Santorini is a wonderful Island, I have written reviews before (such as this one here), but it bears repeating on this post. As great as it is, your experience can certainly be different depending on several factors. The time of year one chooses can have a big impact on whether one feels Santorini is paradise or if you view it as an overpriced tourist trap. One question I get asked a lot is should I visit Santorini in October?
The short answer is yes, there are many reasons why Santorini in October is considered one of the best times to visit. Visiting the island in October gives you all the advantages of a touristy area, without the headaches of a tourist trap. There are certainly pitfalls to enjoying the island in October, but I find the benefits of visiting Santorini in October outweigh the costs.
Of course, every trip is different, and everyone has things they value when traveling. This post is coming at it from my perspective. Another thing to consider, October is very transitional in Santorini, what can be true on October 1st on the island, may not be true on October 31st (such as weather).
I would like to also point out that Santorini is a very seasonal vacation spot, few people will be visiting it during Christmas (maybe Santa). If you are looking at the pictures and think that this is a great place to escape the misery of February than I have bad news for you, Santorini is mainly for Spring-Summer travelers, I will make my comparisons on these. Let me break down the pros and cons of visiting Santorini in October and you can decide if it is right for you.
If you want a quick view, I put a chart at the bottom of this post to determine if Santorini in October is what you are looking for…
Pro #1 October in Santorini: Crowds
Santorini is an extremely popular tourist destination, especially in the Summer. It is a hub for cruise ship zombies, these are the people that get off the cruise ship, lumber around gawking at everything, only to leave to get to their all you can eat shrimp buffet. They piss off locals and those of us that are actually staying on the island. They crowd the streets and do not usually buy anything, taking selfies everywhere, blocking the streets and views. October in Santorini still has these monsters, but there are far fewer of them.
It is estimated that October has 40% less tourists than in the peak of Summer. Every morning I would count the cruise ships, this would tell me how many people would be strolling around. The highest amount was 13, the lowest was around 3. The island is still somewhat crowded, but not nearly as crowded as in the summer. I was able to wander the streets for the most part with no problem, even with the tour groups jockeying around.
There was almost no wait for any of the restaurants, we were able to duck in and out of them and be on our way. Museums, wineries, and archaeological sites were all wide open. Now there were still people there, just not enough to make it uncomfortable. I don’t like to travel when everyone else does, traveling to Santorini in October allows me to enjoy some peace.
On the Flip Side…Possible Con #1: Less Crowds
A wide variety of people can be reading this masterpiece, different people have different interests. Low crowds are what I enjoy, but may not be your thing. Some people thrive on the hustle and bustle of a tourist area and find fewer crowds to be a drawback. This is not my view of things, but I understand some are different.
If you are younger and are going to Santorini to party (god bless you doing this at an early age) you may find Santorini in October to be a bit dull. Many of the clubs have closed for the season by the time October comes around, and you may find the nightlife lacking. Unless you want to party with Gertrude from Royal Caribbean, you will not get the same excitement as the busier summer months. Do not get me wrong, Santorini isn’t a ghost town in October, there are crowds to be found, but it is starting to unwind.
Pro #2 Santorini in October: Less Heat
Like a fine wine and expensive cheese, nothing pairs as well as a huge number of crowds and 98-degree heat. I have traveled extensively in the summer months, everywhere from Japan to New Orleans (read my review here). If you are a walker and not someone who lounges around, the August heat can be too much to bear. Summer heat combined with mobs of people can turn a relaxing vacation into an anxious one.
Santorini in October solves the problem of excessive heat, especially towards the end of the month. High temperatures rarely get past 75-degrees (f) and humidity was nonexistent when we went (source). Nighttime temperatures can fall into the 50s (F), but usually stay in the 60s. Walking around for hours under these conditions is made a lot easier when compared to the sun roasting you.
Santorini is also relatively dry in October. I think we received one day where it sprinkled for about an hour. Other than that, it was dry and low 70’s the entire trip. This is backed up by most of the research I did.
