Crete October half term

[TheAmberTurtle]

I’m looking for somewhere warm to holiday in October. DS only has a week at half term so don’t want to travel too far. I am considering Crete , but am a little concerned about the weather . Should I be concerned? And does anyone have any recommendations, ideally with both tennis and paddle courts

Hi! You’re absolutely right to consider Crete — it’s one of the warmest European destinations in October, with plenty of sunshine and daytime temps usually in the low-to-mid 20s°C. Sea is still swimmable too 🌊

Weather can be a little more changeable than summer months, but nothing extreme. I'd recommend the Elounda or Hersonissos area for family-friendly resorts — many have paddle and tennis courts (some even offer lessons for kids). If you're after something quieter, look at the south coast near Plakias.

Happy to share a few suggestions if you’re narrowing things down ✨

I would look at Turkey, Cyprus, Canaries or Morocco for Oct HT. Maybe the southern most Greek islands but some things will close up late October.

I'd say it depends on how warm you want it. If you like it hotter, I'd look at the south and/or east. It's a surprisingly big island and the north west is cooler.

That said, if you're not one for dead hot then anywhere on the island may be fine. I went to near Rethymno in an October half term a few weeks ago, and am not a heat seeker. It didn't rain, most days were a mixture of sun and cloud and it was normally warm rather than hot. It was also colder in the evening than I'd expected, as my only previous experience of Greece in autumn was Rhodes which really was still pretty warm.

We went to Crete a few years ago at the end of October and dreadful weather. We couldn't swim or even enjoy walking on the beach!