Weather in Crete Month by Month, for a Driving Trip

Crete's weather month by month from the official climate normals for Heraklion: average day and night temperatures, rain, what is open in each season and what a hire car costs.

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Checked 2 November 2026 · new page · changelog

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Crete's weather at a glance

Crete has long, hot, almost rainless summers and mild, wet winters. The official climate normals for Heraklion show an average daily high of about 29°C in July and 28.5°C in August, with about 1 mm of rain a month, against 15°C and 90 mm in January, the island's wettest month. These are World Meteorological Organization (WMO) normals for the Heraklion station of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, published through the WMO World Weather Information Service.

Heraklion sits on the north coast, so its normals describe the coastal road where most visitors drive. Crete's mountain villages and high plateaus are cooler and wetter than the Heraklion figures. Takeaway: use the Heraklion figures for the north-coast beaches and towns, and pack a warm layer for any drive into the mountains outside summer.

The four seasons for a driver

Each season in Crete changes what a road trip feels like: the rain and short days of winter, the green spring, the heat and crowds of summer, and the warm autumn. The table groups the Heraklion WMO normals by season and adds what each one means behind the wheel.

Season	Average high / low (Heraklion)	Rain per month	What it means for a driving trip
Winter (December–February)	15–17°C / 9–11°C	68–90 mm	The wettest months; wet mountain roads and short days. Spinalonga is closed to individual visitors from 1 November to 31 March.
Spring (March–May)	17–24°C / 10–15°C	14–58 mm	Green hills and quiet roads; rain fades through April and May. In 2026 the Samaria Gorge opened on 19 May.
Summer (June–August)	27–29°C / 19–22°C	1–4 mm	Almost no rain; peak traffic and parking pressure at the famous beaches; check the daily fire-risk map before forest drives.
Autumn (September–November)	20–26°C / 13–19°C	18–65 mm	Warm September; rain returns in October. In 2026 the Samaria Gorge closed for bad weather from 1 October.

The driest months on the Heraklion record are June, July and August, with 1–4 mm of rain each; the wettest are January and December, with 90 mm and 78 mm. Source: WMO climate normals, Heraklion station (Hellenic National Meteorological Service). Takeaway: for dry roads and long days pick May to early October; for empty roads accept some rain.

Best time to visit Crete with a car: weather and rental prices by month

Driest months: June, July and August (1–4 mm of rain a month).
Wettest: January and December.
Rental prices barely move across the months we have priced so far (January, November and December): about €38–€40/day.

Month	Day / night	Rain, mm	Car, per day
Jan	15° / 9°	90	€38
Feb	16° / 9°	68	—
Mar	17° / 10°	58	—
Apr	20° / 12°	28	—
May	24° / 15°	14	—
Jun	27° / 19°	4	—
Jul	29° / 22°	1	—
Aug	28° / 22°	1	—
Sep	26° / 19°	18	—
Oct	23° / 16°	65	—
Nov	20° / 13°	59	€39
Dec	17° / 11°	78	€40

Weather: WMO climate normals, Heraklion station (Hellenic National Meteorological Service), via the WMO World Weather Information Service (average daily high / low °C, rain mm per month). Car prices: median daily rate on Localrent for a 7-day hire from the 15th, checked 2 November 2026; "—" means suppliers have not loaded that month yet.

Compare cars for your dates — prices change daily.

What is open in each season

Crete's big sights keep seasonal hours, and two of them close completely for part of the year. Checking these dates matters more than the weather if a sight is the reason for the drive.

Knossos: winter hours from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 are 08:00–17:00 daily, last entry 20 minutes before closing (Hellenic Heritage, the official operator of state heritage sites, hh.gr).
Spinalonga: open from 1 April to 31 October, 08:30–18:00 daily; closed to individual visitors from 1 November to 31 March, groups by request (Ephorate of Antiquities of Lasithi, spinalonga-island.gr).
Samaria Gorge: the 2026 season opened on 19 May from both entrances (NECCA announcement of 18 May 2026, necca.gov.gr); bad weather closed it from 1 October, and on 2 November 2026 the official ticket site still said it was closed until further notice (samaria-tickets.necca.gov.gr).

Takeaway: a winter trip to Crete still gets Knossos, the old towns and the coast roads, but not Spinalonga or the Samaria Gorge. A trip from mid-May to September gets all three, if the weather allows.

Rain, heat and the roads

Crete's road risks follow the seasons. From October to March, rain makes the polished asphalt slippery and can bring rockfalls on the mountain roads; in summer, the heat raises the wildfire risk. Our guide to driving in Crete covers the road rules, the speed limits and the mountain roads.

Weather warnings: the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (emy.gr) and the National Observatory of Athens forecasts (meteo.gr).
Wildfire risk: the daily fire-risk map of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection (civilprotection.gov.gr).
South-coast ferries, which wind can cancel: sailings on the ANENDYK site (anendyk.gr).

Takeaway: on a Crete driving day in any season, a two-minute look at the weather warning and the fire-risk map is worth more than the monthly averages.

Car hire prices across the year

The price column in the month table above is our own measurement: the median daily price on Localrent for a 7-day hire starting on the 15th of each month, re-checked every month. Crete rental suppliers load their prices only a few months ahead, so the months further away show a dash until real offers appear; we never fill them with a guess.

For the price of a car on your own dates, use the comparison on our Crete car hire page, which also explains deposits, excess and fuel policies. If you are flying in, see the self-drive guides to Heraklion airport and Chania airport; for a route, see our Crete road-trip itineraries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hottest month in Crete?

July, by a whisker. The WMO normals for Heraklion give an average daily high of about 29°C in July and 28.5°C in August, with night-time lows of about 22°C in both months.

What is the rainiest month in Crete?

January, with about 90 mm of rain on the Heraklion record, followed by December with about 78 mm and February with about 68 mm.

Is Crete warm in October?

Yes, mostly. The Heraklion average is about 23°C by day and 16°C at night, but October is also when rain returns, at about 65 mm for the month.

What is the best month for a driving trip around Crete?

May, June and September balance it best: warm, mostly dry roads and long days, the Samaria Gorge open in a normal season, and less traffic than in July and August.

Is Spinalonga open in winter?

No. Spinalonga is closed to individual visitors from 1 November to 31 March; groups can visit by request to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Lasithi.

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