Rhodes · Month comparison

January vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs January at #10. The smart-traveller month — 24C, 10 hours sun, almost no rain, hotels at half summer rates.

Rhodes January — empty old town walls in winter rain

January

#10 of 12 months

Worth considering

The wettest month on Rhodes — old town empty, beach resorts shut, locals drinking ouzo indoors.

  • ↑Rhodes Old Town effectively delivered back to residents — no cruise ships, no tour groups
  • ↑Hotels in the new town drop to €30-50/night — cheapest Greek city break of the year
Rhodes May — Lindos main beach with calm sea

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The smart-traveller month — 24C, 10 hours sun, almost no rain, hotels at half summer rates.

  • ↑24C and 10 hours sun without summer humidity — best walking weather in the old town
  • ↑Beach resorts fully open with 30-40% lower rates than June
FactorJanuaryMay
Weather score
3
9
Value score
10
7
Crowd score
10
7
Events score
2
6
Atmosphere
5
9
Avg high temp15°C24°C
Monthly rain145mm15mm
Daily sunshine5hrs10hrs

January trade-offs

  • ↓145mm of rain across the month — the wettest stretch on the island
  • ↓Almost every beach resort (Faliraki, Lindos, Ixia) closed until late April
  • ↓Sea at 16C — fully unswimmable

May trade-offs

  • ↓Sea still cooler than most expect — 19-20C, viable but no warmer than UK August
  • ↓Meltemi wind picks up on the west coast from mid-May (Ixia and Ialyssos windy)
See all 12 months for Rhodes →January in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Rhodes. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →