Early September 1 September
89°F
Typical afternoon high
4% historical wet-day frequency
Greece · Beach
Crete
in September.
Is September a good time?
Hot days.
Fewer overnight stays than August.
September averages 86°F afternoons and 78°F seas, with about 1 rain day. Later September is typically cooler.
- Afternoons
- 86°F
- Sea
- 78°F
- Visitor demand
- 81%of August peak
Historical Kriti regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Chania and Heraklion; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
7.9/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#4 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather10.0/10Excellent
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, one of Europe's busiest this month
CostModeratefor Europe; Greece-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your September
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 86°F (30°C): summer clothes; nights around 68°F (20°C): light layers. About 12 hours of daylight. About 1 rain day in a typical September.
Can I swim in September?
The sea averages 78°F. Our swimming guide: warm for swimming. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 12 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 07:02 and sets about 19:30 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 68°F (20°C); afternoons reach about 86°F (30°C). Expect rain on about 1 day in a typical September.
Typical afternoon
86°F (30°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Septembers
Night low
68°F (20°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
78°F (25°C)
warm; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
12h 27m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late September?
Early September is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 89°F on the 1st, versus 82°F on the 30th. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 4% to 10% between those dates.
Mid September 15 September
86°F
Typical afternoon high
5% historical wet-day frequency
Late September 30 September
82°F
Typical afternoon high
10% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Daily calendar & holiday datesSeptember 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
September 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189° | 288° | 388° | 488° | 588° | ||
| 688° | 787° | 887° | 987° | 1087° | 1187° | 1287° |
| 1387° | 1487° | 1586° | 1686° | 1786° | 1885° | 1985° |
| 2085° | 2185° | 2285° | 2384° | 2484° | 2583° | 2683° |
| 2782° | 2882° | 2982° | 3082° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
School-holiday dates for September 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.
Afternoons cool from about 88°F (31°C) in the first week to 83°F (28°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 3–11%.
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Busy season. September averages 81% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than August.
Overnight stays across Kriti do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, one of Europe's busiest this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little above usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Greece as a whole
Below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 86 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Year-to-year variation
How much does September vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 84°F (29°C) and 87°F (31°C); in 15 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 86°F (30°C). Rain days ranged from 0 to 4; half the years had 1–2.
Rain days in each September
Rain days
1
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 4 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
25 of 30
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
12 of 15
of the last 15 Septembers had at least one day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
29 of 30
rated very good or better
See every recorded SeptemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 85°F | 1 |
| 2012 | 86°F | 1 |
| 2013 | 87°F | 0 |
| 2014 | 85°F | 2 |
| 2015 | 87°F | 4 |
| 2016 | 85°F | 1 |
| 2017 | 87°F | 2 |
| 2018 | 84°F | 4 |
| 2019 | 85°F | 1 |
| 2020 | 87°F | 1 |
| 2021 | 84°F | 2 |
| 2022 | 85°F | 2 |
| 2023 | 86°F | 4 |
| 2024 | 86°F | 1 |
| 2025 | 85°F | 0 |
Checked against official climate averages for Chania Souda and Heraklion. How we check
Compare dates
August, September
or October?
| Typical conditions | Aug | Sep | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 90°F | 86°F | 77°F |
| Sea | 79°F | 78°F | 75°F |
| Rain days | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Overnight demand | 100% | 81% | 47% |
August: Warmer afternoons than September. More overnight demand. August guide →
October: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and more rain days than September. Less overnight demand. October guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with September Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. September stays as your reference.
May and October have fewer overnight stays than September, with a similar or higher Weather score.
Your comparison
September or August?
Overnight stays are 100% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the August guide →| Typical conditions | September | August |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 86°F | 90°F |
| Nights | 68°F | 71°F |
| Sea | 78°F | 79°F |
| Rain days | 1 | 0 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Peak season |
| Overall / 10 | 7.9 | 7.6 |
| Month rank | #4 | #6 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.4 | #12 | 60°F | 47°F | 63°F | 11 | 4.5 | Off season |
| February | 5.7 | #11 | 61°F | 47°F | 62°F | 9 | 5.1 | Off season |
| March | 6.5 | #9 | 66°F | 49°F | 62°F | 6 | 6.8 | Off season |
| April | 8.5 | #2 | 73°F | 53°F | 63°F | 3 | 9.0 | Low season |
| May | 8.4 | #3 | 80°F | 59°F | 67°F | 3 | 10.0 | Moderate season |
| June | 7.8 | #5 | 87°F | 67°F | 73°F | 1 | 10.0 | Busy season |
| July | 7.5 | #7 | 91°F | 71°F | 77°F | 0 | 9.9 | Peak season |
| August | 7.6 | #6 | 90°F | 71°F | 79°F | 0 | 10.0 | Peak season |
| September | 7.9 | #4 | 86°F | 68°F | 78°F | 1 | 10.0 | Busy season |
| October | 8.5 | #1 | 77°F | 62°F | 75°F | 5 | 10.0 | Moderate season |
| November | 7.0 | #8 | 69°F | 56°F | 70°F | 5 | 7.8 | Off season |
| December | 5.8 | #10 | 62°F | 50°F | 66°F | 11 | 5.3 | Off season |
Near here
Nearby places in September
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Elsewhere in Europe
As good as Crete in September, but quieter
Crete's weather ranks 4 of 77 beach regions this month. Crete already has excellent weather in September; these beach regions outside Greece are about as good and quieter for their season, nearest first.
CalabriaItaly · about 540 miles
Excellent weather (9.9): 4°F cooler afternoons, 5 more rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), pricier
Varna & the northern Black Sea coastBulgaria · about 580 miles
Excellent weather (9.6): 8°F cooler afternoons, 2 more rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
PugliaItaly · about 600 miles
Excellent weather (9.8): 2°F cooler afternoons, 3 more rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), pricier
BasilicataItaly · about 600 miles
Excellent weather (9.5): 6°F cooler afternoons, 3 more rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), pricier
CorsicaFrance · about 970 miles
Excellent weather (9.8): 7°F cooler afternoons, 3 more rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), pricier
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's busy season, 81% of the busiest month and 95% above its average month. That means about 185,000 overnight visitors on a typical September night across the region, 3% of them from Greece itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 43,000 more: 23 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 89 |
| How our weather was checked | Official climate averages for Chania Souda and Heraklion from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 2°F (1.4°C), night lows within 1°F (0.2°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 298 |
| Busiest month here | August · 370 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 23.0% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 99th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 3% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 23 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 26.9% |
| National hotel-price season | Greece historical 2024–2025 index: A little above usual (+6% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 621,000 |
| Statistical region | EL43 · Kriti |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.