August may be the month when urban centres around Greece empty out and tourists from abroad flock to airports to check in for flights to Athens and other Greek destinations, but September has its holiday appeal, too.
At this late stage of August, the year’s hottest month, holidaymakers who went away well into the month are soon expected to be returning to the capital in great numbers, on ferryboats to the Athens ports of Piraeus and Rafina. This wave of returnees will bring the summer season to its end with all-round wishes for a good winter ahead and other local clichés for the return to normal lives. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but it is just that a 10, 15, or 20-day holiday break from work does not suffice for full Greek summer satisfaction. Especially when temperatures are as high as they have been this summer and memories of Greek beaches so fresh. Some lucky individuals without obligations have intentionally left some or all their holiday time still unused to enjoy Greek summer at its most advanced stage. Truth be told, September is an ideal holiday month for many reasons.
Firstly, no matter where you choose to go, the chances of encountering masses, as is typically the case in August, are minimal, if that. Quiet holidays are assured, even at the country’s biggest beach attractions, where, just days ago, the situation would have looked more like busy supermarket congestion on a Saturday morning rather than a beach setting.
Secondly, prices are considerably lower. Once the peak season has ended, prices for most holiday-related costs, from rooms, yacht rentals to sunbeds, deescalate to normal levels. Finding a place to sit for a meal is easier and more enjoyable. Yes, that means you no longer need to make a table reservation for your favourite taverna. Also, water temperatures are ideal in September.
As noted by the local weather website meteo.gr, the sea, in September, absorbs sunray heat quantities at a slower rate compared to the land. The sea also loses its warmth at a slower rate in September. The combination of these factors results in a maximum water surface temperature, for the year, between late August and early September. In addition, the lack of summer winds, which intensify in August, also makes swimming more enjoyable, in smoother waters.
Virtually all of the islands and coastal areas of mainland Greece are ideal destinations in September, depending on respective moods, preferences and budgets. Some islands are particularly popular during the first month of autumn, standing as attractions for both visitors from abroad and domestic tourists. According to flight and accommodation data, the 5+1 most in-demand islands in September are:
- Crete
- Corfu
- Rhodes
- Kos
- Santorini
- Mykonos
The last of these two, Santorini and Mykonos, are visited by high-income travellers in September, travel data has shown.
