Climate, Weather

– Crete has a Mediterranean climate

– the coldest month is January, but the average temperature still does not fall below 10 degrees Celsius

– E.g. Chania’s average temperature in January: 10.8 degrees Celsius

– Kissamos’s average temperature in January: 12.2 degrees Celsius

– the number of hours of sunshine: 2769 hour/year

– this means, that the number of hours of sunshine in the summer months is 11.6 hours / day.

– Due to the climate of Crete, almost all fruits grow

– the olive tree and grapes, which the best quality olive oil and the finest wines are made

– but the Mediterranean climate is favourable for citrus fruits: oranges, lemons, as well for figs, avocados, pomegranates and many other fruits

– in the mountains – at an altitude of over a thousand meters – there are large fertile plateaus: Lasithiu, Omalos, Nida

– the farmers grow in these places: apples, pears, plums and any plants, which prefer a less hot and dry climate

– most precipitation is between December and February

– no rain at all in the summer months

Why choose the Western Crete out of season

– because when the temperatures are very low in Eastern Europe, Northern Europe and Western Europe, the weather in Western Crete is much warmer

– the longest gorge in Europe is more pleasant to explore, if the temperature is not above 30 degrees

– there are smaller, but very interesting gorges, which hide a cave or a monastery

– we can admire different flowers in each season

– the freshwater lakes of Crete also unique in each season

– the caves of Crete are amazing

– the Cretan culture is the cradle of European culture: we have an opportunity to learn about ancient and medieval historical sites

– it is worth getting to know the monasteries of the island

– the oldest olive tree in the world

– unique museums await us, such as the Chania Maritime Museum

– the fjords of western Crete are also unique

– we can taste the delicious flavours of Cretan gastronomy

Temperature of some major European cities and temperatures of Chania and Kissamos in Crete

OCTOBERNOVEMBERDECEMBERJANUARYFEBRUARYMARCH
Chania19.415.312.410.81112.4
Kissamos20.717.213.912.212.513.6
Moscow, Russia5-1.6-5.4-7.5-6.7-1.4
St. Petersburg, Russia6.20.1-3.7-5.5-5.8-1.3
Perm, Russia3-5.8-11.1-12.8-11.6-4.2
Rostov-on-Don, Russia9.93-1.6-3-2.82.4
Helsinki, Finland6.61.6-2-3.9-4.7-1.3
Stockholm, Sweden8.73.40.3-0.9-11.9
Oslo, Norway6.61.6-2.3-2.9-2.41
Trondheim, Norway5.92-0.8-1.3-1.10.7
Copenhagen, Denmark10.87.14.62.42.45.3
Hamburg, Germany62.40-1.4-1.21.1
Berlin, Germany9.44.410.10.94.3
Frankfurt, Germany10.45.62.51.62.46.4
Munich, Germany6.61.4-1.20.31.45.3
Amsterdam, Netherlands151076610
Brussels, Belgium11.16.83.93.33.76.8
London, England1285.55.25.37.6
Paris, France138.35.54.95.68.8
Zurich, Switzerland9.94.41.40.31.35.3
Basel, Switzerland10.95.52.61.62.76.6

Weather in the most popular resorts in the Mediterranean,

and weather in Chania and Kissamos

OCTOBERNOVEMBERDECEMBERJANUARYFEBRUARYMARCH
Chania19.415.312.410.81112.4
Kissamos20.717.213.912.212.513.6
Palma de Mallorca20.215.813.111.911.913.4
Malaga, Spain19.515.713.212.112.914.7
Valletta, Malta21.517.714.412.812.513.9
Tunis, Tunisia, Africa21.116.312.811.611.913.8
Ischia, Naples16129879
Tel Aviv, Israel22.717.613.912.913.416.4
Limassol, Cyprus23.218.514.513.213.515.2
Antalya, Turkey20.415.411.61010.712.8

I show: that the most popular resorts in the Mediterranean, do not have better temperatures in winter, than Western Crete!

It is worth noting: that winter in Tunisia in Africa is cooler, than in Western Crete!

The sea water temperature, in the popular resorts Mediterranean

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULYAUGSEPTOCTNOVDEC
Chania18.216.916.918.221.324.527.427.426.824.82220
Kissamos18.31716.919.121.725.627.127.726.725.723.921.2
Palma de Mallorca15.514.915.617.621.825.827.127.226.925.122.318.6
Malaga, Spain17.316.717.118.820.323.224.42523.9222017.7
Valletta, Malta17.416.416.71821.425.627.227.9272523.419.9
Tunis, Tunisia, Africa17.115.816.718.321.225.427.928.327.925.22319.9
Ischia, Naples15.914.81617.322.826.427.927.92723.621.418.3
Tel Aviv, Israel20.418.518.820.223.526.827.429.428.928.325.619.2
Limassol, Cyprus20.218.718.42123.62729.129.628.928.32623.2
Antalya, Turkey2018.21821.225.128.830.73130.12825.322.6

In the Mediterranean area there are places in the summer, where the sea water is warmer! – but a specialty of Western Crete:

– there are beaches, with pink sand

– there are a lot of beaches, where the water is shallow, so the sun heats up easily: therefore, seawater is much higher than 30 degrees Celsius

-in Western Crete is Balos beach, the 30th most beautiful beach in the world

– in Western Crete is Falassarna beach, the 100th most beautiful beach in the world

– in Western Crete has the second largest natural palm forest in Europe

– wonderful fjords, in which to swim