Crete in June 2024 – is it worth going on vacation? Weather, sea temperature, is it possible to swim, hotels & tour prices. What to do in Crete in June, where to visit with or without kids – in the overview by good Time for Trip.
It is well known that visiting Greece in the height of summer is not favored by all travelers. Because it is exceptionally hot and sunny almost everywhere along the coast of the country. So much so that appearing in the open at noon is a real feat.
However, the largest and main island of the country, Crete, in June is luckier in terms of weather! At least its northern coast simply does not know what strong heat is. Even in the peak season, it’s usually just warm here – rarely really hot.
As well there are few rains or none at all – it depends on luck. Overall, a June vacation in Crete – especially with little kids – leaves an exceptionally pleasant aftertaste. Especially considering the amount spent on it.
After all, the beginning of summer here is not yet the high season. So it’s not too expensive time!
Weather in Crete in June
is not particularly dry – it rains occasionally. However, the amount of precipitation from the sky doesn’t allow to consider the phenomenon negatively.
Since it’s precisely the rains that prevent the atmosphere from heating up to the limit. And vacationers at this moment are forced to find another occupation instead of lying on the beach all the time.
The air temperature in Crete in early June does not exceed +23-25 °C during the day. Starting from the middle of the month, it gets warmer – up to +27-28 °C.
However, in the evenings, there is a reason to think about a jacket or sweater. As after sunset, the atmosphere often cools down to +18-19 °C.
It’s brisker in the mornings, much cooler than on the coast and in the mountainous areas of the island. So definitely bring with you a windbreaker and vests if you plan to go on a tour to the Samaria Gorge, explore the Dikte Cave, or want to see the ruins of Festos with your own eyes.
At the end of June, there is a slight increase in air temperatures in Crete. Up to +28 °C and even +30-32 °C during the day. At night, the atmosphere doesn’t cool below +21-23 °C.
Naturally, such a positive event does not go unnoticed by tourists. So closer to July, their number on the island begins to rapidly increase. And prices in hotels in Heraklion, Chania, and Rethymno soar to annual highs.
Precipitation and Winds
Winds in Crete, which usually are strong enough to cause tourists’ discontent, don’t bother much at the beginning of summer. In any case, there are no angry complaints in reviews about a “totally ruined (because of them) vacation”.
However, and polar opinions are encountered, stating that everything was so enjoyable that the doubts about returning to Crete in next June doesn’t arise at all! Because light sea breezes, pleasantly refreshing in the midst of a hot day, significantly facilitate existance saving a lot energy for active exploration of attractions.
Humidity in Crete during June is usually slightly above normal, rarely exceeding 70%. This is advantageous compared to popular summer destinations such as Antalya or Side in Turkey. It is precisely the acceptable humidity that allows people sensitive to stuffiness to endure heat up to +30°C without consequences.
- 7-Day Weather Forecast – meteo.gr/cf-en.cfm?city_id=23
Sea Temperature
By the end of May, the coastal waters of Crete warm up to +21-22 °C. So the beginning of summer on the island promises vacationers not only wonderful impressions on excursions around the island but also beach activities.
By the end of June, the sea near Crete approaches even closer to ideal indicators, reaching temperatures of +24-26 °C by noon. Not every vacationer will plunge into the water early in the morning. But in the evenings, everyone heads to the beaches.
Storms rarely visit the coast, so swimming in Crete in June is not only possible but constantly necessary. Especially if you come here from areas where there is either no sea at all, or even in the peak of summer, it doesn’t warm up to +20 °C.
However, it should be noted that even in early summer, the sun in Crete can burn the skin of northerners in a matter of minutes. So choose to visit the beaches either in the morning or in the evening, and actively use sunscreens with SPF above 50.
What to Do in Crete in June
The main points of interest for curious tourists are located in the island’s capital, Heraklion, and its surroundings. For example, a plethora of ancient artifacts is gathered in the city’s Archaeological Museum.
Hardly any vacationer will miss the chance to see the ruins of the palace labyrinth in Knossos, where the legendary Minotaur was said to be lurking. Even though almost every other review complains about its somewhat too modern, not entirely ancient appearance.
The limited ruins of the ancient city of Festos are also worth visiting. Despite being located near the southern coast, they are no more than 60 km from Heraklion via the highway. If you’re traveling around the island by car, it’s worth making a stop to admire the ruins of Gortyna, a few kilometers to the east.
The old town of Rethymno is exceptionally beautiful and very picturesque, completely transformed into a pedestrian zone. The Venetian fortress is a well-known landmark here. In Chania, it is recommended to visit the authentic port and the Byzantine Museum, and pay a visit to the Agia Triada Monastery.
Another famous island monastery is Preveli located near the small beach of the same name on the southern coast, about 100 kilometers from Heraklion and 40 kilometers from Rethymno. It is believed that the monastery was founded in an exceptionally beautiful place, offering wonderful panoramic views, in the 10th-11th centuries AD
The Dikte Cave, where according to legend Zeus was born, on the Lassithi Plateau, and the picturesque Balos Bay on the western tip of Crete are popular natural attractions also. The first is often visited on guided tours, while the latter is usually reached independently by car. June is an optimal time for such a trip.
