Crete in September 2023 – is it worth going on seaside vacation? Weather, sea temperature, what to wear, prices in hotels and on excursions. What to do in Crete in early September and closer to October – found out good Time for Trip.
Not every experienced tourist will call the main Greek island, Crete, a wonderful place for a beach holiday. Because there is a reasonable opinion that even in the high season, strong and cooling winds blow over its coasts.
The sea, as if for this reason, is often very worried. And swimmng, especially for small kids, becomes a rather risky activity.
As a result, potential holidaymakers reasonably have a question – if this happens on the Greek island in the height of summer, then what is going on there outside of the high season? Wouldn’t it be a mistake to go to Crete in September? At the beginning or at all – at the end of the month?
And then, if you do get ready, where is it better to go, to which of Crete’s beaches? That is, where there are no waves at this time, or at least calm weather is often observed?
We tried to figure it out!
Along the way, we explored how warm it’s in Crete in September. And to what temperatures is the sea warmed up?
What are the prices for accommodation? How much do excursions and entertainment cost, are there many tourists in the islands beaches?
Where to Go on Holidays in Crete
In the season from May to September, that is, during the period when a mass tourist goes to Crete, the northern coast of the island is often fluttered by the winds. And sometimes they blow with such force that it’s just right not to figure out how to swim, but where to hide!
Because, although the waves aren’t too large (the wind mainly blows from the shore), there is a strong bumpiness in the water. And it is possible to avoid not the most pleasant sensations except in closed bays. There are, however, not so few of them in Crete.
An excellent, but today already well-known (and therefore overcrowded in summer) place is the beaches Bali 30 km from the popular resort of Rethymno. They are considered the calmest in Crete: the islets of land are sheltered in small bays, perfectly guarded from the wind by coastal rocks.
Those who have settled in the vicinity of Heraklion should pay attention to Agia Pelagia. Which main disadvantage is small size – in hot season the entire space of the beach is filled with sun loungers and umbrellas. To those people who want to save money on renting, we recommend to get to Psaromura Beach a little to the north.
Traditionally, almost never waves the sea near the village Plaka and the resort Elounda in the eastern tip of the island. We advise you to consider the possibility of landing in the town of Agios Nikolaos also.
In general, the Mirabello Bay, in which the mentioned places are based, from many points of view, in September is the best location in Crete for a beach vacation. Although the bay actually looks to the north, not to the east.
Weather in Crete in September
Usually doesn’t cause any complaints! Since at the start of autumn, the air temperature here fluctuates in the range of +28-30 degrees Celsius during the day. Even at night in early September, in Crete doesn’t get colder than +20-22 °C.
Starting from the third decade of the month, it becomes slightly cooler. And air temperatures drop to levels of +23-25 °C during the day and +16-18 °C – at night.
Although this doesn’t happen every year! in September 2022, for example, the weather in Crete was exceptionally warm.
By the beginning of October, forecasters regularly predicted up to +26-28 °C during the day. And about +21-23 °C at night.
Rains on the island in the first month of autumn are rare, and the humidity rarely exceeds 75-80%. That makes a September vacation in Crete acceptable even for those categories of holidaymakers who don’t tolerate heat and stuffiness.
The probability of a clear day is about 75-80%, the duration of daylight even at the end of the month exceeds 12 hours. Naturally, this allows you to plan a rich and interesting program of sightseeing in Crete, combined with daily swimming.
What to Take with You
Obviously, there is no need to expand on the topic of what locals and vacationers wear in Crete in September. In most cases – light summer clothes. Or in general (on beaches) – only swimsuits.
Despite the fact that long-term meteorological statistics fully justify such behavior, we recommend you to be a little more prudent. And take with you on vacation also light jackets and windbreakers, hoodies.
Since it can be cool even on the coast of Crete on September evenings (we wrote above that there’s often also windy). So it’s better to make attempts to meet the sunset or walk along the seashore only after warming up a little.
