Covers 18 European islands, from Crete and the Cyclades to Sicily, Sardinia, Mallorca, the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores, with euro prices converted to dollars on a dated rate.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
October is a good month in Greece if you go south. On Crete, the sea in October averages 76°F (25°C), warmer than it is in June. Rhodes is almost the same. Daytime highs run from 76°F to 78°F, and the meltemi, the strong summer wind of the Aegean, has dropped.
Further north and west the picture changes. The Cyclades cool off and many hotels close from November. Corfu, fourth or fifth in May, June and September, falls to last: the Ionian's rainy season starts, and Corfu averages about 6.7 inches (169 mm) of rain in October, the most of any island on our Greek list in any month we rank. If you are booking for October, the ranking's advice is simple: Crete or Rhodes.
Score = 55% this month's weather + 45% the island's other five factors. How we score
| # | Island | Score | High °F | Sea °F | Rain (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crete | 8.3 | 76 | 76 | 1.0 |
| 2 | Rhodes | 8.0 | 78 | 75 | 1.1 |
| 3 | Naxos | 7.3 | 74 | 73 | 0.9 |
| 4 | Paros | 6.9 | 72 | 73 | 0.7 |
| 5 | Milos | 6.7 | 73 | 73 | 0.7 |
| 6 | Santorini | 6.6 | 74 | 74 | 0.5 |
| 7 | Mykonos | 6.2 | 71 | 72 | 0.8 |
| 8 | Corfu | 5.8 | 72 | 73 | 6.7 |
1Crete leads October on depth and a warm sea. The water averages 76°F (25°C), the same as the daytime high and warmer than in June, with about 1.0 inch (26 mm) of rain. Its weather score is 8.4, a little behind Rhodes, but its beaches, 9, and things to do, 9.5, decide it. It stays open in winter, so hotels do not thin out: Kayak listed 357 stays in Chania for January 13, 2027. Samaria Gorge is closed until further notice.
2Rhodes has the best October weather in Greece, 8.8: highs of 78°F (26°C), a 75°F (24°C) sea and about 1.1 inches (28 mm) of rain. Its own page calls October a good month for swimming without the crowds. It is second only because its beaches score 7 to Crete's 9. Value is excellent, a 9.6, and Rhodes Town stays open all year. The sheltered east coast, Tsambika and Lindos Beach, is the place to swim.
3Naxos is third, with an October weather score of 7.4: highs of 74°F (23°C), a 73°F (23°C) sea and about 0.9 inches (22 mm) of rain. That is still warm enough to swim at Agios Georgios and Agios Prokopios. Its own page names October as a good month for hiking and the mountain villages, with cooler sea and fewer open hotels. The Naxos Town 3-star floor was $122 for July 14, 2027.
4Paros is fourth. Its October weather scores 7.1, with highs of 72°F (22°C), a 73°F (23°C) sea and about 0.7 inches (19 mm) of rain. Its value, 9.2, holds it above the other Cyclades: $60 in January and $89 in July in Parikia. In October the sea is warmer than the air, so a swim at Kolymbithres still works on a sunny day. Ferries keep running into winter, though many hotels close from November.
5Milos is fifth, with an October weather score of 7.4: highs of 73°F (23°C), a 73°F (23°C) sea and about 0.7 inches (18 mm) of rain. Its beaches, 8, are the reason to go, but its own page rates it worth it from June to September, and value scores 4.3 because rated hotels are few and costly: $291 in July and $220 at the only rated hotel Kayak priced for mid-January. Late in the month, check that your boat tour still runs.
6Santorini has the best October weather in the Cyclades, 7.5, and the least rain on this page, about 0.5 inches (13 mm). Highs reach 74°F (23°C), and the sea is also 74°F. Its own page lists October in its best window, when the caldera is the point and crowds thin. It is sixth because its beaches score 5 and its crowd score is 1.0. Cruise passengers pay $13 (€12) to land in October.
7Mykonos is seventh, with the coolest October here: highs of 71°F (22°C) and a 72°F (22°C) sea, for a weather score of 6.6. Its own page notes that from November many hotels and clubs close and the island becomes a quiet town break. Delos is the reason to go now: boats run until November 30, at $28 (€25) return. The January floor in town was $54, against $198 in July.
