Climate Ionian Islands
British writer and traveler Lawrence Durrell once convinced his mother and wife to move to Corfu in 1935 to escape the harsh British climate. A century later, the British - among other visitors - still enjoy its mild skies. Not surprisingly, the climate in the Ionian Islands, as in most of Greece, is typically Mediterranean: lots of sunshine, dry and hot summers, temperate and wet winters. And despite global warming, the seasons are still very marked. You can therefore plan your vacation knowing in advance what the weather will be like. Although the climate varies greatly from region to region in Greece, in the Ionian Islands the climate is generally temperate Mediterranean. The tourist season traditionally lasts from the beginning of May, when the weather is already mild, until mid to late October, when the rain starts to fall.
Summer
The Ionian Islands are located in the western part of Greece with, as on the mainland, hot and sunny summers. From June to August, the summer is marked by drought: it rains on average one or two days during three months, most often during violent storms. With 12 to 14 hours of sunshine per day, average temperatures range from 28 to 30°C, with frequent peaks of 35 or 40°C and records of 45°C beaten or equaled every summer. It is therefore recommended to avoid direct exposure to the sun between noon and 4 pm. The sea temperature in the Ionian Islands is quite pleasant for swimming from July to September. As an indication, in June it is still a bit cool - with an average of 22°C for example in Lefkada - to reach 26°C in August. The feeling of heat is sometimes mitigated by the meltem, a strong northeast wind blowing over the whole Aegean Sea in July and August, including Kythera (south of the Ionian Islands). If it is good for kitesurfing, it can become unpleasant, as it sometimes blows up to a week in a row at 80 km/h, even disrupting maritime traffic. Other expected disadvantages of summer: hotel rates and tourist traffic, everywhere at its maximum.
Fall
With 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, it is very hot in July and August and still good until October, especially in the southern islands of the archipelago (Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Kythera) where the summer lasts a little longer. Summer lasts everywhere until the end of September with temperatures similar to those of June. In Paxos, the average temperatures go from 25 °C in July and August to 22 °C in September (as in June) and 18 °C in October. November usually marks the beginning of the rainy season. Kefalonia shows 13 days of rainfall on average against one day in July. In the end, September is the best month for a vacation at the water's edge with temperatures very close to those of July and August, a water still warm for swimming and much less wind. All this combined with a significant drop in tourist numbers and hotel prices..
Winter
From December to February, most of the seaside resorts of the Ionian Islands have no more hotels open and the sea connections are kept to a minimum. Some of the inhabitants also take advantage of this off-season to rest or work on the mainland. Nevertheless, the islands offer rather pleasant living conditions. If rainfall is important (13 to 14 days of rain per month in Kefalonia), temperatures remain cool but bearable, around 10 ° C, with waters almost never falling below 15 ° C. Moreover, it is not uncommon to see the islanders bathing even in January or February... If it snows almost every winter on some islands close to the mainland, the snowflakes appear especially in the interior areas of the islands which shelter hills or mountains, as in Corfu.
Spring
From March to May, we witness the metamorphosis of the islands. Nature becomes lush, especially in Corfu. Spring is the ideal time for cultural tourism: you can walk through the old town of Corfu without fear of sunburn or crowds of tourists. The tourist season only really starts with the Orthodox Easter (date varies between March and May). The month of May can even be favorable for swimming with an average temperature of 18 °C (22 °C in June) in Lefkada and an outside temperature of 18.5 °C in Paxos (then 22 °C in June).
