Holidays by the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean brings beach days close to old harbour towns, island villages and meals that stretch into the evening. Its coastline changes from Spain's sandy resorts to the rocky bays of Croatia and the islands of Greece. Choosing a coast matters more than choosing the sea alone: a promenade with cafés and an isolated cove offer very different holidays.
Choose the coast, then the month
The Balearics suit a mix of beaches and island exploring; Palma, Majorca adds a city base. Further east, Cefalù places Sicily's old-town streets beside the beach. These are starting points, rather than a checklist for one trip.
Summer is the main swimming season, while spring and autumn offer more room for sightseeing. Mediterranean sea temperature varies by location and month, so a sunny forecast alone does not tell you how a swim will feel. For an October holiday, compare the particular coast's monthly water temperatures before booking.
Geography at a glance
Mediterranean Sea
- Location
- Europe, Africa, Asia
- Part of
- Atlantic Ocean
- Area
- ≈ 2,500,000 km²
- Max. depth
- ≈ 5,110 m
Locator map. Measurements are approximate and depend on the area’s definition. Fact source · Map: Natural Earth
Sea temperature by month (°C)
In October, the warmest sea is at Tel Aviv (27.3 °C) and the coolest at Marbella (18.7 °C).
| Beach | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcúdia | 15.1 | 14.4 | 14.8 | 16.1 | 19.1 | 23.4 | 26.4 | 27.5 | 26.3 | 23.6 | 20.1 | 16.7 |
| Alicante | 14.3 | 13.9 | 14.3 | 15.8 | 18.8 | 22.9 | 26.1 | 27.0 | 25.4 | 22.3 | 18.5 | 15.8 |
| Antalya | 17.8 | 16.5 | 16.2 | 17.2 | 20.2 | 24.2 | 27.2 | 28.6 | 27.3 | 24.4 | 21.8 | 19.4 |
| Athens | 16.1 | 15.2 | 15.2 | 16.2 | 18.6 | 23.0 | 25.9 | 26.6 | 25.6 | 23.2 | 20.9 | 18.0 |
| Balos Lagoon | 17.2 | 16.1 | 16.0 | 16.7 | 18.8 | 22.7 | 25.3 | 26.5 | 25.3 | 23.0 | 21.1 | 18.7 |
| Barcelona | 14.2 | 13.5 | 13.7 | 14.8 | 17.9 | 22.6 | 25.9 | 27.0 | 25.5 | 22.6 | 18.4 | 15.7 |
| Benidorm | 15.3 | 14.8 | 15.0 | 16.5 | 19.4 | 23.4 | 26.6 | 27.4 | 26.0 | 23.1 | 19.5 | 16.8 |
| Bodrum | 18.2 | 17.1 | 16.7 | 17.3 | 19.5 | 22.9 | 25.1 | 26.2 | 25.1 | 22.7 | 21.3 | 19.6 |
| Cala d'Hort | 15.5 | 14.9 | 15.2 | 16.6 | 19.4 | 23.4 | 26.7 | 27.6 | 26.2 | 23.5 | 20.2 | 17.1 |
| Cala Goloritzé | 14.1 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 14.3 | 17.4 | 22.0 | 25.5 | 26.2 | 24.5 | 21.6 | 18.8 | 15.9 |
| Cala Sa Forcanera | 13.9 | 13.3 | 13.5 | 14.6 | 17.6 | 22.3 | 25.3 | 26.5 | 25.1 | 22.0 | 17.9 | 15.5 |
| Calpe | 15.3 | 14.8 | 15.0 | 16.5 | 19.4 | 23.4 | 26.6 | 27.4 | 26.0 | 23.1 | 19.5 | 16.8 |
| Cannes | 14.5 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 15.0 | 17.9 | 22.6 | 25.5 | 26.0 | 23.7 | 20.9 | 18.2 | 15.9 |
| Capri | 15.7 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 15.6 | 18.9 | 23.7 | 27.0 | 27.2 | 25.2 | 22.2 | 19.8 | 17.3 |
| Carthage | 15.8 | 15.0 | 15.3 | 16.5 | 19.1 | 22.9 | 26.5 | 27.3 | 26.2 | 23.7 | 21.1 | 17.8 |
| Cefalù | 15.1 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 15.6 | 18.7 | 23.6 | 27.2 | 27.6 | 25.8 | 22.9 | 20.3 | 16.9 |
| Cinque Terre | 14.4 | 13.6 | 13.9 | 15.3 | 18.6 | 23.4 | 26.3 | 26.6 | 24.3 | 21.3 | 18.7 | 15.9 |
| Dubrovnik | 14.4 | 13.7 | 13.9 | 15.0 | 18.1 | 22.6 | 25.1 | 25.5 | 23.7 | 20.5 | 18.4 | 15.7 |
| Elafonissi | 17.2 | 16.1 | 16.0 | 16.7 | 18.8 | 22.7 | 25.3 | 26.5 | 25.3 | 23.0 | 21.1 | 18.7 |
| Gibraltar | 15.6 | 15.2 | 15.3 | 16.1 | 17.0 | 18.4 | 19.5 | 21.0 | 19.9 | 18.8 | 17.4 | 16.2 |
| Hvar | 14.5 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 14.6 | 17.9 | 22.4 | 24.9 | 25.1 | 23.4 | 20.6 | 18.7 | 16.1 |
| Isola Bella | 14.1 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 20.0 | 24.5 | 25.6 | 24.5 | 21.8 | 18.9 | 15.7 |
| Ksamil | 16.5 | 15.5 | 15.6 | 16.5 | 19.2 | 23.0 | 24.9 | 25.9 | 24.8 | 22.5 | 20.6 | 17.9 |
| La Pelosa | 14.6 | 14.0 | 14.2 | 15.2 | 18.2 | 22.7 | 25.5 | 26.1 | 24.2 | 22.0 | 19.6 | 16.3 |
| Lindos | 18.4 | 17.4 | 17.2 | 18.0 | 20.3 | 24.2 | 27.5 | 28.5 | 27.2 | 24.6 | 22.6 | 20.0 |
| Málaga | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.8 | 16.0 | 17.8 | 19.9 | 22.5 | 24.1 | 21.9 | 19.6 | 16.7 | 15.3 |
| Malta | 16.9 | 15.9 | 15.7 | 16.4 | 19.0 | 23.5 | 26.9 | 27.7 | 26.9 | 24.4 | 22.1 | 18.7 |
| Marbella | 14.9 | 14.7 | 14.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 18.4 | 19.9 | 21.6 | 20.2 | 18.7 | 17.0 | 15.6 |
| Menorca | 15.0 | 14.2 | 14.4 | 15.5 | 18.5 | 22.9 | 26.1 | 27.0 | 25.9 | 23.3 | 19.9 | 16.8 |
| Monaco | 13.7 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 14.2 | 17.1 | 21.6 | 24.8 | 25.3 | 23.1 | 20.2 | 17.7 | 15.2 |
| Mondello | 15.3 | 14.6 | 14.8 | 15.8 | 18.9 | 23.8 | 27.5 | 27.9 | 26.2 | 23.3 | 20.5 | 17.0 |
| Mykonos | 17.2 | 16.3 | 16.0 | 16.5 | 18.2 | 21.7 | 23.9 | 24.8 | 24.0 | 21.5 | 19.5 | 17.9 |
| Navagio | 16.8 | 16.0 | 15.9 | 16.5 | 19.0 | 23.2 | 26.1 | 27.0 | 25.6 | 23.0 | 20.8 | 18.0 |
| Nerja | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.9 | 16.1 | 17.9 | 20.3 | 23.0 | 24.5 | 22.3 | 19.9 | 16.9 | 15.5 |
| Nissi Beach | 18.5 | 17.5 | 17.6 | 18.6 | 21.2 | 24.7 | 27.9 | 29.1 | 28.3 | 26.0 | 23.6 | 20.6 |
| Oludeniz | 19.2 | 18.0 | 17.5 | 18.2 | 20.5 | 24.2 | 27.7 | 28.7 | 27.6 | 25.1 | 23.0 | 20.7 |
| Palma | 14.9 | 14.4 | 14.8 | 16.1 | 19.1 | 23.4 | 26.6 | 27.5 | 26.2 | 23.4 | 19.8 | 16.5 |
