Rethymno in January: weather, water temperatures and things to do
Is January a good time to visit?
January in Rethymno is suitable for sightseeing, but rain is frequent. Daytime temperatures average +15 °C, so a jacket will be useful for walks. The water is cold, so this month is unsuitable for a swimming holiday.
Weather in January
Average daytime temperatures vary little between early, mid- and late January. There is no clear advantage in warmth between these periods.
- Water
- +15 °C
- Daytime air
- +15 °C
- Night-time air
- +11 °C
Sun and precipitation in January
Monthly averages
Sunny
9 days
Sun and clouds
12 days
Cloudy
10 days
By part of the month
| Dates | Sunny | Sun and clouds | Cloudy | Days with precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | 3 days | 4 days | 3 days | 4 days |
| 11–20 | 2 days | 3 days | 5 days | 6 days |
| 21–31 | 4 days | 4 days | 3 days | 5 days |
Early, mid or late January?
| Travel dates | Day | Night | WaterWater | Days with precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 January | +16 °C | +11 °C | +16 °C | about 4 out of 10 |
| 11–20 January | +15 °C | +11 °C | +16 °C | about 6 out of 10 |
| 21–31 January | +14 °C | +10 °C | +15 °C | about 5 out of 11 |
Water in January
Seasonal data gives an average water temperature of +15 °C for the month. It averages +16 °C in the first ten days and +15 °C towards the end. These are seasonal averages, so the water on your travel dates can be warmer or cooler. Before your trip, check the water temperature and weather in the forecast for Rethymno.
Rainfall in January
Historical records show that January has precipitation on roughly half the days. This includes light precipitation and does not mean it lasts all day.
December, January or February: which should you choose?
| Month | Day | Night | WaterWater |
|---|---|---|---|
| December | +17 °C | +13 °C | +17 °C |
| January | +15 °C | +11 °C | +15 °C |
| February | +15 °C | +10 °C | +15 °C |
Both the air and the water are warmer in December than in January. January and February have similar average daytime temperatures. Neither has a clear advantage in warmth.
The annual charts for Rethymno compare air and water temperatures throughout the year. For historical weather in January across different years, see the weather archive.
Things to do in January
- Around the Venetian harbour, you can see the old customs house and the Ottoman-era lighthouse.
- The Venetian Fortezza offers panoramic views of Rethymno and the Cretan Sea.
- The temporary exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Rethymno is housed in the Church of St Francis. It displays regional finds from the Palaeolithic to the Venetian period.
About the data
Air temperatures use the WorldWeatherAI archive for 2020–2025. Precipitation uses data for 2020–2025. Water temperatures use WorldWeatherAI seasonal data.
Cloud cover is estimated from local six-hour intervals weighted by their overlap with daylight: up to 25% clear or mostly clear, 75% or more mostly cloudy, and partly cloudy in between. These are the site’s categories. Rounded day counts add up to the period length; icons do not represent particular dates. Precipitation is counted separately and may coincide with sunshine. Sunshine hours come from the archive, not from cloud cover. Each metric requires complete data for the same set of years; incomplete metrics are omitted.