Heraklion, Crete at a glance
- Best time
- Jun – Oct
- Warmest month
- Jul · 31°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 25.7°
- Sunshine a year
- 3,300 h
- Rain a year
- 319 mm
- Climate
- Mediterranean
- Time zone
- UTC+2 / UTC+3
- Elevation
- 60 m
Climate in Heraklion, Crete
Heraklion, Crete has a Mediterranean climate with warm to hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. July is the warmest month with average highs of 31 °C, while January is the coolest at 15 °C. With around 3,300 hours of sunshine a year, Heraklion, Crete is very sunny; July is the sunniest month with 12.6 hours a day.
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Excellent
Best time to visit: June – October
What is the weather like in Heraklion, Crete in October?
In October, Heraklion, Crete is warm: daytime highs average 24 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. The sea averages 22.8 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 24 mm in total. All in all, October is an excellent month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 21 min07:24 – 18:46
- UV index
- 5 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 1 daydew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 14 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 36 %on average
- Hot days
- 2 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+3Europe/Athens
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %83 %
- Seaweight 25 %83 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %82 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %98 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in October
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
Sea temperature in Heraklion, Crete
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 21.7 – 23.6 °C
Swimming season: Jun – Nov
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Heraklion, Crete ranges from 15.8 °C in February to 25.7 °C in August. It is warm enough for a comfortable swim (20 °C and more) from June to November.
The sea warms up slowly: it is warmest in August, while the air already peaks in July. From November to February the sea is even warmer than the afternoon air. The sea temperature varies from year to year: in August, eight out of ten years were between 25.0 and 26.5 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 16.4° | 15.7° | 17.5° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 15.8° | 15.1° | 16.4° | cold |
| MarchMar | 16.0° | 15.4° | 16.6° | cold |
| AprilApr | 16.9° | 16.3° | 17.4° | cold |
| MayMay | 19.3° | 18.5° | 20.2° | fresh |
| JuneJun | 22.6° | 22.1° | 23.3° | refreshing |
| JulyJul | 24.9° | 24.1° | 25.8° | pleasant |
| AugustAug | 25.7° | 25.0° | 26.5° | pleasant |
| SeptemberSep | 24.8° | 23.7° | 25.6° | pleasant |
| OctoberOct | 22.8° | 21.7° | 23.6° | refreshing |
| NovemberNov | 20.5° | 19.2° | 21.6° | refreshing |
| DecemberDec | 18.2° | 17.0° | 18.9° | fresh |
Sunshine hours in Heraklion, Crete
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 7.9 of 11.4 hours of daylight in Heraklion, Crete, 69 % of the day.
Sunshine hours count the time with bright, direct sunshine (WMO definition, estimated from model data); daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
Rain in Heraklion, Crete: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Heraklion, Crete has about 4 rainy days with 24 mm of rain in total.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sea | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 23 | 15° | 8° | 16.4° | 6.2 h | 10 | 48 |
| FebruaryFeb | 27 | 15° | 8° | 15.8° | 7.1 h | 9 | 51 |
| MarchMar | 31 | 17° | 9° | 16.0° | 7.9 h | 8 | 44 |
| AprilApr | 51 | 21° | 12° | 16.9° | 9.3 h | 5 | 27 |
| MayMay | 83 | 26° | 16° | 19.3° | 10.6 h | 4 | 24 |
| JuneJun | 95 | 29° | 20° | 22.6° | 12.3 h | 2 | 9 |
| JulyJul | 99 | 31° | 22° | 24.9° | 12.6 h | 1 | 3 |
| AugustAug | 100 | 31° | 22° | 25.7° | 11.8 h | 1 | 5 |
| SeptemberSep | 100 | 28° | 20° | 24.8° | 10.1 h | 3 | 15 |
| OctoberOct | 86 | 24° | 17° | 22.8° | 7.9 h | 4 | 24 |
| NovemberNov | 49 | 20° | 13° | 20.5° | 6.7 h | 6 | 27 |
| DecemberDec | 26 | 16° | 10° | 18.2° | 5.7 h | 9 | 44 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
35.33° N, 25.14° E · 60 m · Europe/Athens
Best time to visit Heraklion, Crete
The best time to visit Heraklion, Crete is from June to October. For a beach holiday with the sea above 21 °C, go from June to October. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable from February to May and from October to December. The wettest month is February with 51 mm of precipitation.
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Heraklion, Crete for you.
Your best months: June, August – September
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
Jun – Oct
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
Feb – May, Oct – Dec
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Heraklion, Crete month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
23January15° · Sea 16° · 6 h
In January, Heraklion, Crete is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 16.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 48 mm in total. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in January27February15° · Sea 16° · 7 h
In February, Heraklion, Crete is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 15.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 51 mm. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in February31March17° · Sea 16° · 8 h
In March, Heraklion, Crete is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 16.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 44 mm. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in March51April21° · Sea 17° · 9 h
In April, Heraklion, Crete is warm: daytime highs average 21 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 16.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 9 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain falls on about 5 days, adding up to 27 mm. All in all, April is a so-so month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in April83May26° · Sea 19° · 11 h
In May, Heraklion, Crete is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 16 °C. The sea averages 19.3 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. With around 11 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 24 mm in total. All in all, May is an excellent month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in May95June29° · Sea 23° · 12 h
In June, Heraklion, Crete is hot: daytime highs average 29 °C, and nights cool down to about 20 °C. The sea averages 22.6 °C – refreshing for a swim. With around 12 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. It hardly ever rains. On about 12 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, June is an excellent month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in June99July31° · Sea 25° · 13 h
In July, Heraklion, Crete is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. The sea averages 24.9 °C – pleasant for swimming. With around 13 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. It hardly ever rains. On about 19 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, July is an excellent month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in July100August31° · Sea 26° · 12 h
In August, Heraklion, Crete is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. The sea averages 25.7 °C – pleasant for swimming. With around 12 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. It hardly ever rains. On about 19 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, August is an excellent month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in August100September28° · Sea 25° · 10 h
In September, Heraklion, Crete is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sea averages 24.8 °C – pleasant for swimming. With around 10 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 3 days bring 15 mm in total. On about 9 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, September is an excellent month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in September86October24° · Sea 23° · 8 h
In October, Heraklion, Crete is warm: daytime highs average 24 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. The sea averages 22.8 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 24 mm in total. All in all, October is an excellent month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in October49November20° · Sea 21° · 7 h
In November, Heraklion, Crete is mild: daytime highs average 20 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. The sea averages 20.5 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 27 mm. All in all, November is a so-so month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in November26December16° · Sea 18° · 6 h
In December, Heraklion, Crete is mild: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 18.2 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 44 mm in total. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
Heraklion, Crete in DecemberPlanning a trip to Heraklion, Crete
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 3 h 45 min
- Distance
- 2,710 km
- Time zone
- UTC+3
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Heraklion, Crete
When is the best time to visit Heraklion, Crete?
The best time to visit Heraklion, Crete is from June to October. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Heraklion, Crete?
The sea temperature in Heraklion, Crete ranges from 15.8 °C in February to 25.7 °C in August. It is warm enough for a comfortable swim (20 °C and more) from June to November.
Can you swim in Heraklion, Crete in October?
Yes. In October the sea averages 22.8 °C – refreshing for a swim.
What is the warmest month in Heraklion, Crete?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C and nights around 22 °C. January is the coolest month at 15 °C.
When does it rain most in Heraklion, Crete?
The wettest month is February with 51 mm of precipitation. The driest month is July with 3 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Heraklion, Crete get?
Heraklion, Crete gets around 3,300 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is July with 12.6 hours a day; in December there are 5.7 hours a day.
What time zone is Heraklion, Crete in?
Heraklion, Crete uses the time zone Europe/Athens: UTC+2 in January and UTC+3 in July.
How long is the flight from London to Heraklion, Crete?
A nonstop flight from London to Heraklion, Crete takes about 3 h 45 min, for a straight-line distance of about 2,710 km.
Near Heraklion, Crete
Other destinations close by.