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Original poster

Corfu in August too hot??

20 replies

Mumoftwo79 · 20/12/2015 20:31

We've booked a hotel in Paleokastritsa, Corfu, for ten days in mid-August, but now I'm getting cold feet (ironically) about the heat. My older child will be seven, and my younger one will be eleven months. Info on the temperature at that time varies - does anyone know whether it is still hot at night, for instance? I know there are mosquitoes. Any advice for what to do there with children those ages, or how to help them cope with heat and mosquitoes in general? My worries are seriously annoying my partner - he says we'd just spend the whole time in the pool or at the beach, but I think we might get bored. We're considering calling it off and booking elsewhere, but we'd lose our deposit and I don't know if we'd get a half-board hotel anywhere else for as good a price. The cost is still a lot for us, I'm worried
we'll be spending more than we can afford on a sweaty nightmare...

OP posts:

Effendi · 20/12/2015 20:37

I've been to Greece and Turkey in August and I've lived in Cyprus for the last 11 years. August is an awful month for heat. Make sure your accom has a\c. It will be roasting at night as well as day time.

dreamingofsun · 20/12/2015 20:42

we've been to rhodes in august. it was hot. we went out for lunch, visited the beach, lazed by the pool or stayed in the lounge and watched TV in the aircon. it was a good holiday but it was hot and had been hotter the previous weeks. at night it was fine as we just switched the aircon on - you do have this don't you? mosquitoes weren't a problem - don;t remember many and we just put repellant on anyway - in fact i think that hol there weren't any as pretty dry.

google and you will find temperatures. not sure it was hotter than in july or ealy sept though. the kids didn't struggle any more than we did though and i assume with ones of that age that you won't be able to go to greece in a cool period for 2 weeks anyway.

doing anything energetic was out of the question - but we had a nice holiday lazing and reading and swimming

CottonSock · 20/12/2015 20:42

I went early may last year and it was pretty much perfect weather for toddler. No way I would go anywhere near in august after a holiday in Turkey late June in a heat wave (pre kids).

specialsubject · 20/12/2015 20:46

August in Greece is obviously generally hot but go local; take it easy and stay in shade 11-3, slow down. Sun not quite as strong as June but again, stay out of it at peak hours. On the beach in a breeze or in the water will be very pleasant. Wear rash vests/board shorts and big hats; the baby wears a sunsuit.

mosquitoes; use DEET, put long trousers/sleeves on them at dusk and overnight close up the room (if aircon) and use the insecticide tablets in the heater machines. Non-air-con rooms (which I prefer) will have a fan and screens, still use the insecticide.

WiryElevator · 20/12/2015 20:51

We went to Corfu the first two weeks of August this year. Week one was 40 degrees and too hot. I spent the entire time in the pool and couldn't wait to get back to the hotel room in the evening as the heat was too much in the evening.

Week two was relatively blissful at 35 degrees. Children 11 & 9 were fine with it. The 11 yo played football in it

CheradenineZakalwe · 20/12/2015 20:53

Paleo in June several years ago was 35 degrees plus during the day and still hot at night. The beach is gorgeous though. Check whether your hotel is up the hill; ours was and it nearly killed us walking back up every day!

It was a lovely holiday but bloody hot.

VulcanWoman · 20/12/2015 21:03

Do you know if the place you've booked has air conditioning.
I've been to Corfu in August, yes it was hot, lugging a heavy rucksack up a hillside didn't help though.

Original poster

Mumoftwo79 · 20/12/2015 21:14

Yes it does have air con, sorry, forgot to say. Thank you for all your replies so far! Am still dithering. I realise I'm very lucky to have this decision to make, if you see what I mean! All our previous holidays have been camping or glamping at the most, in the UK.

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VulcanWoman · 20/12/2015 21:26

I think if you can get away from the heat when sleeping it makes a huge difference. Good excuse for a long siesta. As I remember it went very quiet in the afternoon, we were the only nuts out and about, opposite side of the Island to Corfu Town, very quiet anyway, so beautiful.

Bunbaker · 21/12/2015 23:12

Yes it will be very hot. It never ceases to surprise me when people come back from holidaying in Greece and Turkey in August and complain about the heat. Honestly, what do they expect?

Basically anywhere in the Med in August is going to be hot at that time of year.

