In Karpathos, and in the neighboring islet of Saria, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers. Karpathos is an island of the southeast Aegean Sea which belongs to the Dodecanese archipelago and has an area of 324 square kilometers (125 square miles).
The daily average temperature ranges from 11 °C (52 °F) in January and February to 25.5 °C (78 °F) in August. Here are the average temperatures.

Rainfall amounts to 670 millimeters (26.5 inches) per year and is concentrated between October and March; it often occurs in the form of thunderstorm, and sometimes can be abundant. In summer, basically it never rains; because of the long summer drought, the landscape is arid. Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to mid-March, is mild: daytime temperatures hover on average around 14/16 °C (57/61 °F). The rains are quite frequent, but there are also sunny days. Sometimes, it can get a bit cold: lows can drop to around 3/5 °C (37/41 °F) and highs to 7/10 °C (45/50 °F). The wind can increase the sensation of cold. In the plain, it hardly ever snow (sometimes, you can see the snow falling, though it does not accumulate on the ground), while on the highlands, whose highest point is Mt. Lastos (or Kali Limni), 1,215 meters (3,986 feet), sometimes it can snow.

Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild, and over the weeks, it gradually becomes warmer and sunnier, as well as less rainy.

Summer from June to mid-September, is hot and sunny. The Meltemi, the northwest wind, which blows from the middle of May and can reduce the sensation of heat, is felt mostly on the west side of the island. There can be periods when the wind slows down, and the heat becomes intense, with highs around 35 °C (95 °F), though they are very rare: usually, the temperature remains around 28/30 °C (82/86 °F).

Autumn, from mid-September to November, is often pleasantly warm and sunny at the beginning, and then becomes gradually milder and also more rainy.



The amount of sunshine in Karpathos is excellent in summer, when clear skies prevail, and it's very good in spring, while in autumn and winter, sunny periods alternate with others characterized by clouds and rain.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours in nearby Rhodes.

The sea in Karpathos is warm enough for swimming from July to September, and reaches 25 °C (77 °F) in August. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to go to Karpathos for a beach holiday is from June to mid-September. You can bring a sweatshirt for windy evenings. In June, the sea is still a bit cool.
In May, not only the sea is still a bit cold, but also the air can be cool for sunbathing, at least during some days.
For walks on the island, you can choose spring, in April and May, since summer can be very hot (although, as previously mentioned, periods of very hot weather are rare). You can also choose autumn, although it is rainier.

Back to the Dodecanese.