Greece › Santorini › August Weather
Updated: July 19, 2026 • By Santorini Dave
Questions? dave@santorinidave.com
See Also
• Where to Stay in Santorini
• Best Hotels in Santorini
• Best Restaurants in Santorini
• Best Things to Do in Santorini
• Best Santorini Wineries
• Best Boat Tours in Santorini
Oia, Santorini during an August sunset.
Is August a Good Time to Visit Santorini?
August is a good month to visit Santorini for hot weather, warm swimming, beach days, nightlife, and boat tours. Almost every hotel, restaurant, beach club, winery, and tour operator is open. Ferries and flights are frequent, evenings are lively, and rain is very unlikely.
The tradeoff is that August is one of Santorini’s busiest and most expensive months. Oia sunset viewpoints can be packed, buses are crowded, taxis are difficult to find, and roads and parking are frustrating. Athinios Port can be chaotic when several ferries arrive close together. The best hotels, rental cars, boat tours, and sunset restaurants often sell out well ahead.
My advice: August is a good choice if you’re tied to school holidays or enjoy busy summer destinations. For most travelers with flexible dates, September is better. The sea is still warm, the weather is excellent, crowds gradually ease, and hotel prices are often a little lower.
Santorini in August at a Glance
- Weather: Hot, sunny, and dry. Typical afternoon highs are around 29°C to 31°C (84°F to 88°F), with hotter spells possible.
- Swimming: Excellent. The sea is near its warmest of the year at about 25°C (77°F).
- Wind: The Meltemi can bring strong northerly winds, rough seas, and occasional ferry or boat-tour disruptions.
- Crowds: Very busy, especially in Oia, Fira, Ammoudi Bay, Athinios Port, and popular beach areas.
- Prices: At or near the annual peak for hotels, flights, rental cars, and tours.
Where to Stay in Santorini in August
For a first Santorini visit in August, I recommend Imerovigli, Firostefani, or Fira. Choose Kamari, Perissa, or Perivolos when swimming and an easy beach routine matter more than caldera views.
Location matters more in August than in quieter months. Heat, traffic, crowded buses, scarce taxis, and difficult parking make unnecessary trips across the island tiring. Stay close to the restaurants, views, beaches, or nightlife you expect to use most.
- Imerovigli: My favorite August base for luxury, caldera views, sunset views, and relative quiet. It remains busy and expensive, but the village is calmer at night than Oia or Fira.
- Firostefani: One of the smartest choices in August. It has caldera views and a quieter atmosphere while remaining about a 10 to 15-minute walk from Fira’s restaurants, buses, shops, and nightlife.
- Fira: Best for travelers without a car. The central bus station has direct routes to most major villages and beaches, and the town has the island’s widest selection of restaurants, shops, bars, and services.
- Oia: Best for iconic scenery and travelers who can afford a hotel with a great view and private terrace. Public lanes and sunset viewpoints are extremely crowded from late afternoon until sunset.
- Kamari: Best for families and easy beach days. The long pedestrian waterfront has restaurants, shops, sunbeds, and fewer steep steps than the caldera villages.
- Perissa and Perivolos: Best for a relaxed beach holiday, swimming, beach clubs, and better hotel value. Perivolos has more upscale beach clubs, while Perissa has a busier beach-town atmosphere. Both are less convenient for frequent trips to Oia and the caldera.
- Pyrgos and Megalochori: Good for traditional village atmosphere and a break from the busiest tourist centers. Choose accommodation with a pool and consider renting a car.
- Akrotiri: Good for quieter caldera-view hotels that often cost less than comparable properties in Oia or Imerovigli. A rental car is strongly recommended. Not a good base for nightlife.
My son and I in our private plunge pool in Fira during an August visit.
What to Book Before You Arrive
August is not a good month for arriving without a plan. Book the following before your trip:
- Hotels: Book as early as possible, especially for caldera views, private pools, honeymoon hotels, and family rooms. For a specific luxury hotel or suite, booking 6 to 12 months ahead gives you the best selection.
- Airport and Port Transfers: Book transfers in advance. Santorini has few taxis, and queues can be long in August, especially at the ferry port. See my Santorini taxi and transfer guide.
- Boat Tours: Reserve your Santorini boat tour before arrival and schedule it near the beginning of your stay. That leaves another day available if strong wind causes a cancellation.
- Ferries: Book ahead when your itinerary is fixed, particularly around weekends and August 15.
- Rental Cars: Reserve early if staying outside Fira, Firostefani, or the main bus routes. Small automatic cars are usually the first to disappear.
- Restaurants: Reserve the meals that matter most, especially sunset dinners in Oia and Imerovigli and waterfront tables in Ammoudi Bay.
Breakfast in Firostefani on an August morning.
August Weather in Santorini
Typical afternoon highs are around 29°C to 31°C (84°F to 88°F), though heatwaves can push temperatures higher. Nights are warm, often around 23°C to 25°C (73°F to 77°F), and most travelers will not need a jacket in town.
The practical problem is the combination of strong sun and limited shade. The caldera footpaths, Oia lanes, archaeological sites, and Fira-to-Oia hiking trail are highly exposed. Plan outdoor sightseeing for morning and late afternoon, then use the hottest part of the day for swimming, lunch, wineries, museums, or the hotel pool.
Rain is rare. Wind is more relevant. The Meltemi is a dry northerly summer wind that can cool the island pleasantly but also make beaches breezy, produce rough seas, and occasionally disrupt ferries or boat tours. A sunny forecast does not necessarily mean calm water.
August has about 13 to 14 hours of daylight. Sunset moves from shortly after 8:20pm near the beginning of the month to around 7:50pm near the end.
