Athens weather by month & the best time to visit
Greece · major coastal city · Mediterranean climate
The best time to visit Athens is August — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 95/100), with June and May close behind. Athens averages about 2,907 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 32°C / 90°F and roughly 8 mm of rain in August.
When is the best time to visit Athens?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Athens is August, then June and May. The dullest month is January (28/100, 66 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Athens?
Athens gets a lot of sun: around 2,907 hours a year. 67 Sunshine Score points separate August (95) from January (28), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #18 of 40 destinations in Greece for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,896 hours. Rain has a clear season: the wettest stretch, around December, carries about 44% of the annual 500 mm.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28 | 12° / 54°F | 7° / 45°F | 66 mm | 2 | 16° / 61°F |
| February | 36 | 13° / 55°F | 7° / 45°F | 58 mm | 3 | 15° / 59°F |
| March | 58 | 16° / 61°F | 9° / 48°F | 53 mm | 4 | 15° / 59°F |
| April | 83 | 19° / 66°F | 11° / 52°F | 30 mm | 6 | 17° / 63°F |
| May | 92 | 25° / 77°F | 16° / 61°F | 21 mm | 7 | 18° / 64°F |
| June | 93 | 30° / 86°F | 20° / 68°F | 20 mm | 9 | 23° / 73°F |
| July | 85 | 33° / 91°F | 23° / 73°F | 11 mm | 10 | 26° / 79°F |
| August | 95 | 32° / 90°F | 23° / 73°F | 8 mm | 9 | 27° / 81°F |
| September | 91 | 28° / 82°F | 20° / 68°F | 29 mm | 7 | 25° / 77°F |
| October | 87 | 23° / 73°F | 16° / 61°F | 49 mm | 4 | 23° / 73°F |
| November | 70 | 18° / 64°F | 12° / 54°F | 69 mm | 2 | 20° / 68°F |
| December | 40 | 14° / 57°F | 9° / 48°F | 86 mm | 1 | 17° / 63°F |
Sea temperature in Athens by month
The sea off Athens is warmest in August at around 27°C / 81°F, and coolest in February at 15°C / 59°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 5 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
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Athens: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Athens?
Athens is a major coastal city in Greece with a Mediterranean climate — the sea reaches 27°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 5 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Athens get a year?
Athens gets about 2,907 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around August.
When is the best time to visit Athens?
The sunniest time to visit Athens is August, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 95/100 (with June and May close behind). Expect daytime highs around 32°C / 90°F.
What is the least sunny month in Athens?
January is the least sunny month in Athens, scoring 28/100 with about 66 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Athens?
The sea in Athens ranges from about 15°C (February) to 27°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Athens?
The typical midday UV index in Athens peaks around 10 (very high) in July, easing to about 1 (low) in December. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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