August in Crete

August in Crete is scorchio! August is the hottest and busiest month on the island, with constant sunshine and hardly a cloud in the sky.

Crete in August suits a beach resort holiday. Popular resorts such as Stalis, Hersonissos and Malia in the east, Platanias and Agia Marina in the west, and Rethymno, Panormo and Platanes in the centre are full of people sunbathing by day and enjoying the bars, clubs and restaurants by night.

The beaches are usually packed in August. Visitors from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and other countries share them with Greeks, many of them from Athens.

The whole of Greece seems to come to a halt in August as locals head for the beaches to swim and enjoy resort life, and Crete is very popular with Greeks from the mainland.

Weather for August in Crete

August weather in Crete is hot and dry, with temperatures often past 30°C inland. We’ve known it to rise above 40°C during heatwaves!

National Observatory of Athens records for its Heraklion Port station (2007–2024) give August an average daily high of 28.3°C, an average low of 25.1°C and less than 2 mm of rain in the month.

We cannot recall any rain in August in all our time on Crete.

If you’re staying on Crete in August you will most likely need air conditioning at night to help you sleep.

Coping with the August heat

Plan August days around the midday heat. These habits help:

• Visit archaeological sites and walk early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
• Rest in the shade from about midday to late afternoon, as many Cretans do.
• Carry water and drink it often, especially on walks and at sites with little shade.
• Wear a hat and high-factor sun cream, even on cloudy-looking days.

15 August: the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

15 August is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Panagia), one of the biggest religious holidays in Greece and a public holiday. Churches dedicated to the Panagia hold services, and many villages hold a festival (panigiri) with food, music and dancing that goes on late into the night. Shops and offices close, and roads, ferries and beaches are at their busiest around this date.

Flights to Crete in August

Flights to Crete in August are frequent, so it is easy to fly direct. International flights land at Heraklion Airport, the busier of the two, and at Chania Airport. August is the most popular month, so cheap flights are hard to find; see our guide to flights to Crete from the UK.

Hotels in Crete in August

Every kind of accommodation is open in Crete in August, from budget apartments to 5-star hotels and private villas. August is the most popular month, many hotels are full, and prices are at their highest, so book early.

Things to do in Crete in August

The beach is the place to be in August in Crete. Most of the resort beaches are busy, but there are quieter beaches to try. These tend to be rocky or pebbly beaches with few amenities, on the south coast or at the far ends of the island around Sitia in the east and Kissamos in the west. Our guide to secluded beaches in Crete lists some of them.

Water sports run all through August at the big resort beaches. You can try windsurfing, water skiing, jet skis, banana rides, parasailing and pedalos, and some resorts have scuba diving centres.

Water parks are a fun way to cool off on a hot August day. Crete has 4 big water parks:

• Acqua Plus, inland from Hersonissos
• Water City at Anopoli, near Heraklion
• Star Beach in Hersonissos
• Limnoupolis at Varypetro, near Chania

The water parks get crowded in August, but they are great fun, and splashing and sliding in the cooler water is a good way to spend a hot day.