March in Crete

March in Crete is early spring: the days get warmer and sunnier, the hillsides fill with wild flowers, and the island is far quieter than in June, July and August.

Walkers, artists, photographers, wild orchid lovers and bird watchers find March a good month for a holiday on Crete.

Weather for March in Crete

March weather in Crete is changeable, with some cool, rainy days and some warm, clear ones. We’ve found that the nights can be chilly, so pack a warm layer.

National Observatory of Athens records for its Heraklion Port station (2007–2024) give March an average daily high of 17.2°C, an average low of 11.9°C and about 31 mm of rain in the month. Inland villages and the mountains are colder, and snow often still lies on the high peaks.

Flights to Crete in March

UK direct flights to Crete run mainly from late March to October. Before the summer timetables start, only a few UK routes fly direct, so many visitors change in Athens for Heraklion or Chania. Check the easyJet and Jet2 timetables for your dates, and see our guide to flights to Crete from the UK.

Hotels in Crete in March

Hotel choice in Crete in March is limited. Some hotels in the main towns of Chania, Heraklion, Rethymnon and Sitia stay open all year, but many hotels in the beach resorts do not reopen until April or May.

Things to do in Crete in March

Wild flowers are the main reason to visit Crete in March. Around 2,000 kinds of plant grow on Crete, and more than 150 of them are endemic, which means they grow nowhere else in the world. Wild Cretan flowers, among them rare orchids, bloom across the island in March, and our guide to the wild flowers of Crete describes the ones to look out for.

Bird watching is good in March, on the warm, clear days. Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Blackbirds, Blue Tits and Great Tits are easy to spot.

The first Swallows arrive in March. They are always a welcome sight for us, bringing the promise of warmer and sunnier days.

Birds of prey are easy to see in March, with Buzzards circling and Kestrels hovering over the hills.

Archaeological sites are quieter in March than in the summer months, and wild flowers grow all around them. Good choices are the Palace of Knossos near Heraklion, ancient Aptera near Chania and the Minoan palace at Malia.

Museums make a good day out in March. Heraklion, Chania, Rethymnon and Agios Nikolaos each have an archaeological museum with Minoan finds and objects from the Roman era.

Cretaquarium at Gournes, east of Heraklion, is an indoor day out for all ages. Its tanks show the fish and other sea life of the Mediterranean.