Crete has by far the longest summers in Greece, and you can get a decent tan here right into October and swim at least from May until November. The one seasonal blight is the meltémi , a northerly wind which regularly blows harder here and more continuously than anywhere else in Greece - the best of several reasons for avoiding an August visit if you can. It's far from an ill wind, however, as it also lowers humidity and makes the island's higher summer temperatures more bearable.