Activities such as hiking, wineries, or just walking the streets are just easier under these conditions. We took the trek from Fira to Oia, the most beautiful hike I have ever experienced. It was also extremely tiring, if it would have been 95 and humid, they would have to have sent a rescue party for me. Personally, I recommend concentrating all your travel time to October (not just Santorini), unless…
Possible Con #2 Santorini in October: Lack of Heat
There are beach people and there are those of us who can care less. Do not get me wrong, I like the water, just hanging around on the beach all day isn’t my idea of a good time. Jumping into the water after a weeks’ worth of 50 degree nights will be a little more than eye opening. The sea gets cold and summer activities like swimming may be a bit uncomfortable. Even sunbathing might be a challenge, the wind tends to pick up in October, making for a chilly experience.
What goes for the ocean also goes for pools. We had a beautiful pool in our hotel (see below), right outside our personal jacuzzi (Love saying that). I did swim in it, but was out in five minutes, running to my warm jacuzzi. Point being, whether or not you want heat depends on what you like to do when traveling.
One last note about the October weather, it can make packing tricky. Do you bring fall clothes, or do you bring summer clothes? Really, a little bit of both, you never know when you will get a fairly hot day or a cold night, so you may need to be more selective when packing.
Pro #3 Santorini in October: Expense
I am now entering fantasy mode and pretending we are not in the mists of a global pandemic. During normal times October is much cheaper than peak summer months. I did an entire post on the cost of Santorini here, these prices where based in October about two years ago. Looking at Hotels.com, at the Athina Luxury Suite (awesome hotel read my review at the link), for the same date range, it is about $150 cheaper than two years ago for 6 nights. In comparison; currently people are not booking trips for July, but still the prices are higher, it is showing about $700s more for 6 days in July.
Under normal conditions, hotel rooms that cost you $250/night in October can be double that to around $500/night in July and August. You are saving over a thousand dollars by picking October over mid-summer. Of course, these are rough estimates, I do a lot of playing around until I can find the price that is right for me. Hotels are not the only things that are cheaper, less tourists mean cheaper airfare (your biggest expense) cheaper meals and shop owners willing to give you better discounts. Everything varies, but on a whole October is much less expensive to visit in Santorini than the middle of the summer. These falling prices start to cause one problem…
Con #3 Santorini in October: It Closes Down
Does Santorini close down? I can say with the greatest confidence that yes it does. How do I know this information? It was happening all around me on the last two days of our stay. There is something surreal to seeing the cafes’ and shops that you loved go dark for the season. It happens slowly at first, then more and more places shut their doors.
Almost all the locals on the island work in hospitality in one way or another. They work crazy hours 7-days a week. Come November they all leave the island and take a couple of months off. I am not sure if I would like or hate this job schedule, but it works for them. Result, starting in late October, a lot of what you want to visit might not be open. I touched on clubs closing around the beginning of October. They are joined by restaurants, shops, and even hotels. We were the last person to stay in our room for the season, the hotel closed after we left. This by no means is to say Santorini is closed in October, but the place starts to settle down. Strangely, the cruise ship zombies keep coming…the last day there were still 5 boats in the water.
Let me put this all together in a handy Chart:
| Go To Santorini in October if You Like… | Avoid Santorini in October if You Want... |
| Weather Great for Wineries, Hiking Etc… | A Great Beach experience |
| Low Crowds and Emptier Streets | Great Clubs and Nightlife |
| Cheaper Prices | 100% sure Everything is Open/Price is no object |
Conclusion: Should You Go to Santorini in October?
Clearly for me the answer is yes, go to Santorini in October… The two big ones that attract me are the lower expense and the crowds, I hate places that are overcrowded, I feel like they are herding cattle. When we first landed in Santorini it was on the morning of October 23rd, our anniversary. It was silent, and awe inspiring, looking at the most beautiful views I have ever seen. People did start to pile off the boats eventually, but I was able to duplicate the peaceful experience daily. Santorini in October made this possible, I am not sure I would be able to do this in the busier summer months.
