Swimming in Greece

Yes. The sea is typically 20 to 21 °C in November around Crete about 20 °C off Corfu, Paxos and the Athens coast, and about 18 °C in Halkidiki, after 22 to 23 °C in October. At Matala and Voulisma on Crete and on Rhodes the swimming season runs into December, when the sea is still about 19 °C.

Yes. The KTEL coastal bus from Athens to Sounio stops at Kavouri, Lake Vouliagmeni, Limanakia, Varkiza and Legrena. Bus 122 serves Kavouri and the lake; for Kavouri you can also take metro line 2 to Elliniko and change to the 122. Varkiza also has buses 117 and 171.

At some. Astir Beach is a private beach with a ticket all year, and Lake Vouliagmeni is a ticketed, operator-run site. Kavouri and Varkiza are part free and part organised with sunbeds, and the free east beach at Varkiza is about 650 m long.

On Crete, Balos, Falassarna, Elafonisi and Georgioupoli lie in Natura 2000 sites; at Elafonisi cars stop at a guarded barrier. On Corfu, Issos is inside a Natura 2000 bird protection area around Korission lagoon. Near Athens, Lake Vouliagmeni is in a Natura 2000 area, with swimming only inside the buoyed zone and no diving.

In the 2025 EEA bathing season, 85 of the 89 places listed here with a monitoring site were classified excellent. Faliraki Beach, Ixia Beach, Kallithea Springs and Preveli Beach were classified good.