Greece vacation in autumn: Mild weather without the crowds

The heat of summer has left Greece. Now in autumn, the locals have beaches, taverns and guesthouses largely to themselves. Late summer and autumn offer special attractions for travelers: in many places, festivals and concerts attract visitors in addition to regional cuisine and wine. At the same time, museums and archaeological sites are significantly emptier. The sea is still warm enough for swimming. And when the temperatures are milder, you can also go on hikes through olive groves and in the mountains. Large airports such as Athens and Thessaloniki are well connected all year round, and many island airports – for example on Crete or Rhodes – at least until November. Hotels, restaurants and shops are increasingly extending their seasons.

Greece welcomed around 11.7 million international tourists in the first half of this year – a slight increase of 0.6 percent compared to the same period last year. This emerges from a recent press release from the Bank of Greece. As in the previous year, most guests in 2025 came from the Federal Republic of Germany: the number of Germans rose by almost five percent to 1.85 million travelers, which corresponds to a share of almost 16 percent of all visitors. This was followed by the British with 1.52 million and the Americans with almost 700,000 travelers.

Greece has had a difficult season. The extreme heat, coupled with wind, fueled forest fires that are among the strongest in the past two decades. The risk of forest fires has now receded, but is not yet over. From May to the end of October there is a complete ban on fires in public spaces, in the open air and in nature. Barbecuing is also prohibited. Violations will be severely punished and increased controls are intended to prevent new fires from breaking out.

The fires are directly related to the lack of water. According to the Greek weather service Meteo, large parts of the country are suffering from “severe or extreme drought”. 39 municipalities have declared a state of emergency in the past year and a half, including popular holiday resorts such as Crete, Lesbos, Corfu and Chalkidiki. Since the beginning of the year, the Greek government has allowed pools to be filled with seawater. In Crete, swimming pools are no longer allowed to be filled with tap water; in the south of Corfu, the drinking water supply was temporarily turned off at night.

In summer there is a water shortage in many places

At the end of July, the Greek government presented a plan that supports sustainable companies in building modern water and wastewater systems. Athens is also investing in improving water supplies and expanding desalination plants – including on remote islands such as Symi, Kimolos and Kastellorizo. Investments of 15 billion euros are planned by 2027 to achieve more efficient use of water.

From the perspective of experts such as Ioannis Spilanis, professor emeritus at the University of the Aegean and director of the Aegean Sustainable Tourism Observatory, the measures do not go far enough. Spilanis criticizes the “uncontrolled, unplanned development” in tourist hotspots such as Santorini, Mykonos and Syros. He also appeals to guests to use water more sparingly.

Cruises are still very popular among holidaymakers. The Maritime Chamber of Commerce of Greece expects passenger traffic for Piraeus to increase by more than 20 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year. The popular Cyclades islands of Santorini and Mykonos, on the other hand, had a comparatively weak season. The unusual series of earthquakes on Santorini and the surrounding region in the spring also played a role, which deterred many potential guests. The ongoing concern about further shocks has put additional pressure on booking figures. On Santorini, the number of passengers fell by 13 percent, and accommodation and catering even had 20 percent less revenue in the second quarter. With regard to tourist overload, this development can be seen as positive. In summer, the infrastructure in regions such as the greater Athens area, the Ionian Islands, Central Macedonia, Crete and the South Aegean reaches its limits. For example, power outages occur again and again.

Santorini only allows 8,000 guests – per day

There have been hardly any protests against overtourism like in Spain or Italy in Greece – probably because of its strong dependence on tourism. The government in Athens is now trying to get the problem under control through more regulation. Since July, cruise passengers have been paying a tax that, depending on the island and season, amounts to up to 20 euros. The income should benefit the communities and control the number of visitors. An additional limit of 8,000 cruise guests per day applies to Santorini.

There could also be entry fees for day visitors on smaller islands in the future. On Symi, for example, many guests come from the neighboring holiday island of Rhodes, but spend hardly any money during their short stay there. The islands of Paxi and Ithaca, off Greece’s west coast, are also considering such a fee. This is intended to cover the increasing costs of infrastructure.

In the long term, the Greek government wants to ensure that guests can feel comfortable in the country even in the off-season. With the “Greece 2.0” plan, it is promoting corresponding infrastructure projects. In addition, ski centers in mountain regions such as Parnassos in central Greece, Tria Pente Pigadia in the north of the country or Kalavryta on the Peloponnese peninsula, which are probably hardly known to many holidaymakers from Germany, will in future remain open all year round and create additional leisure activities. “Our goal is to distribute the number of visitors across the entire republic and all twelve months of the year,” explained Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni recently. Greece should also become more interesting for hiking and winter vacationers. The plan could work. Many guests are also looking for quieter destinations such as Skopelos, Aegina or Kalymnos, which still promise authenticity and idyll.