sailing Greek Isalnds October
 

we are planning a sailing trip in the Greek Isles around the middle of October this fall. we are told by the charter company that this is still a good time weather wise. we are also planning a stay on shore after the sailing trip. we want good weather, sunny and warm. What is the weather really like at that time. any rain and how hot? also we plan to stay in Mykynos and Santorini for some fun - are these good picks in mid October? is this still beach weather. any comments appreciated

Just got back from Greece where heat was quite difficult to stand (mostly 40 degrees C - above 100 F every day). Most of the local people we met said that the weather was quite nice and warm (around 25/30 degrees C) in September and October. Water temperature was around 25 degrees C. <BR>

Be sure to ask specificall about the Moltemi winds at that time of year. They are usually brutal during the summer so I think you may be okay. We cruised on a smaller yatch, Viking cruises I think, wonderful, but we hit some bad winds and couldn't depart Ios which turned out to be a wonderful spot. The journey back to Piraeus was frightening.

Thomas - thank you for your comments. did you sail there recently and do you have any advice as to which islands are the best to visit. we are leaving from Athens but dropping the boat in mykynos. we will stay in mykynos and santorini after the cruise for a week. I am told the winds you speak about hit in August but not in October, but who knows for sure. any other comments you can provide are appreciated <BR> <BR>tom <BR> <BR>

Tom: We were in Athens, Mykonos & Santorini the last week of Oct/1st week of November last year. Athens was mid 70s and comfortable, but Mykonos and Santorini was low 70s-mid 60s and was getting cooler each day. The water was COLD. There were some hardier folks in the water. Beaches were empty, towns were closing down for the winter season. It was nice b/c towns weren't crowded, but some of the shops, restaurants and clubs were closed for the season. just fyi

Tom: <BR>We cruised in Greece and Turkey from October 9th through the 24th, last year. The weather could not have been more perfect. It was 70-80s in Santorini, Rhodes, Athens, Zakinthos (skip it), and almost all the Turkish ports we visited, with the exception of Istanbul, where it was a little stormy. It was the last part of the tourist season - shop owners were bargaining. We didn't do any swimming because there was too much to see and too little time to see it, but we did see some people in the water on the warmer days. <BR> <BR>I envy you visiting Santorini, as it was our favorite place and we could not get enough. I recommend finding some way to get to Ia (not sure if thats how its spelled) ont he tip of the island. There are particularly beutiful vistas from there. We rented a scooter, but it was NOT safe (that was probably part of the fun). <BR> <BR>The walled part of the island of Rhodes was fabulous, but it is very touristy. We took a day trip to the Acropolis at Rhodes (St. Paul's harbor) and highly recommend that - just beautiful!! <BR> <BR>Have fun!

Tom, we chartered a 50 foot sailboat at Pireaus in May of 1997 and had a wonderful time. I have heard that May and October are the best times to visit Greece, but expect the water to be extremely cold. Our one swim in the Med took my breath away. <BR> <BR>I would STRONGLY recommend hiring a captain, rather than bareboat, even if you are experienced sailors. We talked with several groups of experienced sailors who found that their planned itinerary wouldn't work, then sat with the charter people to work out one that would work. For instance, I think you can sail around Santorini, but can't dock there. <BR> <BR>Our captain knew each island and coastline, people in all the towns, best restaurants, and most importantly, the harbormasters and other yacht captains. If you don't know the harbors and the activity, you may have to stop sailing relatively early each day (2:00 p.m.) to make sure that you get a spot. (Although October may be quite less crowded.) I don't know if you're accustomed to this, but often the entire harbor fills up, boats tied to one another. If you don't know how the harbor empties, you could either be woken up very early if you're an outside boat, or delayed very late, if you're an inside boat. Our captain also negotiated certain things for us, like interesting harbor fees, and was extremely discreet and helpful. <BR> <BR>We decided against the Cyclades, and instead sailed down the Peloppenese coast, to our far point of Monemvassia. A captain will determine your interests and create the right itinerary. <BR> <BR>Have fun.

<BR>keep the comments coming as they are very helpful. we were told you could swim mid October so we will be disappointed if that is not the case. we have decided to use a skipper <BR>T

I've spent time in the Greek islands in October and found the sea not to be cold. Perhaps a few degrees lower than mid-summer but not cold. <BR> <BR>Also, their tourist season normally finishes at the end of October. Comments on some travel newsgroups advise that a large number of Greek hotels and restaurants are having to extend their season to beginning of December due to the large drop in the number of tourists in 1999 because of the Balkan conflict. <BR>

Tom, and anyone traveling the Greek Islands. There is a good book, GREECE,Aegean Island Guide, by Gordon & Jane Rietveld. We visited 9 islands. Delos is probably the most interesting from a historical perspective. The islands we visited were Cyclades. There are , of course, other island zones. The book gives interesting historical and tourist details.

A hosted fodor's forum on the Greek islands is coming on Oct.1.--should be useful!