Climate - Lefkada (Greece)

In Lefkada (also called Leucas), a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers. At sea level, the daily average temperature ranges from 9.5 °C (49 °F) in January to 26 °C (79 °F) in August.
Here are the average temperatures.

Rainfall amounts to about 1.000 millimeters (40 inches) per year, and follows the Mediterranean pattern, in fact, it is concentrated in the period from October to April, while in summer, it rains very rarely. The rains are plentiful from October to February, when they exceed 100 mm (4 in) per month. Here is the average precipitation.

The island is very close to the mainland, to which it is connected by a bridge. In the interior, there are hills and low mountains, which culminate in Mount Stavrota, 1,158 meters (3,799 feet) high. Given the amount of rainfall, the island is green despite the summer drought, and it's covered with forests.



Winter, from December to mid-March, is mild and rainy: there is a moderate amount of sunny days, but they alternate with periods of bad weather, with rains even abundant. Sometimes, a cold wind from the north can blow, and in the coldest nights, light frosts can occur in the plain.

Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild; the rains become gradually rarer, and fine weather becomes more and more frequent. May is a good month, before the summer heat.

Summer, from June to mid-September, is hot and sunny; the maximum temperature normally fluctuates around 30 °C (86 °F), but it can sometimes reach 35/37 °C (95/99 °F). Luckily, sea breezes blow, and in any case, you can cool yourself in the sea.

Autumn, from mid-September to November, is mild (and initially, even quite warm) and rainy. In October, there can still be sunny days, but the rains are quite abundant, and can also occur in the form of thunderstorms.



The amount of sunshine in Lefkada is great in late spring and summer, when clear skies prevail; from October to April, instead, the sun does not always shine because there are sunny days, but also periods of bad weather. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

The temperature of the sea in Lefkada is high enough for swimming from July to September, while in June, it is still a bit cool, around 22 °C (72 °F), but overall acceptable. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to go to Lefkada for a beach holiday runs from June to mid-September.
If you plan to go hiking and walking across the island, you can go from mid-April to mid-June in order to avoid the heat that can occur in high summer.

Back to the Ionian Islands.