Greece is even better in autumn – here’s where to go
It has been another tricky summer for Greece – countless fires on its islands, as well as at the Attica on the mainland, heatwaves and anti-tourism protests have dominated the headlines.
Nevertheless, British holidaymakers continue to visit in their droves – a recent survey by HSBC UK put Greece in second place on the wishlist for UK travellers seeking package holidays in 2024. But the attention isn’t just on the sweltering summer month, the savviest among us know that Greece is at its glorious best in autumn.
“Autumn, when the intense heat of summer mellows and sea temperatures are at their warmest, is the perfect time for exploration,” agrees Ed Pyke, managing director for villa specialists Simpson Travel, who also run various walking holidays in Greece.
However, with fewer ferries, flights, available hotels and dining options – particularly if visiting smaller islands – a late-season break doesn’t come without its challenges, though with a little know-how, they’re soon overcome. Most islands are serviced by ferries at least once a day until late November, for example, and there are daily flights to most islands from Athens – and where accommodation and eating are concerned, the number of options may be lower, but the prices are too.
And it’s all worthwhile, for the advantages – comfortable warmth, all-but-empty beaches, no scramble to beat the dinnertime rush – far outweigh the inconveniences. “Here in Corfu we still enjoy beautiful weather through to October, where the average temperature remains around 23 degrees,” says Manos Vatzolas, deputy commercial director of Domes Resorts. “The later months also allow guests to enjoy the island while it is slightly quieter, but with restaurants, bars and beaches still open for business.”
Better still, the pace of life is slower at this time of year. Shopkeepers have time to chat, and you can enjoy some of the country’s more traditional festivals (though some – like Athens’ raucous Oktoberfest street food party and Thessaloniki’s bumper ten-day Anhiolos wine bash in September – are slower paced than others). This is also the best time to while away leisurely hours moseying around archaeological sites and enjoying long hikes without getting sunstroke.
However you decide to spend your autumn break in Greece, you won’t be disappointed. We’ve rounded up five of the best autumnal escapes in Greece this year.
1. Tread the grapes near Athens
With some 16,000 acres of vineyards, Attica – a stone’s throw from the Acropolis – is Greece’s largest wine-producing region. In September you can spend a day or two stomping and sipping with locals, who still harvest the grapes by hand, and then tread them with their bare feet, just as they did in the days of Greek god Dionysus who, according to legend, taught the art of winemaking to Icarius.
Book it: The Wine Connoisseurs’ (00 30 2610 318 418; thewineconnoisseurs.gr) has the Greek wine harvest experience from £413pp, including wine stomping, a gourmet lunch and sampling the region’s (mainly white) wines.
Plan the perfect trip with our Athens travel guide.
2. Sail the Sporades in a tall ship
Exploring this gloriously green archipelago along Greece’s eastern coast aboard one of the world’s largest sailing ships is particularly pleasant in autumn, when the Meltemi wind tickles the waves, and the seas (and islands) are far less crowded.
Leaving from Piraeus port, ships make a brief stopover in Turkey, before sailing from Mamma Mia! island Skopelos to lush and lovely Poros via a string of remote atolls inhabited by endangered monk seals.
Book it: Star Clippers (01473 242666; starclippers.com) has the seven-day Sporades Highlights cruise from £1,744pp, round-trip from Athens with full-board, including flights. Departs October 12.
3. Get active in Crete
With bath-warm seas, skies the colour of cornflowers and temperatures hovering at around 25C, Greece’s largest island – framed by the mighty Psiloritis Mountains and fringed by Homer’s “wine dark sea” – ticks all the boxes for an activity holiday when the summer crowds have gone home.
From hiking Samaria, Europe’s longest gorge, in the west, to kayaking along the coastline near capital Heraklion, or cycling through the wild and wonderful Sitia Geopark in the east, there’s something for everyone here .
Book it: Simpsons Travel (020 8392 5858; simpsontravel.com) has the seven-day Discover Hidden Crete trip from £1,689pp, including flights, accommodation, half board and five escorted walks. Departs October 12.
Plan the perfect trip with our Crete travel guide.
4. Cycle the roads of Rhodes
The ninth largest island in the Mediterranean and capital of the Dodecanese archipelago, Rhodes is best seen by bike – particularly in autumn, when cars and ATVs no longer swarm like bluebottles along the narrow roads.
Whether you prefer to meander along beach-studded coastlines, pedal through lost-in-the-past villages or puff up steep mountain routes with spectacular vistas, the island’s spider web of paths, pistes and cycle routes offer something to suit most abilities.
Book it: Hooked on Cycling (01506 635399; hookedoncycling.co.uk) has seven-day self-guided round-trip itineraries from Kalavarda, via the Valley of the Butterflies and Rhodes Old Town, from £639 per person, including accommodation and transfers.
Plan the perfect trip with our Rhodes travel guide.
5. Catch a traditional feast
In the merry month of October, when wickedly strong white spirit Tsipouro is brewed in old copper stills (according to a technique perfected by Mount Athos monks back in the 14th century), Greece abounds in foodie feasts and gourmet festivals.
Apart from the ones dedicated to the local moonshine (the village of Vitsa’s, in Epirus, might well be the best), with harvest in full swing, nuts are also a reason to celebrate in countless villages – including Arna on the tree-furred slopes of Mount Taygetos, which holds the biggest chestnut festival in Greece.
Book it: Athens-based luxury travel company Fly Me to the Moon (00 30 2107797317; flymetothemoontravel.com) creates bespoke food and festival itineraries.
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Cruises | Escorted tours
Steeped in ancient history, gods and mythical heroes, Greece is also a place of blue seas, friendly tavernas and bright white churches.
Travel essentials
Various airlines (including EasyJet, Ryanair and British Airways) fly direct from the UK to the likes of Rhodes and Crete until the end of October, though next year, Jet2 (jet2.com) will continue to offer direct flights to Rhodes and Crete until mid-November. Until then, opt for the mainland – or connect to the islands – by flying direct to Athens with EasyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Aegean Airlines or British Airways. Return flights from £49.
This article was first published in September 2023, and has been revised and updated.