Any trip to the mountains, not to mention the descent into the caves, will inevitably lead the tourist to get into a less warm environment. Where a sweater or trousers will be very appropriate.
Sea Temperature in Crete in September
Definitely doesn’t cause indignation among holidaymakers. Since most of them are morally determined that the water area will be warmed up to a maximum of +22-23 °C, and will experience a rush of happiness only because their worst expectations weren’t met.
Since in early September, the sea off the coast of Crete stores summer temperatures of the order of +26-27 °C. And it loses them quite slowly – for example, in 2022, even at the end of the month, the water cooled down to only +23-24 °C.
Naturally, there is a rational explanation for this! Even a few: high average daily air temperature and an abundance of clear days. The prevailing on the island northerly winds until about mid-autumn don’t spoil the overall picture much.
Don’t neglect the unwritten rules that apply in this area in sunny and hot weather. Exactly:
- try not to appear in open places without a hat from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- drink a lot of water
- use sunscreens with a high (from 50) SPF factor.
Prices 2023
It’s better to book a room or apartment no later than in the end of spring! Because otherwise you will have to choose from the remaining (usually excessively expensive) options.
The average price in good hotels in Crete in September starts from 50 € per night for two.
In Agios Nikolaos looks very interesting the offer of a quite big Creta Hotel, which is located 600 meters from the local beach. The room will cost less than 70 € per day, breakfast is served to the guests for a quite reasonable sum.
Near Agios Nikolaos, resort, famous for its almost wave-free sea, situated Mirabella Apartments. This complex has a large swimming pool, the nearest beach can be reached in 2-3 minutes. A double room in September will also cost about 70 € per night.
The price (less than 40 € per day) and the location of the Bella Vista guest house, located near the very beaches of Bali. Which, as we mentioned above, should be considered one of the best in Cretere.
The reviews praise the Bella Vista owners, the condition of the rooms and the views from the windows. The cumulative rating on Booking (9.2 Superb) makes you lose your cool and immediately start booking.
What to Do
To say in short – rent a car and drive the island – natural beauties are the main attractions of Crete. And no Venetian fortresses, not to mention the freshly renovated Knossos Palace, which doesn’t look at its many thousands of years of age, are able to outshine them.
Views from the car windows: on coves and beaches, from panoramic platforms near road serpentines – this is what remains in the tourist memory. And they occupy the lion’s share of the memory of smartphones and tablets of travelers.
Anyway, the main places that magnetic attraction of tourists are listed in our article concerning the most interesting places of Crete. And if you take the trouble to familiarize yourself, you’ll get a realistic picture of the possibilities.
If you stay in Elounda and the neighborhood, there is no way you can avoid a trip to Spinalonga Island, also known as Kalidon. Just to see where does the sun come from regularly.
Also on Spinalonga, you should wander through the ruins of a once powerful Venetian fortress, and look at the houses some time ago occupied by a leprosarium. The fact is that in the first half of the XX century people infected with leprosy were isolated on this island.
We recommend that you personally inspect the ruins of the ancient Greek polis of Falassarna on the west coast of the island. And at the same time, in order not to waste your time, to sunbathe on the local, often almost deserted, sandy beach.
Balos, Phaistos and…
Any traveler coming to Crete dreams of getting to the incredibly beautiful Balos Lagoon. Moreover, it’s good to do on a weekday in September, when there won’t be an incredible number of other tourists around!
The really ancient-looking ruins of the palace of Phaistos, erected by the Minoan civilization, should smooth out the impressions of the reconstructed Knossos. Phaistos is located in the southern part of Crete, on the Mesara plain, and stands on a hill, offering literally stunning views.
A full day should be taken for a walk along the impressive Samaria Gorge.
Some guidebooks recommend even going through it and coming out by the sea to Ayia Rumeli. We’ll advise you to make things easier – to cash an inexpensive tour from Heraklion. For not to get lost and save yourself a lot of time.
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