go, and travel tips…

Suggested reading: Best and Worst Times to Visit Greece>>>

Greece Weather in July: Overview

Averages:

• Temperature range: 22–31°C (72–88°F)
• Rainfall: 1 cm (0 inch)
• Rainy days: 2
• Humidity: 54% (The humidity makes the hot temperatures feel palpably hotter.)
• Sea temperature: 25–26°C (77–79°F) (ideal swimming temperatures)
• Sunshine hours/day: 12 hours

July Climate Comparison (Averages) for Greece's Top Tourism Areas

Greece has hot, bright and sunny weather in July with almost no rain except at places with high mountains. The days and the evenings are great for touring Greece's historical places, hiking, and strolling. The sea temperature is ideal for swimming. The humidity makes it feel hotter generally.

Northern Greece: Continental weather from Europe brings more rain, cooler temperatures, and more stormy weather. There is natural beauty with flowers and fruit trees.

Southern Greece: Southern Greece and the islands are sunny, dry, and hot. A lot of the vegetation turns brown and wilted. You can go to beaches, swim and do watersports.

10-day Meteora and Islands Tour Athens - Delphi - Meteora - Mykonos - Santorini

The Best Places to Visit in Greece in July

July is a good time to hike outdoors and walk and tour around in Greece's extensive ancient ruins and urban attractions. Go out in the morning and late afternoons to avoid the worst heat and biggest crowds. The bright sun and clear blue skies will intoxicate, but it can be scorching too.

1.Athens — Tour the Whole City

About 12 hours of intense daily sunshine makes the 34ºC (93ºC) degree average highs actually feel scorching hot if you are outside under the sun. Athens is hotter than almost all the other tourist highlights in Greece, so to avoid heat stroke and sunburns, go out in the afternoons and mornings.

You could rest and enjoy lunch at cool restaurants at midday. If you arrive at the Acropolis by 8 a.m. when it and the Agora Museum open, you can also avoid the densest tourist crowds. Crowds from cruise ships and other tourists arrive after about 9 or 10 a.m.

For exercise and seeing the scenery, you could walk to Mount Lycabettus from Monastiraki and walk up the park paths to the 272-meter (893-foot) altitude peak with a monastery on top. It is the best sightseeing vantage point in all of Athens, and you can see the sea and Port Piraeus.

2. Crete — Hike and Enjoy the Beauty of High Summer

Crete is a Greek island with very ancient ruins such as the ruins of Knossos that are over 3,000 years old. The beaches and the inland park areas such as Samaria Gorge are particularly famed. Crete is Greece's largest island and where you can do a variety of activities.

It is so big that you can still find solitude and non-touristy places. The amazing beaches are in colors ranging from gray to pink to white. Tens of thousands hike Europe's second-largest canyon called Samaria Gorge each year. One point in it is 4 meters (13 feet) wide and 300 meters (1,000 feet) high.

The sea temperature is ideal at 26 or 27°C (79 or 81°F). The Heraklion Museum is among the best in Greece. Flights from Athens take an hour.

3. Meteora — Hike Around, Raft, and See the Sky

Another place in Greece for hiking and outdoor activities in summer is Meteora. It is an important Orthodox monastery center amid amazing natural scenery, great farmland, and a river for rafting goes through there. Astounding rock pillars and pinnacles reach 600 meters (2,000 feet) high.

Six monasteries and nunneries were built on the top of them like little castles, and they are open to the public from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entrance price for each is 3 Euros (3 USD). The sandstone cliffs are beautifully striped in various colors.

In the evenings, the colorful reddish sunsets highlight the red, brown, and yellow colors of the sandstone. The monasteries glow at night, and you can see the Milky Way. Some people raft down the Pineios River to see the scenery too. Driving from Athens takes 4½ hours.

4.Corfu — Enjoy the Green Landscape, Sightsee, and Eat Superb Food

By July, many of the highlights of the mainland and the Greek islands are arid and colorless from lack of rain. Corfu is a slightly cooler place for a break from such intense sun and heat while enjoying the renowned agriculture, local cuisine, and good beaches.

There is excellent beach weather with 12 hours of daily sunshine, average highs of 31°C (88°F), and ideal water temperatures for swimming of about 25°C (78°F). The relatively high average humidity of 62% makes the highs feel like 38°C (100°F)! Corfu is known for excellent fresh organic food, traditional cheese, and seafood.

Transport:A ferry from Sarande, Albania takes 30 minutes. There is an international airport. Flying from Athens takes about an hour.

5.Naxos — Enjoy a Hideaway from the Crowds and Very Good Beaches

With so many of Greece's highlights crowded, bustling and expensive in July, for a great Greek getaway to an island with some of the best beaches in the Cyclades islands, you can go to Naxos. Naxos has the highest mountain among the Cyclades islands, temples, Venetian fortifications, and Byzantine churches.

Even in July when Santorini feels overcrowded, Naxos is less visited and peaceful. Most tourists congregate at the most popular beaches and at the capital called Naxos City where the airport is. Hiking trails you could follow go everywhere and lead inland to quiet villages and fertile farmlands.

The weather is semi-arid. Temperatures range from 33°C (91°F) to 22°C (72°F) at night.

Transport:Flights are the best travel option and take about 45 minutes (about 70 USD). A ferry from Athens takes about 6 hours, and from Santorini a ferry takes about 1 or 2 hours.

7-Day Ancient Greece Tour Explore Ancient Greek History, Mythology, and Architecture

Peak Tourism Season: Touring Advice for July

In July, the bright sun, blue skies, and intense light yield amazing views as you stroll or hike around. It might also give you heatstroke, so drink a lot of water and fruit juice. The tourism reaches its peak in July and August, and the hotel prices are highest.

Ferries and flights run with the greatest frequency. Paradoxically, you might find low prices for flights to popular islands such as Crete.

In the summer, enjoy Greece's famous healthy food skillfully made from excellent fresh seafood, organically grown fresh fruit and vegetables, and locally-made traditional cheese varieties.

There are no public holidays in July.

What to Wear in July

With the humidity from the sea and intensely bright sunshine, most of the tourist highlights turn scorching. Most of Greece gets 12 hours of direct sunshine. To cope, it is important to wear thin light breathable clothing that covers you.

Only in higher elevations or the north would you need a jacket at night. Wear polarized sunglasses since the sunshine that glares off the ruins and polished pavement is intense.

UV protection: Cover up with long sleeves, a sunhat, and long trousers or dresses if you have sensitive skin.

Shoes: Comfortable and sturdy shoes with good traction are needed for hiking and walking around on archeological sites such as Acropolis Park and Knossos, hiking trails such as Samaria Gorge, and cobbled stone streets. Mars Hill is smoothed rock, maybe due to millions of footfalls, and is slippery when wet.

Swimwear: The average sea temperature is about 26°C (78°F) at most of Greece's beach highlights in July, and this is ideal for swimming and watersports.

Monthly Weather in Greece