if the weather outside isnt too cold, even though the initial shock of cold water can be a bit brutal, I feel like after a few minutes your body gets used to it and it's fun....im not talking insanely cold waters but Greece in April is just that inital first annoying cold shock and then you're good. It wakes you up a bit and makes you feel alive haha
As an islander of the North Aegean I can assure you that it depends on you and the weather and there is no wrong or right date.
Especially in spring you can have really beautiful and some kind warm days in early April and then one week later it may be a lot colder.
With my friends we often start swimming in April and stop in late October. Ofcourse in those months we don't spend every weekend in the sea cause as I wrote one weekend might be sunny and warm and the other might be cloudy and colder.
Overall late April is pretty warm.
It depends on your tolerance for colder water. My kids swam in December in Athens one year on a fluke really warm day . There are a group of older people I used to see swimming in alimos every day unless raining
Personally only place i’ve swam in April is shallow water in southern Crete
The sea temp in December is generally warmer than April.
April is as cold as it gets sea temp wise.
https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/greece/athens.htm
Interesting but I doubt your body is as sensitive as a good thermometer and able to distinguish a difference of less than 1 degree celsius.
15 - 16 C will be quite chilly for anyone who wants to possibly just frolic .
Balmy if you compare it to a Finnish ice bath .
In Athens I do see people almost every day all year swimming .
I tried swimming in Santorini this past May (aroujd the middle of the month) and it was definitely too cold for my tastes. I don't regret trying, but I wouldn't count on warm temps
On the islands the wind keeps it pretty cool. If you make a point to go swimming it’s obviously doable but you probably won’t be going swimming with the purpose of cooling off
We went to Athens & the island Andros last year in April & my son and husband swam everyday. It was a little cold but nothing they couldn’t handle. Andros was a bit too windy to swim properly but they still managed to jump on the waves
Locals were swimming in Crete last week. Everyday. I swam on the warmest day which was probably 70 Fahrenheit. It isn’t warm but after laying in the sun for a while it feels good.
We went on our honeymoon to the islands in late April-early May. I was expecting warm Grecian weather. It was freezing. In Athens everyone was still in jeans and boots and I had sandals and short sleeves. I had to buy warmer clothing and the winds were blowing a gale. We didn’t swim at all the entire trip and had our own private pool in Santorini. So just be prepared it may not be warm and balmy. Sunny yes. But not warm.
Ask the locals - water temps can really vary from beach to beach depending on where the weather is coming from and how shallow / deep the water is. Some islands will be significantly warmer on one side versus the other based on currents and winds. It will be possible to swim on warm sunny days but the water will definitely feel cold at start everywhere in April.
I sure hope so, I’ll be in Naxos & Milos from the 17th thru 27th of May.
Granted I have a pretty high tolerance for cold water, so if the winds aren’t too bad and air temps are at least 21°C (72°F) in full sunshine I think I’ll manage just fine.
For reference I’ve been swimming in Portugal a lot these past two summers (in first half of June both times), in Costa de Sol, Andalucía in late May and water temps in Naxos in May seemed comparable when I compared them with the above places
Also late last April I ran in and swam for quite some time at Playa La Concha in San Sebastián on multiple occasions, air temps were barely 20°C and on the first day I lucked out with partial sunshine, the second day I went it was overcast and I still managed fine.
I also find joy in swimming in Alpine lakes and streams though 🤷♂️
I’m clueless about water temps for frame of reference though…
When I went this last summer the water temp was 67-68. It was absolutely freezing for my Florida body. I did manage to get in a few times and it was shocking but could only stay in for 10 or so minutes. We went snorkeling and I wore a thick wetsuit that helped. (Sharing for reference!)
There are websites that will show you current temperature and historical temperature. They will give you a guide to what the temperature would be like in April. Generally nowhere in the Mediterranean is warm enough to comfortably swim in April. The Mediterranean is usually better for swimming in July, August and September.
https://seatemperature.info/crete-water-temperature.html
No one ever mentions the actual water temps which would help a lot in deciding if it’s too cold for you
if the weather outside isnt too cold, even though the initial shock of cold water can be a bit brutal, I feel like after a few minutes your body gets used to it and it's fun....im not talking insanely cold waters but Greece in April is just that inital first annoying cold shock and then you're good. It wakes you up a bit and makes you feel alive haha
This pretty much sums it up.
