Best Greek Islands to Visit in October

The best Greek island in October is Crete. It is the southernmost big island, so the sea is still around 23 degrees Celsius, afternoons sit in the mid-twenties, and because Crete has a real economy beyond tourism, nothing closes when the charter flights stop. The runner-up is Rhodes, which shares the warm southeastern weather and keeps its Old Town and Lindos fully open through the end of the month.

Quick answer

• Crete — warmest sea in Greece, everything still open, half the August crowds.
• Rhodes — reliable 25-degree days, direct flights until late October, medieval Old Town at its best.
• Santorini — the caldera without the cruise-ship crush; ideal for the first half of the month.
• Naxos — year-round ferries, working farms and villages, and beaches to yourself.
• Kos — flat, warm and cheap in October, with flights running to the end of the month.
• Paros — Naoussa is still lively until mid-October and the meltemi is gone.

Crete

Crete in October is what Crete in July should have been. The sea off the south coast at Plakias, Matala and Elafonisi is at its warmest of the year, the interior is cool enough to actually walk the Samaria Gorge, which usually stays open until the end of the month, and the grape and olive harvests mean the villages are busy with their own lives. Chania and Rethymno old towns are pleasant to wander at three in the afternoon, which they are not in August.

The catch is that October is when the first proper rain arrives, usually as one or two short storms in the second half of the month, and the north coast can get gray for a day or two. Base yourself in Chania for the west or Agios Nikolaos for the east, and rent a car; the international airports at Heraklion and Chania both keep direct European flights going until at least the last week of October.

Rhodes

Rhodes has one of the longest seasons in Greece, and October is when it pays off. Daytime highs hover around 25 degrees, the sea at Lindos and the east-coast beaches is still warm, and the medieval Old Town, which is hard work in summer heat, becomes a place you want to spend an evening. Direct flights from most of Europe run to the end of October and some into early November.

The catch is that the resort areas at Faliraki and Kolymbia start shutting hotels from mid-month, so the buzz thins out quickly if you are staying in the wrong place. Base yourself in the Old Town or in Lindos, both of which stay open, and skip the resort strips entirely.

Santorini

Santorini is a different island in October. The cruise ships taper off, the light goes soft and golden, the wineries are quiet enough to actually talk to someone, and caldera-view rooms drop to prices that make sense. Early October is still swimming weather at Perissa and Kamari, and Akrotiri, the Bronze Age site, is far more pleasant without the summer queues.

The catch is that Santorini’s weather is Cycladic, not Cretan, so it is a few degrees cooler and windier than Crete or Rhodes, and by the last week of October a fair number of restaurants in Oia have closed. Aim for the first two weeks. Base yourself in Imerovigli or Fira, which stay open longest, rather than Oia.

Naxos

Naxos works in October because it does not depend on tourists. The mountain villages of Halki, Filoti and Apeiranthos are busy with the olive harvest, the Blue Star ferries from Piraeus run all year, and the long beaches south of Chora are empty in a way that feels like a private discovery. Sea temperatures are still comfortable through the middle of the month.

The catch is that beach bars and a lot of the Plaka accommodation close after the second week, and the little airport only flies to Athens. Base yourself in Chora, where everything stays open and the bus still runs to the beaches.

Kos

Kos is the value pick for October. Charter flights from Britain, Germany and Scandinavia keep going until the last days of the month, room rates fall by a third or more, and the flat cycling routes between Kos Town, the Asklepion and the beaches are a pleasure once the heat has broken. The sea at Kefalos and Kardamena is still warm.

The catch is the same as always with Kos: the north-coast resort hotels are bland, and by late October some are closing. Base yourself in Kos Town, which has the ferries, the bike lanes and the best tavernas.

Paros

Paros holds its season slightly later than the smaller Cyclades. Naoussa’s harbor restaurants stay open until mid-October, the airport keeps several daily Athens flights, and the ferries to Naxos and Santorini run daily. The meltemi wind, which makes July and August on the north coast a trial, has usually blown itself out by late September.

The catch is that Paros shuts faster than Naxos once the second half of the month arrives, and the beaches on the east coast lose their tavernas. Base yourself in Naoussa or Parikia, and go early in the month.

How we chose

We ranked on four things: average sea and air temperature in October, whether flights and ferries keep running through the whole month, how much of the island stays open, and how much the price drops from August. Southern and larger islands win on all four. Full seasonal notes are in all 25 island guides.

Islands to avoid in October

Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos are the Sporades, and their season ends abruptly around the first week of October when the charter flights to Skiathos stop; they are also the rainiest islands in this list. Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos in the Ionian are lovely in early October but get serious rain from the middle of the month. Folegandros, Amorgos, Sifnos and Milos are small enough that most restaurants and rooms close by mid-October, and Mykonos winds down its beach clubs at the same time while keeping its prices.

If you know you are traveling in October but not where, the island quiz factors in the month and only suggests islands that will actually be open when you land.

Frequently asked questions

Is the sea warm enough to swim in Greece in October?

Yes on the southern islands. Crete, Rhodes, Karpathos and Kos have sea temperatures around 22 to 24 degrees Celsius through the whole month. The Cyclades are a degree or two cooler and the Ionian and Sporades cooler still, so on those islands swimming is comfortable early in the month and bracing by the end of it.

Do things close on the Greek islands in October?

On the small islands, yes, and quickly. Most seasonal businesses in the Cyclades close between mid-October and the end of the month. Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu Town, Naxos Chora and the main towns of the big islands stay open year-round because people live and work there.

Is October cheaper than September in Greece?

Noticeably. September is still high season on the famous islands, while October is shoulder season everywhere: rooms are typically 30 to 50 percent below August rates, and last-minute flights to Crete and Rhodes drop sharply after the school holidays end.

Last updated 2026-09.