Which side of Heraklion is sheltered from today's wind? 103 beaches ranked live, updated every 2 hours.
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At a glance
Most beaches face south (36). Wind from that side reaches them first; wind from the opposite side leaves them sheltered.
Shelter by wind direction
Wind direction decides everything. These are the Heraklion beaches that stay most sheltered, and the ones that get roughest, in a strong wind (6 Bft) from each direction. It is computed from how much open sea lies upwind of each beach.
Roughest
Roughest
Roughest
Sea temperature
The average temperature of the sea near the beaches of Heraklion, from 30 years of satellite measurements (NOAA, 1991–2020).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17° | 16° | 16° | 17° | 19° | 22° | 25° | 26° | 25° | 23° | 21° | 18° |
The sea is 22 °C or warmer from June to October, and warmest in August, at about 26 °C.
Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1, average of 1991–2020 (public domain). Close to the shore the water can be a degree or two warmer or cooler.
Best time to go
Heraklion is busiest in August. In May and October there are about half as many visitors, or fewer. For a flat sea and fewer people, the best months are May and October.
In the swimming season (May to October) the least windy month on Heraklion is May, with an average wind of 16 km/h. The windiest is July, at 21 km/h. The wind is usually lighter in the morning and builds up in the afternoon, so go early on windy days.
Average conditions for every month near Heraklion, from 25 years of satellite-based weather data (2001–2025). Wind is the average at 10 m height; the sea close to the shore can differ.
| Month | Wind | Temp | Sea | Rain (mm/day) | Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23 km/h W | 13° | 17 °C | 2.8 | Quiet |
| February | 23 km/h NW | 13° | 16 °C | 2.6 | Quiet |
| March | 21 km/h NW | 14° | 16 °C | 1.4 | Quiet |
| April | 19 km/h NW | 16° | 17 °C | 0.8 | Quiet |
| May | 16 km/h NW | 20° | 19 °C | 0.5 | Moderate |
| June | 18 km/h NW | 24° | 22 °C | 0.2 | Busy |
| July | 21 km/h NW | 26° | 25 °C | 0.1 | Peak |
| August | 20 km/h NW | 26° | 26 °C | 0.1 | Peak |
| September | 19 km/h NW | 24° | 25 °C | 0.6 | Busy |
| October | 18 km/h NW | 21° | 23 °C | 1.4 | Moderate |
| November | 19 km/h NW | 18° | 21 °C | 1.8 | Quiet |
| December | 22 km/h NW | 15° | 18 °C | 2.8 | Quiet |
Historical data: NASA POWER, CC BY 4.0. Visitor levels are nights spent in tourist accommodation in the Crete region (Eurostat, average of 2023–2025), compared with its busiest month. They show when the area is busy, not how many people are on a given beach.
Average conditions for November near Heraklion, from 25 years of satellite-based weather data (2001–2025).
On average 19 km/h and 18° in November. Least windy year on record: 2019 · windiest: 2005.
| Year | Wind | Temp | Rain (mm/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 km/h SW | 20° | 2.2 |
| 2024 | 21 km/h NW | 18° | 1.0 |
| 2023 | 20 km/h W | 21° | 1.1 |
| 2022 | 19 km/h NW | 18° | 1.5 |
| 2021 | 17 km/h NW | 18° | 1.3 |
| 2020 | 22 km/h N | 18° | 3.0 |
| 2019 | 16 km/h SW | 20° | 1.9 |
| 2018 | 21 km/h N | 18° | 3.2 |
| 2017 | 18 km/h W | 18° | 1.1 |
| 2016 | 18 km/h NW | 18° | 1.8 |
| 2015 | 18 km/h NW | 18° | 1.0 |
| 2014 | 19 km/h NW | 18° | 1.0 |
| 2013 | 19 km/h W | 19° | 1.2 |
| 2012 | 22 km/h N | 19° | 1.8 |
| 2011 | 21 km/h N | 15° | 1.1 |
| 2010 | 18 km/h S | 20° | 1.2 |
| 2009 | 20 km/h NW | 18° | 1.6 |
| 2008 | 17 km/h NW | 18° | 1.1 |
| 2007 | 20 km/h W | 18° | 2.3 |
| 2006 | 17 km/h NW | 16° | 1.7 |
| 2005 | 22 km/h NW | 17° | 2.8 |
| 2004 | 22 km/h NW | 18° | 3.1 |
| 2003 | 16 km/h N | 18° | 3.0 |
| 2002 | 16 km/h SW | 19° | 2.0 |
| 2001 | 21 km/h W | 17° | 3.3 |
Every beach
103 beaches mapped. The most sheltered first, then every other beach with a name; each one opens its own page.
In a strong north wind the beaches of Heraklion facing south and south-west stay most sheltered: Agiofarango, Agios Nikitas, and Aliori. Beaches facing north are exposed to it.
For every beach we measured how much open sea lies in each of 16 compass directions, using OpenStreetMap coastlines. Waves build over open water, so a beach with land close by in the direction the wind comes from is sheltered. Today's wind forecast from MET Norway is then applied, and the result is refreshed every 2 hours.
They are estimates. The model does not include swell from distant storms, and local gusts can be stronger than forecast. Always follow lifeguard flags and local warnings.
The direction more than the strength. A beach is rough when the wind blows from the open sea towards it and flat when land lies upwind, so on a windy day one side of Heraklion can be flat while the other has waves. That is why this page lists the most sheltered and the roughest beaches for each wind direction, and the live ranking above applies today's forecast.
In the swimming season (May to October) the least windy month on Heraklion is May, with an average wind of 16 km/h. The windiest is July, at 21 km/h. The wind is usually lighter in the morning and builds up in the afternoon, so go early on windy days.
Heraklion is busiest in August. In May and October there are about half as many visitors, or fewer. For a flat sea and fewer people, the best months are May and October.
The sea is 22 °C or warmer from June to October, and warmest in August, at about 26 °C.
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