Samaria Gorge
the most popular hiking destination in Crete is located 40 km south of Chania. During the season, it is visited by no fewer than 1-2 thousand people per day – not only individual excursions but also entire bus tours head here.
It’s worth noting that the Samaria Gorge is the longest in Europe, stretching for more than 15 km.
So if you plan to visit it in Crete even in June, before the peak of the high season, pay special attention to your equipment. Bring wide-brimmed hats and caps with large brims, scarves or shawls for your neck and shoulders, and stock up on plenty of drinking water.
Elafonissi
The magnificent beach with pink sand and mesmerizing views has made Elafonissi famous far beyond Crete. Every year, tens of thousands of travelers come to this place on the southwest tip of Crete in hopes of a peaceful vacation and unforgettable experiences.
And they get them! Moreover, complaining about crowds of vacationers at this time of year is somehow not necessary.
What to Do with Kids
Between Heraklion and Hersonissos lies the best island’s activity park – Watercity Waterpark Crete. It is popular, but in June, you probably won’t have to wait in lines.
There are plenty of slides, including adrenaline-pumping ones. There is an excellent children’s and adult pool, and when ordering tickets online on the water park’s website, you can expect a 15% discount. The total number of attractions at Watercity Crete exceeds 40, all of which are divided into 3 categories.
Youngsters up to 90 cm tall are allowed in children’s pools and Category I slides, those from 90 cm to 1 m 40 cm can use Category I and II slides.
Access to adult slides is granted to visitors over 1 m 40 cm tall. Moreover, carrying toddlers in your arms is not allowed – the water park staff carefully monitors this.
Water City is not like ordinary water parks. Some slides and attractions attract attention with bright red-yellow coloring, but overall, its creators decided to take into account the Creek specificity.
The classical style is widely used in the design. It is manifested in the style of the letters, in the abundance of columns serving as supports for a series of water slides, in the “ancient” statues adorning the water park’s territory.
There are other water parks in Crete as well. They are all located along the northern coast, with the vast majority to the east of Heraklion. The only exception is Limnoupolis Water Park near Chania.
Limnoupolis features a pool area of 1500 m2, which includes both a relaxation area and a section with a depth of almost 4 m, where you can dive from a platform. There are only two truly extreme attractions in Limnoupolis, so it is mainly suitable for little kids.
We also highly recommend visiting
The Cretaquarium
located between Heraklion and Hersonissos. You can get there from the island’s capital by car or regular bus No. 9.
However, in the latter case, you will have to walk from the bus stop to the entrance to the aquarium for about 1 kilometer in an unshaded area. Consider this and bring appropriate sun-protective clothing if you are traveling with young children.
The Cretan Aquarium is the largest establishment of its kind in Crete and in all of Greece, and visiting it should definitely be included in your vacation itinerary. Magnificent jellyfish, sea horses, octopuses, lobsters, and sharks – inside, you can see more than 100 species of marine inhabitants.
Visiting can take up to 2-3 hours depending on how interested you are in the residents of this truly large aquarium. In 2023, a ticket cost 12 euros, and an additional 3 euros were needed for an audio guide. It is really worth it – the narration of the electronic assistant will help you get much brighter and memorable impressions from the event.
A visit to the aquarium should be included in the mandatory vacation program. Large halls, almost four dozen tanks of various sizes, and thousands of inhabitants of the Mediterranean.
Small aquariums with jellyfish or sea horses, large tanks with beautifully recreated and therefore very realistic marine landscapes and landscapes. Here, bright small fish, there, an octopus hides among the rocks, opposite – lobsters, in the next tank, ribbons of huge morays, a little further – swift and dangerous sharks.
Just a 15-minute walk from the entrance to the aquarium is another excellent entertainment for little kids – Dinosauria Park. The robotic dinosaurs inside move and make the sounds appropriate to them – a preschooler will almost certainly be delighted!
Prices 2024
Are hotels expensive in June on Crete? We would say not really – compared to the prices set by hoteliers in Rome and Venice, Barcelona and Paris at the beginning of summer they are quite modest.
So, if desired, even in such a popular location as the old town of Rethymno, you can rent apartments for two for just € 70 per day. Take, for example, the Remis Studios, which rightfully earned good reviews.
Even cheaper is staying in separate studios at Kleoniki Mare, which are located 700 meters from the old town and 50 meters from the beach. And here, you will not only have a spacious bedroom with beds and a sofa but also your own mini-kitchen.
Not interested in a hotel in the city center, would you like to be closer to the beach? Here you go, on the first line, and for a little less money – Star Apartments. It’s not too much to pay for accommodation with a sea view while being close to Rethymno’s attractions.
As for excursions around Crete, you shouldn’t expect discounts in June. So, for a guided tour of the ruins of Knossos, each tourist will have to spend € 75-80.
However, a trip from Heraklion to the Samaria Gorge costs three times less! And companies organizing impressive one-day cruises to Balos Bay and Gramvousa charge around € 40 per passenger.
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