Best Time to Visit Rhodes: 300 Days of Sunshine and Warm October/November Seas

In ancient Greek mythology, when Zeus divided the earth among the Olympian gods, he forgot the Sun God Helios, who asked for the newly risen island of Rhodes to be his personal domain. Mythology matches meteorology: tucked into the sheltered south-eastern corner of the Aegean right beside the Anatolian coast, Rhodes boasts over 300 days of sunshine a year and shares with Crete the longest, warmest swimming season in Greece.

Spring & Early Summer (April, May and June) is the finest season for sightseeing, hiking and photography. In April and May, wild hibiscus, jasmine and red poppies cover the hillsides around Ancient Kamiros and Monolithos, daytime temperatures climb from 22°C in April to 26°C in May and 30°C in June, and climbing the 290 steps of the Acropolis of Lindos is a breeze. Every May (or June), Rhodes Old Town also stages its colorful Medieval Rose Festival inside the moat and castle courtyards.

High Summer (July and August) is hot, rainless and sun-drenched (32°C to 35°C on the east coast, while the western coast stays 3°C, 4°C cooler thanks to the steady north-westerly Meltemi breeze). Note that enclosed Lindos Village is the warmest microclimate on the island in July and August, always visit the Lindos Acropolis at early in the morning in peak summer and spend midday in the water at St Paul's Bay or Tsambika. From mid-June through August, the Valley of the Butterflies is also at its seasonal peak.

Golden Autumn: The Secret Summer of the Aegean (September, October and Early November) is when Rhodes truly shines. While northern Greece cools down, Rhodes's eastern bays (Anthony Quinn Bay, Tsambika, St Paul's Bay and Kallithea) hold 24°C to 26°C water temperatures right through late October under cloudless 26°C, 29°C skies, with half the crowds and gentler hotel rates.

Winter (mid-November to March) is mild and green (15°C to 18°C); while beach resorts close, Rhodes Town's universities, cafes and medieval museums remain open all year. Check what to wear in Rhodes before packing.