Crete

What’s the weather like in Crete in May?

Crete’s the largest of the Greek islands and has warm weather thanks to its location in the southern Aegean between mainland Greece and North Africa. Things are getting hotter in May as summer gets closer, and you’ll have lots of sunshine and hardly any rain if you plan your Crete holidays at this time.

Microclimates

Crete’s got two quite distinct microclimates due to the mountains that run from east to west across the island. The south’s hotter and drier than the north because the mountains block north westerly winds, which gives it a more North African feel compared to the more Mediterranean north. You'll get the benefit of breezes on the coast, although the Sahara Desert can push temperatures up when it sends hot winds over to Crete.

Averages

The average high temperature in Crete during May is 24ºC so pack a good selection of beach wear. You'll want some warmer things for the evenings though as temperatures averagely cool to 14ºC at night. The average sea temperature’s 19ºC, while humidity’s low and ranges from the mid-40s to just over 80%. Average rainfall drops to just 11mm over three days with rain.

Daylight

May has long sunny days for you to spend at the beach or by the pool, as you can look forward to 14 hours of daylight with ten hours of sunshine each day. The UV index will be very high so be careful in the sun, which sets just after 8pm at the beginning of the month and gradually gets later