Crete in May 2025 – Is it worth going on vacation? Weather and reviews, air and water temperature, is it possible to swim, and how to dress, prices in hotels. What to do and what to look at Crete at the beginning of May and the very end of spring, EUROTRAVELER found out.
Crete is traditionally considered the most popular among foreign travelers to the island of Greece. However, for sure, the Greeks themselves adhere to a similar opinion – the homeland of the minotaur is just a cornplant of the eyes with its size and a powerful historical aura. Still – the incredibly ancient, literally prehistoric traces of the mysterious Minoic civilization are preserved here!
The local climate is worthy of loud applause. And the number of natural and man -made attractions in Crete allows you to make walks and trips at least every day.
In general, everything is fine here! Especially – it is thought – from June to October, when local weather definitely allow swimming in the sea.
And what to expect if you decide to go to Crete in May: at the very beginning or later – on the threshold of summer? Will it turn out to deceive everyone and then ooze with photo impression on Instagram for a long time? Or will the rest have to put a bad rating and try to forget as an unpleasant dream?
Let’s try to figure it out!
Weather in Crete in May
At the start of the month, it does not pull about bathing. And why – in early May, the air temperature in Crete with visible difficulty overcomes a mark of +20 ° C. So usually not higher than +21-23 ° C, in some years for several days it may not be higher than +17-18 ° C.
At night, it is colder, regardless of the year. In the best case, it will be +14-16 ° C, in the worst-about +12 ° C.
In mid -May, Crete becomes a little warmer, there is every reason to expect an increase in daily temperatures to +25 ° C. And at night it usually becomes not lower than +15 ° C – it happens up to +20 ° C. Infrequently, but there are days with temperatures up to +27-30 ° C
But at the end of May, different weather are possible in Crete
Scenarios
One of them will not please the vacationers, especially those who hope for bathing-the air temperature walks sluggishly in the interval of +21-23 ° C (at night +15-17 ° C), without making attempts to move to the range more adhering to the Mediterranean island.
Another option is much more optimistic, but still not hot. It is characterized by daily air temperatures of the order of +25-27 ° C and night-not lower than +17-19 ° C.
Scared? Then there is definitely good news for you – despite the generally not too thorough heating of the atmosphere, Crete in May is a very sunny place. The number of sunny days per month is about 23-25, it is rainy from the strength of 1 or 2. The average monthly rainfall is not more than 25 mm.
Again, the wind, even in the summer months – the thunderstorm of the Northern Crete – at the end of spring does not annoy the tourists who decided to lie on the beach or who risked to swim. Typically, gusts of wind by force do not exceed 4-6 meters per second, in rare days they register up to 8-10 m/s.
The sun rises in Iraklion (this is the capital of Crete) on May 1 at 6.30 in the morning, and a month later does it half an hour earlier. With sunset, you can start admiring, starting at about 7 pm, and finally the sun goes beyond the horizon in the beginning-orin of the ninth. The duration of daylight hours, thus, ranges from 13.5 to 14.5 hours.
- Where in Greece in May the warmer
Water temperature
The northerner, probably, will only smile when they say to him that everything is bad, and you can’t swim in Cyprus in early May (at least). Indeed, from the point of view of very many, the sea, warmed up to +18-19 ° C, is an occasion not only to walk around the water near the coast, but also to decide on a long swim.
The tourist spoiled by tropical seas will obviously not climb into such an invigorating environment. Moreover, if it stops at a hotel with its own and considerable size pool – judging by the reviews, by the way, the majority does this …
By mid-May, the sea near the coast of the island warms up to a temperature of the order of +20-21 ° C. And by the beginning of summer, there is reason to expect that the water will warm up to +22 ° C.
What to take with you
It is quite obvious that in this case, beach clothing alone can not do. Both jackets and sweatshirts will come in handy, as well as full -scale trousers – in case of long evening promenade or gatherings on the beach.
It will be more correct to leave the raincoats and umbrellas at home. But comfortable shoes – not only sandals and sandals, but also sneakers and even mountain boots – you should take with you if you decide to relax in Crete in the spring. For only in this case you will be sufficiently equipped, for example, for a campaign in the Samarian gorge. And in principle, the rise on some hill-and there are a lot of them.
You need to take beach accessories with you on vacation. And you don’t need to be modest: put several swimwear and towels, sunscreen creams and lotions in the suitcase, a book that you will read on the beach. Well, all that, different …
Prices 2025
Apartments or two rooms in a hotel, located, may not be next to the sea, but in a pleasant proximity to it will cost 300-500 € per week. If you are going to visit Crete at the very beginning of May, at the end of the month, prices naturally grow.
The first thing that at one time caught our eyes was the literally chic proposal of Artemis Apartments near the town – this is a little west of Hanya. For ~ 70-80 € per day for two you will settle in separate apartments with an area of more than 40 m2, get the right to use parking and a pool.
And, we note, it’s still expensive – having settled in the Cozy Corner vs BeachFront Hotel in the very beginning – and on the first line – you will pay for two about 300 € per week.
If you choose as a place to stop the retime, then you will have to spend a little more. However, not much-the room in a good hotel will temporarily become your house for a daily fee of 80-90 €.
And for starters, we recommend that you find out if there are free junks in Civitas Suits Hotel? The hotel with a “claim”, located in an old two -story mansion and therefore “by default” is expensive. But in May – ready to compromise!
Excursions in Crete are worth reasonable money. In particular, for 70 € will be able to take part in the many -hour cruise along the coast of the island on a sailing boat. And for 30-35 € will be taken and everyone will tell you about the Knossos Palace. Or, for example, they will roll to a pretty seaside town hagios Nikolaos, plus – they will introduce the island of Spinalong.
What to do
May is almost the perfect time to see Crete’s main attractions. It’s not hot, and tourists come across infrequently – most at the end of spring only remember where they put their suitcases.
Therefore, in general, we highly recommend that you do not limit ourselves to the inspection of the Knossos Palace and Iraklion and the trip (for example) in the retime. It is much more correct at this time to compose a rich route of movements along the island. And it is precisely trips with walks that are no beaches – to make the main topic of their spring trip to Greece.
We definitely advise in May to visit the Lassiti plateau and visit a dictate cave, in which – this is how the legend claims – the Supreme Greek God, Zeus was born. As well as visit the charming Hanya.
Already from there it is worth going to the incredibly photogenic lagoon Balos in the west of Crete. Where you need not so much even relax on the beach and swim, how much to look for successful angles for a photo shoot.
Travelers who are not averse to walking on foot on a crossed, but at the same time extremely picturesque area, need to visit the Samarian Gorge. And those who are looking for something unusual on any trip, we recommend visiting the Beach of Elafonisi. The hallmark of which was pink sand.
Where to swim
If possible, cut the time to travel from Crete to Santorini. After all, a visit to this island can significantly complement your idea of the beautiful. And you can get from the port of Iraklion to Tira very quickly.
© EUROTRAVELER