Can You Swim in Santorini in August?
Yes. August is one of the best months for swimming in Santorini. The sea is near its annual maximum at about 25°C (77°F), and the water is comfortable enough for long swims.
Kamari, Perissa, and Perivolos are the easiest choices for a full beach day, with sunbeds, beach bars, restaurants, and nearby facilities. The black sand and pebbles become extremely hot in direct sun, so sandals or water shoes are useful.
The best swimming near Ammoudi Bay is beyond the waterfront restaurants, around the headland near Agios Nikolaos rock. There is no beach, just rocks and deep water, so it’s best for confident swimmers rather than families with young children.
Wind direction matters. Conditions can be calm on one side of the island and rough on another, so ask your hotel which beach is most sheltered that day.
Best Things to Do in Santorini in August
A boat tour of the caldera is one of the best August activities.
Take a Caldera Boat Tour: August is excellent for swimming stops, sailing, and sunset cruises. Morning cruises avoid the busiest sunset departures, but strong Meltemi winds can affect tours at any time of day.
Spend a Day at the Beach: August is one of the few months when I would build substantial beach time into a Santorini itinerary. Kamari is easiest for families, while Perissa and Perivolos have a longer beach with more beach clubs.
Walk the Fira-to-Oia Trail at Sunrise: Start around sunrise, roughly 6:30am in August. The route takes about 3 to 5 hours and has very little shade. Beginning late in the morning can turn an outstanding hike into an unpleasant endurance test. Carry plenty of water.
Visit Ancient Akrotiri: The archaeological site is covered, making it one of the island’s best midday sightseeing options. Combine it with a stop at the nearby Red Beach viewpoint. I don’t recommend walking down to the beach beneath the unstable cliffs.
Book a Winery Visit: An indoor or shaded tasting is a good way to escape the midday heat. Late-afternoon and sunset tastings are also popular. Reserve ahead, especially at wineries with caldera views. See my guide to the best Santorini wineries.
Explore Pyrgos, Megalochori, or Emporio: Visit Pyrgos for hilltop views, Megalochori for traditional village lanes, or Emporio for its narrow medieval streets. Go early or late, as their stone lanes can be hot during the afternoon.
Enjoy Fira Nightlife: August is one of the best months for Santorini nightlife. Fira has the island’s largest concentration of late-night bars and clubs and is the best place to stay when going out is a major part of the trip.
Watch Sunset Without Fighting the Oia Crowds: Imerovigli, a hotel terrace with a direct sunset view, or a caldera boat tour can be much more enjoyable than the packed public viewpoints in Oia. Not every caldera-view hotel or restaurant has a direct view of the setting sun, so check before booking.
Waterfront dining in Ammoudi Bay in August.
Swimming near Agios Nikolaos rock, beyond Ammoudi Bay, in August.
Early August vs. Late August
All of August is high season. Late August can be marginally less busy than the middle of the month, but it is not quiet or cheap. The period around August 15 is particularly busy because of Greek summer holidays and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary holiday. If your dates are flexible, I would choose late August over mid-August, but the difference is modest.
Getting Around Santorini in August
Santorini is small, but moving around can be slow in August. Roads are busy, buses fill up, parking near Oia and Fira is difficult, and the number of taxis is limited.
Fira is the best base for public transportation because the island’s bus network is centered on the Fira bus station. Travelers staying in Oia who want to visit Kamari or Perissa normally need to change buses in Fira.
A rental car is helpful for Pyrgos, Megalochori, Akrotiri, remote villas, wineries, and flexible beach trips. It is less useful when staying in central Fira or Oia and spending most of the trip nearby. Book early and choose the smallest car that comfortably fits your group.
Avoid driving into Oia around sunset if possible. Traffic is heavy, parking is difficult, and the public viewpoints will still be crowded when you arrive.
Ferries and Island Hopping in August
August has extensive ferry service, but popular departures can sell out. Book ahead when traveling on a fixed date, especially around weekends and the August 15 holiday period.
Major routes connect Santorini with Athens, Mykonos, Naxos, and Paros. Connections to Crete, Milos, and smaller islands vary by route and date. Confirm schedules before booking hotels on multiple islands.
The Meltemi can cause rough crossings and delays, particularly on smaller high-speed ferries. Large conventional ferries generally provide a steadier ride but take longer.
Do not plan to arrive in Athens by ferry and catch an international flight a few hours later. Spend the final night in Athens or build in a large buffer. See my Greek ferry guide and Greek island hopping guide.
Me, on a Greek ferry, island hopping in August.
What to Pack for Santorini in August
- High-SPF sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses: Shade is limited on beaches, caldera paths, hikes, and archaeological sites.
- Lightweight clothing: Linen, cotton, and breathable fabrics work best.
- Comfortable walking shoes: Santorini has uneven stone paths, steep lanes, and many stairs.
- Sandals or water shoes: Helpful on hot black sand, pebbly beaches, and rocky swimming areas.
- Reusable water bottle: Carry water whenever walking or sightseeing.
- Light long-sleeved layer: Useful on windy boat trips and occasionally at exposed cliffside restaurants.
August Compared with July and September
- July vs. August: Both months are hot, dry, crowded, expensive, and excellent for swimming. August usually has slightly warmer water and greater domestic and European holiday demand. July can be marginally easier, but neither month is calm.
- August vs. September: September is the better choice for most travelers. The sea remains warm, the weather is still summery, and crowds gradually ease. August is better for school-holiday trips and the busiest nightlife.
For a complete seasonal comparison, see my guide to the best time to visit Santorini.
An August afternoon by the pool in Imerovigli.
About Santorini Dave