| Plage de Palombaggia | 14.3 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 14.7 | 17.5 | 22.1 | 25.3 | 26.0 | 23.9 | 21.3 | 18.8 | 15.8 |
| Porto Katsiki | 16.5 | 15.6 | 15.5 | 16.3 | 19.0 | 23.3 | 25.9 | 26.6 | 25.2 | 22.6 | 20.6 | 17.8 |
| Porto Timoni | 16.5 | 15.5 | 15.6 | 16.5 | 19.2 | 23.0 | 24.9 | 25.9 | 24.8 | 22.5 | 20.6 | 17.9 |
| Pula | 12.3 | 11.3 | 11.6 | 13.3 | 17.1 | 22.5 | 25.6 | 25.7 | 23.4 | 19.9 | 17.3 | 14.2 |
| Rimini | 9.4 | 8.6 | 10.7 | 13.4 | 17.8 | 23.2 | 26.2 | 26.6 | 23.7 | 19.5 | 15.6 | 11.4 |
| Rovinj | 11.9 | 10.8 | 11.2 | 13.1 | 17.2 | 22.7 | 25.7 | 25.7 | 23.4 | 19.8 | 17.2 | 13.9 |
| Saint-Tropez | 14.8 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 15.1 | 18.0 | 22.6 | 25.4 | 26.0 | 23.8 | 21.0 | 18.4 | 16.1 |
| San Vito Lo Capo | 15.6 | 15.0 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 18.7 | 23.3 | 26.8 | 27.5 | 26.0 | 23.1 | 20.5 | 17.0 |
| Santorini | 17.7 | 16.9 | 16.6 | 17.2 | 19.2 | 22.8 | 24.5 | 25.7 | 24.9 | 22.5 | 20.7 | 18.7 |
| Ses Illetes | 15.5 | 14.9 | 15.2 | 16.6 | 19.4 | 23.4 | 26.7 | 27.6 | 26.2 | 23.5 | 20.2 | 17.1 |
| Spiaggia La Cinta | 14.2 | 13.7 | 13.9 | 14.7 | 17.6 | 21.9 | 25.3 | 26.2 | 24.3 | 21.5 | 18.9 | 15.9 |
| Split | 13.6 | 12.3 | 12.4 | 13.9 | 17.4 | 21.9 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 22.6 | 19.8 | 17.8 | 15.0 |
| Sveti Stefan | 14.2 | 13.3 | 13.8 | 15.2 | 18.9 | 23.3 | 25.2 | 25.4 | 24.0 | 20.8 | 18.9 | 15.6 |
| Tarragona | 14.3 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 15.1 | 18.6 | 23.4 | 26.2 | 27.2 | 25.6 | 22.8 | 18.8 | 15.9 |
| Tel Aviv | 20.2 | 18.8 | 18.6 | 19.9 | 22.6 | 26.1 | 29.0 | 30.0 | 29.3 | 27.3 | 25.0 | 22.4 |
| Tropea | 15.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 15.2 | 18.2 | 23.3 | 26.6 | 27.2 | 25.2 | 22.2 | 19.9 | 17.0 |
| Valencia | 14.8 | 14.2 | 14.4 | 15.8 | 19.0 | 23.5 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 26.0 | 23.0 | 19.2 | 16.4 |
| Villasimius | 15.4 | 14.7 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 18.5 | 22.8 | 26.1 | 27.2 | 25.7 | 23.1 | 20.2 | 17.1 |
| Villefranche-sur-Mer | 13.7 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 14.2 | 17.1 | 21.6 | 24.8 | 25.3 | 23.1 | 20.2 | 17.7 | 15.2 |
Average sea temperature in each month, 2021–2025 (Copernicus ERA5), at each beach. Not a forecast.
Mediterranean Sea – Sea temperature today
Current estimates for the selected beaches, not an average for the whole sea. Sea: NASA MUR with an hourly adjustment; air: Apple Weather. The update time refers to this page, not a measurement taken in the water.
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