8Corfu is last in October because of rain: about 6.7 inches (169 mm), more than six times Crete's, for a weather score of 5.0. The sea is still 73°F (23°C) and highs reach 72°F (22°C). Its things-to-do score, 8.5, means a wet day is not wasted in Corfu Town or at the Achilleion. Note for winter planning: the airport runway closes January 20 to 28, 2027.
In this guide
Each island's October score is 55% October weather (daytime high, sea temperature, rainfall and sunshine for the month) and 45% everything else we score: beaches, things to do, access from the US, hotel value and crowds. Islands whose own page gives a conditional verdict lose 0.4 points of that second half. The method is on how we score islands.
Rhodes has the best October weather, 8.8, but Crete's beaches and sights score higher, so Crete stays first. Below them the gap opens: third-placed Naxos is nearly a point behind.
Both stay open all year, with working capitals and hotels that do not close in autumn. Pick Crete for variety and a week or more: beaches, Knossos, Chania, the gorges and mountain villages. Pick Rhodes for a shorter, cheaper trip without a car: the Medieval City, Lindos and the sandy east coast, with a 3-star room near the Old Town from $36 in January and $96 in July on Kayak.
On Crete, one change for 2027 planning: Samaria Gorge is closed until further notice, according to the park agency NECCA. Imbros Gorge is the shorter alternative nearby.
Naxos, Paros, Milos, Santorini and Mykonos still work in early October, with a sea of 72°F to 74°F (22°C to 23°C). But this is the end of their season. Our island pages note that many Cycladic hotels close from November to April, so October is the last full month of their season.
Some things do carry on. Delos boats from Mykonos run until November 30. The cruise landing fee on Santorini and Mykonos drops to $13 (€12) in October, against $22 (€20) in summer. For a late-season caldera trip, Santorini's October weather score, 7.5, is the best in the Cyclades.
Corfu is one of our higher-scoring Greek islands for things to do, and in June and September it ranks in the top five. In October its weather score drops to 5.0. The sea is still warm, about 73°F (23°C), but about 6.7 inches (169 mm) of rain falls in the month on average, and more in November. If you are set on the Ionian, go in September instead; see our September ranking.
No airline flies nonstop from the US to a Greek island. Fly to Athens, which has nonstops from New York JFK and Newark; several other US routes to Athens are seasonal, so check that yours still runs on your dates. Ferries from Piraeus to Crete sail overnight, from about $37 (€33) to Heraklion, and Blue Star reaches Rhodes in 10 hours 40 minutes or more, from $51 (€45.50).
Greece's climate resilience fee stays at its April-to-October rate through October 31: $5.60 (€5) per room per night at a 3-star and $11.20 (€10) at a 4-star. From November it drops to $1.70 (€1.50) and $3.40 (€3). You need a passport valid three months beyond your Schengen departure; ETIAS is not yet operating. See the passport guide and the best islands in October for warmer options worldwide.
Transfers and guide are included, but the gorge ticket (10 EUR) and the boat from Agia Roumeli at the end (15 EUR) are paid on the day. The gorge is seasonal and closes on bad-weather days.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
The boat and free time are included; there is no guide on Symi, and hotel transfer is an extra option. Rhodes Sea Lines runs the boat.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Only the bus and an English-speaking escort are included; Demeter's Temple (5 EUR cash) and meals are extra. At about $34 it is cheaper than renting a car for one day.
Rating as shown on Viator
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Yes, in the south. Crete and Rhodes have a sea of 75°F to 76°F (24°C to 25°C) and highs in the mid-70s. The Cyclades are cooler and start to close, and Corfu is wet.
Rhodes has the highest daytime temperatures, about 78°F (26°C). Crete has the warmest sea, about 76°F (25°C).
Yes. The sea is 72°F to 76°F (22°C to 25°C) on the islands we rank, and on Crete it is warmer than in June. On Paros and Mykonos the October sea is slightly warmer than the daytime high.
For the caldera, yes: its October weather score is 7.5, the best in the Cyclades, and it is the driest island here. Its own page lists September and October in its best window. The beaches are black sand and the sea is cooling.
Not yet, but the season is ending. Many Cycladic hotels close from November to April. Crete, Rhodes and Corfu have towns and hotels that stay open all year.
Further reading