Paleokastritsa is very pretty, but it gets a lot of day trippers and gets very crowded. We were there at the end of September and it was very busy (and 24 degrees)

WellyMummy · 21/12/2015 23:33

Went in a heat wave this July. Temp reported to be 40 degrees feeling like nearly 50. The Greeks weren't even coping with it. Too hot, far too hot, unless you can sit in a pool all day.

Original poster

Mumoftwo79 · 24/12/2015 12:06

Thank you very much everyone, you've helped a lot. I think we'd probably cope by following the good advice some of you have given on keeping cool, but ideally we don't want to just cope, we want to enjoy ourselves, especially for that much money. We simply booked in too much of a rush, too easy online!
Luckily we did have the sense to choose flexible booking (meaning we can change the place, time and names on the booking without losing our deposit), so we are probably going to transfer it to my parents for a city break or something, as they haven't booked a holiday yet, and go elsewhere ourselves.
Thank you!!! Merry Christmas!

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VivaVegas · 24/12/2015 19:02

We go to Greece every summer and now we are tied to school holidays that means July/August.
This year there was a heatwave at the end of July for our first week and then cooled down.
We are going to Corfu next year at the beginning of August, can't wait as not been there for years.
We love it, yes it's hot but it's still enjoyable. Just make sure you drink plenty of water, lots of sunscreen and use shade if it gets too hot, you don't have to sit in the boiling sun.
We always come inside during the hottest part of the day for lunch in a taverna and then if really hot we have gone to our room with aircon and watched a film on the iPad and come back out later in the afternoon. This year we even had a few naps and then the DC could stay up later.
My view would be still go, just be prepared and you'll have a great time!

CPtart · 24/12/2015 19:44

We were in Corfu mid August this year, it was low to mid 30's, wonderful. DC are older than yours but plenty of sun cream, hats , shade etc and it was no problem. Having spent the previous 4 years in Turkey and Tunisia in August, Corfu was far more bearable. There were even a few cloudy days and a little rain. Wasps yes, but no mosquitoes.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 30/12/2015 10:19

We went to Corfu lasy August and yes, it was very hot but not unbearable, it also reained a few times, which cooled it down a bit.

Corfu is lovely, we drove to paleokastrista for the day and it was beautiful.

Makemineacabsauv · 04/01/2016 21:07

You should go you'll love it! As others have said you can still really enjoy yourself if it is really hot. We went to Corfu in July and the heatwave was in full force! We used our AC at night and kids played in sea and pool daytime then we had leisurely lunches in the afternoon in the shade. Paleokastritsa is beautiful, you will love it.

eloquentlyineffable · 07/01/2016 01:45

As someone who, as a child, spent every summer (and other times of the year) in Cyprus, during the hottest time, I can tell you it is very achievable to make it bearable. Children can play in the pool/sea in the mornings and as it cools in the late afternoon, meanwhile they can have lunch at midday and perhaps even take a nap. You could also play boardgames, go shopping (indoors, that is) or go out for lunch. It never bothered me or my sister as children, as my parents made sure we were out of the heat during the hottest part of the day, and we made our own fun inside/in the shade.

I think you should go - you'll enjoy it!

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 07/01/2016 01:53

Oh yes, go! We've taken a 19mths old to Corfu in July and all of them to other Greek Islands in August, Greek Islands are our favourite holiday. It is hot, but bearable with AC and pool/sea. Get all-in-one beach suits for the dc, lots of suncream, and there are fantastic plug-in mozzie killers you can get from Boots - plus the spray on deet.

We went to Kefalonia in Aug 15, and it was hot, even for there. 40 degrees at 5pm - it was fine.

KerkyraRabbit · 19/01/2016 10:35

Corfu is my favourite place ever. I have been in May, July, September and October. Last July it was 40 degrees but me and my 4 year old still had an amazing time an traveled around. We avoided the sun at peak times and did most of our exploring earlier in the day or later afternoon. I returned in August and it was 35 plus so did the same as July and had a great time too.

Went back in October and needed a cardigan at night, daytime temps of mid twenties which felt cold after the summer!

Just be sensible, sun cream, hats and yes deet - I get eaten alive everywhere, luckily they don't go near me daughter or partner! Avoid the sun in peak times and you really will have an amazing time. Paleokastrisa is beautiful ad there are lovely boats trips around there too which have sun covers.

KerkyraRabbit · 19/01/2016 10:36

I must add that up until a few year back I consider 19 degrees in England too hot! So if I can cope witH 40 degrees in Corfu anyone can!

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