Any Greek Cyclades bearable with the Meltemi wind in August?

[lolly72]

Returning to pick all your knowledgable Greek Island brains!

So still searching for our last minute summer holiday at the end of July/beginning of August. Whoops...starting to panic a bit now.

Was recommended the Cyclades, as less wasp activity, so was researching Naxos, Tinos, Syros but then just found out about the dreaded Meltemi North wind that starts in August.

Has anyone experienced this and found an island that doesn't suffer so much from it? Just as I was falling in love with these islands I started reading that some people couldn't even eat outside it was so bad.

Huge thanks in advance for any advice/ experiences.

I’ve been to Tinos, Syros and Mykonos several times in August and the Meltemi wasn’t an issue. There was one beach in Mykonos that was very windy, so we drove to a different one - that’s the only inconvenience we faced.
Sea was calm to swim in on all islands.

Also, off to Naxos and Paros this August so it definitely hasn’t put me off! But

We did Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and folegandros in august and only had proper wind in one part of Naxos but the weather was lovely. We did have a ferry cancelled because of wind and the replacement (on the same day) was a much longer journey but I enjoy the ferry rides and the ferry companies were good at keeping us updated.

Stay low in Naxos and there could be wind but it won’t be dreadful. If you get a Villa in the hills you will get a great views. But maybe not able to use the terrace as the wind will be too strong.

What did you think of Folegandros? We can’t find that much info on it. The guardian article suggests it’s a bit pretentious

@taxquestiontime sorry that was a question for you ^

We loved it! We went just before covid so can’t promise it hasn’t become pretentious in the mean time but it was wonderful 😆 we hung out by our pool and went on a hike and a boat trip and up to the monastery. Let me find the air b n b place we stayed at because it was perfect

https://abnb.me/O07UpP7g7Ab this was the place but they had some smaller apartments too round a pool, it was great

It’s really hit and miss how windy it will be - one week can be windy and the next calm. Most islands have some sheltered beaches (south facing or beaches in sheltered coves) that are not too badly affected by the winds so unless it’s super bad you can still enjoy a beach day as long as you pick the right spot.

We had pretty strong winds the last time we were on Naxos but it didn’t stop us enjoying ourselves. Most of the beaches are south facing and not too windy and we even found one that was still good on a 40 mph wind day. Some restaurants will have wind shields or you can pick somewhere in the narrow alleyways on a windy night.

Just don’t take the small fast ferries in bad wind unless you have a strong stomach! The bigger ones tend to be fine and are only cancelled on very bad days.

That's so good to know, thank you, countdowntonap. So in all your visits, the wind was bearable? Was there a particular island you really loved? Been researching all over the Greek island posts and you seem to know your stuff 😊

Thanks everyone for all your advice. Decided to keep looking at the Cyclades even knowing about the 'Meltemi'.

oooo did you have a favourite? That's some good hopping! Was thinking about that but then started adding up all the separate ferry rides. 😬

Was in Tinos and briefly Mykonos about a month ago and with the miraculous exception of the ferry crossings it was very windy almost the whole time. I still enjoyed my holiday, although it wasn’t warm enough to go in the hotel pool which was a shame. It was also too nippy to enjoy the terrace in our apartment, but the cooling effect may actually be a plus point in August! If lounging around a pool is going to be a big feature of your trip I’d rethink Tinos at least, but if you’re adaptable I wouldn’t be deterred.

We've been to the Cyclades 4 times (each trip island hopping between 3-5 islands) and never found the wind unbearabe. It was slightly annoying to get a windy week on Milos late July and then see it was perfectly calm the next week but that's always a risk you take. We might have had the odd day where we chose to do some sightseeing or a short hike insted of the beach but have happy memories from all the trips. The only one I found not great in the wind was Koufinissi as there is not much to do except for the beach and none of the beaches are totally sheltered. On pretty much every other island there are at least some sheltered beaches.

Depends a bit on what you are looking for (beach only or sightseeing) and whether you plan to hire a car but I have loved Sifnos, Milos, Naxos, Amorgos, Paros, Serifos, Kimolos and others. Still want to go to Tinos and Syros.

If you want to go to more than one island it won't be too expensive if you pick islands on the same ferry route. The larger slower ferries can often be cheaper than the fast ones that just make you seasick anyway.

@lolly72 Syros is perhaps our favourite as the capital, Ermoupoli, looks so different to the other capitals in the Cyclades. The neoclassical architecture is stunning! There is a better food scene on Tinos though.
We stayed here in Tinos https://vegaapartments.gr/en/welcome-to-vega-apartments-tinos/ Great location and the owners couldn’t do enough for us!

Kamares on Sifnos is very sheltered and doesn't suffer too much with the meltemi. It can be breezy but not too many days when you are blasted with sand or chasing your inflatables down the beach! It's a gorgeous little harbour town - bustle when the ferries arrive and then the crowds disperse and it goes back to being more sedate. It's got lovely white sugarcube houses reaching up the hillside above the harbour, so a bit of the traditional Greek alleyway feel, but then a shallow, child-friendly beach, tavernas and a few bars along the waterfront. There's a pretty blue domed church that you can walk to at one end too.

Sifnos is a great island - easy to get the bus to the main town and to other areas of the island. Can recommend a boat trip too to see more of the wonderful beaches.

In terms of finding accommodation etc last minute, Aegean Thesaurus are an excellent Greek travel agency, only take a very small commission, but may be able to help find you something. They are based in Sifnos but very knowledgeable about all the Cyclades.

We liked them all but my favourite was Folegandros, it has such an amazing and unusual landscape and the town is very pretty (although there are many pretty towns in the Cyclades!). We went around by bus but did a boat trip which took us to some stunning beaches. Try and shop around for the ferries, they can be a surprising difference between the prices.