Crete winds
 

Hi - we are planning a 2-week trip to Crete for next June. It's a place we've never been and we are very much looking forward to it. However, I've heard that the wind is constant on Crete and can be annoying. This worries me, as this kind of wind is often a trigger for migraine, which would completely ruin a holiday! Can anybody tell me which months to avoid (I've read July and August) and, if any, which regions (I've read that it is worse on the south coast and on the east of the island?) Would be very grateful to hear of your experiences of this. Thanks.

That wind has a name: Meltemi. You can read about it here:http://www.sailingissues.com/meltemi.htmlIt has never bothered me, but I don´t sail, it sometimes makes sailing difficult. All I remember that it is wonderfully cooling. And that sometimes it throws a lot of sand around.

Thanks Elina!

The winds keep the islands cool, and don't become a problem until they get above Beaufort 6. That happens a few times in June, but usually only for 2-3 days, sometimes longer.

Here is the page to which elina referred: http://www.sailingissues.com/meltemi.html

Another, explaining the Beaufort Scale, is here: http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/weather...s/beaufort.htm

Hi

My husband and I were in Crete last October, and it was beautiful. I did not notice any wind at all...I think October is a wonderful time to go...

We took the high speed from Santorini to Crete the second week of October, and it was a very smooth ride...(maybe we just got lucky? but it was a very enjoyable experience)

This year we were in Crete (30km from Chania) for the first 2 weeks in June. We had 2 or 3 windy days out of 2 weeks. We have also visited in the second half of June and remember a similar amount of wind. I'd recommend early June, the weather was perfect for us - hot and sunny but not unbearably hot. The main problem with the wind was getting plastered with sand if you went on the beach - it sticks beautifully to freshly applied suncream! It was possible to avoid the worst of it by driving to a different facing bit of coast or a sheltered valley in the mountains.

Thanks guys for all your replies, which I found reassuring.

Maria - we will be staying in a villa, Souda Bay, nr Chania for a week and don't know what to do with our second week! Probably stay around Ag Nikolaos, but nothing is fixed yet.

Thanks!

There's plenty to see from where you are staying, even for 2 weeks. A second week round the east of Crete would be good too. Some pictures from our trip to whet your appetite:

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/346735/index.html

Maria, consider my appetite well and truly whetted! Beautiful photographs of stunning places! Can't wait to get there! Thanks for sharing!