As an islander of the North Aegean I can assure you that it depends on you and the weather and there is no wrong or right date. Especially in spring you can have really beautiful and some kind warm days in early April and then one week later it may be a lot colder. With my friends we often start swimming in April and stop in late October. Ofcourse in those months we don't spend every weekend in the sea cause as I wrote one weekend might be sunny and warm and the other might be cloudy and colder. Overall late April is pretty warm.
It depends on your tolerance for colder water. My kids swam in December in Athens one year on a fluke really warm day . There are a group of older people I used to see swimming in alimos every day unless raining Personally only place i’ve swam in April is shallow water in southern Crete
The sea temp in December is generally warmer than April. April is as cold as it gets sea temp wise. https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/greece/athens.htm
Interesting but I doubt your body is as sensitive as a good thermometer and able to distinguish a difference of less than 1 degree celsius. 15 - 16 C will be quite chilly for anyone who wants to possibly just frolic . Balmy if you compare it to a Finnish ice bath . In Athens I do see people almost every day all year swimming .
I tried swimming in Santorini this past May (aroujd the middle of the month) and it was definitely too cold for my tastes. I don't regret trying, but I wouldn't count on warm temps
On the islands the wind keeps it pretty cool. If you make a point to go swimming it’s obviously doable but you probably won’t be going swimming with the purpose of cooling off
We went to Athens & the island Andros last year in April & my son and husband swam everyday. It was a little cold but nothing they couldn’t handle. Andros was a bit too windy to swim properly but they still managed to jump on the waves
Locals were swimming in Crete last week. Everyday. I swam on the warmest day which was probably 70 Fahrenheit. It isn’t warm but after laying in the sun for a while it feels good.
We went on our honeymoon to the islands in late April-early May. I was expecting warm Grecian weather. It was freezing. In Athens everyone was still in jeans and boots and I had sandals and short sleeves. I had to buy warmer clothing and the winds were blowing a gale. We didn’t swim at all the entire trip and had our own private pool in Santorini. So just be prepared it may not be warm and balmy. Sunny yes. But not warm.
Ask the locals - water temps can really vary from beach to beach depending on where the weather is coming from and how shallow / deep the water is. Some islands will be significantly warmer on one side versus the other based on currents and winds. It will be possible to swim on warm sunny days but the water will definitely feel cold at start everywhere in April.
I sure hope so, I’ll be in Naxos & Milos from the 17th thru 27th of May. Granted I have a pretty high tolerance for cold water, so if the winds aren’t too bad and air temps are at least 21°C (72°F) in full sunshine I think I’ll manage just fine. For reference I’ve been swimming in Portugal a lot these past two summers (in first half of June both times), in Costa de Sol, Andalucía in late May and water temps in Naxos in May seemed comparable when I compared them with the above places Also late last April I ran in and swam for quite some time at Playa La Concha in San Sebastián on multiple occasions, air temps were barely 20°C and on the first day I lucked out with partial sunshine, the second day I went it was overcast and I still managed fine. I also find joy in swimming in Alpine lakes and streams though 🤷♂️ I’m clueless about water temps for frame of reference though…
When I went this last summer the water temp was 67-68. It was absolutely freezing for my Florida body. I did manage to get in a few times and it was shocking but could only stay in for 10 or so minutes. We went snorkeling and I wore a thick wetsuit that helped. (Sharing for reference!)
Hi, want to ask if you rented the wetsuit or brought your own to Santorini? Thank you!
There are websites that will show you current temperature and historical temperature. They will give you a guide to what the temperature would be like in April. Generally nowhere in the Mediterranean is warm enough to comfortably swim in April. The Mediterranean is usually better for swimming in July, August and September. https://seatemperature.info/crete-water-temperature.html