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Where to go in December / Greece in December / Eastern Macedonia & Thrace / December

Greece · Beach

Eastern Macedonia & Thrace
in December.

Illustration of Nestos River meanders from the Galani and Toxotes high viewpoint
Nestos River, Eastern Macedonia and ThraceDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Similar overnight stays to November.

December averages 53°F afternoons and 60°F seas, with about 8 rain days. Later December is typically cooler. Check seasonal openings.

Afternoons
53°F
Sea
60°F
Visitor demand
9%of August peak

Historical Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Kavala and Thassos; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

4.3/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#11 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather2.3/10Poor
CrowdsOff seasoncheck seasonal openings; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe; Greece-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your December

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 53°F (12°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 39°F (4°C): a warm coat. About 9 hours of daylight. About 8 rain days in a typical December.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 60°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. 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 9 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 07:37Sunset 16:5239°F53°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 07:37 and sets about 16:52 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 39°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 53°F (12°C). Expect rain on about 8 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
53°F (12°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
39°F (4°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
60°F (15°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 14m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early December is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 55°F on the 1st, versus 52°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 35% to 22% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

55°F

Typical afternoon high

35% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

53°F

Typical afternoon high

27% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

52°F

Typical afternoon high

22% 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.

Public holidays · 2026: 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec Glorifying Mother of God.

Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

December 2026 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
155°255°355°455°555°654°
754°854°954°1054°1154°1254°1353°
1453°1553°1653°1753°1853°1953°2053°
2153°2253°2352°2452°2552°2652°2752°
2852°2952°3052°3152°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons cool from about 55°F (13°C) in the first week to 52°F (11°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 18–38%. Local schools are out 24–31 December 2026.

Schools here are off 24–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec Glorifying Mother of God. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Off season. December averages 9% of August's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to November. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings.

Overnight stays across Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

A little below 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 December vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 48°F (9°C) and 56°F (14°C); in 10 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 53°F (12°C). Rain days ranged from 1 to 15; half the years had 6–12.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 8 rain days820112012: 12 rain days122013: 4 rain days42014: 13 rain days132015: 1 rain days12016: 3 rain days32017: 11 rain days112018: 7 rain days72019: 8 rain days82020: 12 rain days122021: 15 rain days152022: 8 rain days82023: 7 rain days72024: 12 rain days122025: 6 rain days62025
Rain days
8
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 13 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
8 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
2 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201152°F8
201250°F12
201351°F4
201453°F13
201554°F1
201648°F3
201754°F11
201850°F7
201954°F8
202056°F12
202153°F15
202256°F8
202356°F7
202454°F12
202555°F6

Checked against official climate averages for Alexandroupoli. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons61°F53°F50°F
Sea64°F60°F57°F
Rain days788
Overnight demand8%9%6%

November: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than December. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. Less overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. January 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 December Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.

March to April and October to November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, without a substantially busier visitor season.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 8% of the busiest month; check seasonal openings.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons53°F61°F
Nights39°F46°F
Sea60°F64°F
Rain days87
Visitor seasonOff seasonOff season
Overall / 104.35.6
Month rank#11#8
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.9#1250°F35°F57°F81.9Off season
February4.4#1053°F38°F55°F62.6Off season
March5.3#959°F42°F55°F94.0Off season
April7.3#767°F48°F59°F66.8Low season
May8.6#176°F56°F65°F78.7Low season
June8.2#384°F64°F73°F69.9Moderate season
July7.5#591°F69°F78°F210.0Peak season
August7.4#691°F69°F79°F210.0Peak season
September8.5#282°F62°F76°F310.0Moderate season
October8.1#470°F53°F70°F57.7Low season
November5.6#861°F46°F64°F74.4Off season
December4.3#1153°F39°F60°F82.3Off season

Near here

Nearby places in December

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better December weather than Eastern Macedonia & Thrace

Eastern Macedonia & Thrace's weather ranks 42 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Greece have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Eastern Macedonia & Thrace.

All of Greece in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's off season, 9% of the busiest month and 73% below its average month. That means about 2,900 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 68% of them from Greece itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,300 more: 46 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)47
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Alexandroupoli from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.7°C), night lows within 3°F (1.4°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day5
Busiest month hereAugust · 59
Visitors as share of people present0.5%
Rank among Europe's regions this month27th percentile
Domestic share of nights68%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights46
Visitor share if every platform night were extra0.7%
National hotel-price seasonGreece historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−9% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used565,000
Statistical regionEL51 · Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

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.