Island
Greek islands in May and June
Written by Elena Philippou, who hosts Villa Olivia Clara above Platis Gialos.Updated August 2026
Come in May for the island and in late June for the sea. May water sits at 19 °C. That is cold for most people, though the days reach 23–24 °C and the hills are still green. By the second half of June the sea is 22–23 °C and everything has opened. The price has gone up too. Our season starts on the 15th of May and the rate holds at €1,600 a night until the 18th of June.
We open on the 15th of May. The four weeks after that are the quietest of our year and the cheapest, and they are the ones guests understand least before they arrive.
The sea lags. Air warms through April and the water does not catch up until the middle of June. People book May expecting a beach holiday and get a walking one. That is the better trip if you came for it.
The short answers
- Which island?
- Sifnos, if you will walk. The municipality has been waymarking the old village paths since 2015. There are 19 routes now and more than 100 km of them, hardly any on tarmac. In May the hills are green and you will have most of them to yourself.
- Can you swim?
- In May, if you are hardy. 19 °C is cold for most people. From about the middle of June the sea is 22–23 °C and comfortable, and by August it reaches 25 °C.
- Is everything open?
- Not in early May. Some places do not fully open until mid-June and a few tavernas are still finishing renovations. If one particular restaurant matters to you, write to them before you come.
- Is it windy?
- Less than in high summer. May and early June are one of the two calm stretches of the year, so this is when to get the boat out.
May, June, August, side by side
The air is the part people check and the water is the part that decides the holiday. May is already warm on land while the sea is still catching up from winter.
| Month | Sea | Daytime | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 19 °C | 23–24 °C | 1–4 |
| June | 22–23 °C | 27–29 °C | 0–1 |
| August | 25 °C | 29–31 °C | 0–1 |
Monthly averages consistent with HNMS-derived climate normals for the nearest Cyclades stations, Milos and Naxos, and satellite sea-surface records. Verified June 2026.
What May is actually for
The paths are the reason to come this early. Nineteen waymarked routes, more than 100 km, laid down as the only way between villages before there were roads. Apollonia to Kastro takes 45 minutes. The long one runs from Apollonia down to Vathi, about 9 km and three hours fifty one way, and in July it is punishing. In May it is the best thing on the island.
Greek Easter moves
Easter falls in April or May depending on the year. Mastelo, lamb cooked slowly in a sealed clay pot, is the Sifnos Easter dish and you will find it almost nowhere else in the calendar. The island fills with Greeks who come for it. Book everything well ahead if those are your dates.
The cheapest weeks of our year
The rate is €1,600 a night from the 15th of May to the 18th of June. It is the same figure as the second half of September, and it steps up to €1,900 on the 19th of June. High summer is €2,200. The house sleeps 8 in 4 bedrooms with 4.5 bathrooms.
What you give up
Swimming, if you come before the middle of June. Some kitchens are still shut in the first fortnight, and the one you read about may be among them. Each season's ferry timetable firms up in spring, so check the live times before you fix your dates.
May and June questions
- Is May a good time to visit the Greek islands?
- For walking and for quiet, yes. The hills are green, the trails are at their best and there is almost nobody about. For swimming, no. The sea is 19 °C in May, against 25 °C in August. Days reach 23–24 °C, so it is warm on land while the water is not.
- Can you swim in the Greek islands in May?
- Some people do. 19 °C is cold for most. The water becomes comfortable from about the middle of June, at 22–23 °C, because the sea takes most of the summer to warm through.
- Is everything open in the Greek islands in May?
- Not everything, and not from the first of the month. On Sifnos the season opens on the 15th of May, some places wait until mid-June, and a few tavernas are still finishing work. Write ahead to any restaurant you have set your heart on.
- Is June better than May in the Greek islands?
- For the sea, yes. June water is 22–23 °C against May's 19 °C, and by late June everything has opened. May wins on price, on empty trails and on green hillsides. The rate here steps up on the 19th of June.
- What is there to do in the Greek islands in May?
- Walk. Sifnos has 19 waymarked routes and more than 100 km of old footpaths, waymarked by the municipality since 2015. Apollonia to Kastro is 45 minutes. The long one, Apollonia to Vathi, is about 9 km. May and early June are also one of the two calm stretches of the year for a boat.
May and June dates at the house
The season opens on the 15th of May and the rate holds until the 18th of June. Ask Elena what is free.
See early-season availability