From the school bench, we know that Greece is the cradle of European civilization. And the capital of this country, the city of Athens, has three thousand years of eventful history behind it. But only if we come to Greece during the tourist season, we do not have enough spirit to get acquainted with the sights - it is too hot. In the subtropics, I want to stay on the seashore, swim in the warm waves, sunbathe on the beach. And so it turns out that Athens remains a “city of transit." Many tourists do not even go outside the airport, but board a plane and rush to the islands or mainland sea resorts of Greece. But what about historical and cultural attractions? In this article we will discuss whether to go to Athens in January. How does the homeland of the Olympic Games, the city of the gods and the open-air museum welcome tourists in the midst of winter?
Where are Athens
The capital of Greece has now become a metropolis. The metropolitan area of Athens has more than 3,100,000 people. That is, every third citizen of Greece can consider himself a metropolitan. But back in the 1830s, after the Ottoman yoke, Athens was a small provincial village! The modern metropolis stretches to the coast of the Aegean Sea, including the ancient port of Piraeus in the city limits . But swimming on the municipal beaches of Athens is possible only because of hopelessness. Special services carefully clean the coast, but people litter twice as fast. But arriving in Athens in January, you will find clean and, most importantly, uninhabited beaches. True, you can swim in the sea only if you are a seasoned nature. Athens lies in the extreme south of mainland Greece. From the north, the capital is reliably sheltered from the cold winds of the mountain. Not in vain, after all, people founded a settlement on a hill for another three thousand years BC. They counted on a favorable climate.
Greece, Athens: January weather
Winter in this city can be compared to September in Moscow. After all, the climate in Athens according to Köppen's classification is subtropical semi-desert. The summer here is hot, and even too much. This circumstance becomes the reason that the beach tourist leaves home without having visited the Acropolis, the temple of Zeus and the hill of Lykavit. The heat turns any ground excursion in the open air into true torment. But if you arrive in Athens in January, you will find a completely different picture. No queues at the entrance to museums, no crowds at famous attractions! And the weather is conducive to long walks in the fresh air. As in September Moscow, it may rain at times, sometimes there are cloudy days. But there are no dank winds, dampness and frost in Athens. Snow is rarely seen here, not every year. Sometimes nature can throw such an incident, bringing the cloud far south. But the morning sun will quickly melt the snow.
Precipitation
Subtropics are characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. But long-term observations of the weather in Athens in January show that there is not so much rainfall this month. Most rains are recorded in November and December (67 and 69 millimeters, respectively). And in the middle of winter they fall only 48 mm. True, compared to six millimeters in the summer months, this may seem a lot. Let's characterize the weather in Athens in January a little differently. After all, these figures say little to a tourist about these millimeters of precipitation. It is important for him to know if the rain will spoil the tour. So: meteorologists say that there are thirteen clear days in January in Athens. The same number of days with variable cloud cover, when at one time or another it rains briefly. And finally, the days when rainfall is from morning to evening, in January there are three. Thus, you can safely go on a sightseeing vacation in Athens in the midst of winter. But do not forget to put an umbrella in your suitcase.
Temperature indicators
We repeat: winter in seaside Greece is more reminiscent of early autumn in the middle latitudes. The average daily temperature in Athens in January is 10.3 degrees. What does it mean? That during the day the thermometer rises to the level of 14 degrees in the shade, and at night it drops to + 7 C. And this is an average month. There are days when you can say that it’s almost summer in the yard. The highest temperature for all time observing the weather in Athens reached +21 degrees in the shade. But there are opposite excesses. Sometimes, fortunately, very rarely, arctic air masses invade Greece. Then in Athens, minus temperatures are recorded. The lowest of all years of weather observations was - 2 C! What follows from this? On an excursion in the open air, the Russian will definitely not freeze. But to bring along an autumn jacket and a warm sweater in addition will not hurt. But mittens, earflaps and winter boots will be inappropriate.
Other climatic factors
What else can ruin an excursion in the open air or, conversely, make it pleasant and comfortable? Of course, the wind. Despite the fact that Athens is a coastal city, there are few storms in the midst of winter. Meteorologists characterize the average wind speed in the first month of the year as small - 7.6 kilometers per hour. Most often, there is a calm, clear or partly cloudy weather in Athens in January. Reviews say that walking outdoors is pleasant and comfortable. On some days you can even strip to a T-shirt. But in beachwear (in shorts and with bare shoulders) is no longer like. Relative humidity is another climatic factor that directly affects the well-being of walking tourists. This figure in January is 68.7 percent. Since Athens is a seaside town, fog is possible in the morning. Then the relative humidity increases to 75 percent. It is important for tourists to know how much time goes from sunrise to sunset. Athens lies at 38 degrees north latitude. Therefore, daylight hours in winter are longer than in high latitudes. It lasts ten hours and twenty minutes.
activity
From November to the end of March, the low season lasts in Athens. This does not affect the cost of hotels. After all, the capital of Greece is a self-sufficient city, and there are always many visitors there. But this means that tourists will not be bored in the "low season". After all, the Greeks love different festivities and use any red day of the calendar to have fun. The Nativity of Christ, which the Greeks and the rest of the world celebrate on December 25, is smoothly moving into a New Year's celebration. If you are invited to a Greek house during this period, take a stone more weighty with you. Crossing the threshold, throw it on the floor. According to tradition, the guest should say the magic words: "May your riches be as heavy as this stone!" New Year festivals smoothly pass into Epiphany. On the Day of Fot (Epiphany), the priest throws a cross into the river, and believing men rush into the water to get it. If you are a walrus and can hold your breath for a long time, take part in this religious competition. After all, the one who raises the cross from the bottom, waiting for luck all year. And after the feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Ragucarier carnival takes place. People put on fancy dresses of various animals and walk, singing carols.
Pros of relaxing in winter Greece
Tourists who ventured to come to Athens in January have several advantages over summer vacationers. Firstly, the weather itself is conducive to unhurried walks in the fresh air. The sun does not bake, but gently caresses the skin. And even if clouds cover the sky, the idea that in native penates is now 20 C, and you go in a light sweater, is already warming your soul. A winter tourist should not stand in line at museums for several hours. He can explore the sights of the Greek capital slowly, and if he takes photos, these will be pictures of the Parthenon and the temple of Zeus, and not crowds of strangers in the foreground. A tourist who visited Athens in early January can witness the fun New Year festivities. And finally, he can go to some ski resort in Greece!
Cons winter vacation in Athens
The beach season in these latitudes lasts a long time, but still not all year round. Only a seasoned person can afford to plunge into the sea, for whom + 17 C will be an acceptable temperature for swimming. Sunbathing on clear and calm days can happen: when in the shade + 17-20 degrees, in the sun - all + 25. But if you look at long-term weather reports, then such an opportunity may not be presented. Too often rains in Athens in January. Reviews notice that some days the situation is aggravated by a gale. Night walks can lead to a cold, because the thermometer in the dark drops to + 7 degrees. In addition, the low season does not affect hotel prices in Athens. The capital lives its own life, and there are always many visitors.
Athens in January: tourist reviews
This ancient and young city is always glad to guests. Tourists say that Athens in winter is good for self-guided tours. In order for them to give you maximum pleasure, you need to equip yourself accordingly: take warm clothes and always have an umbrella. Rainy days can be spent in museums, which are plentiful in Athens, and in good weather wander through the ancient ruins.