Crete vs Hurghada
Weather, sea temperature and the practical facts side by side. Just the data: where we've written a full comparison with a verdict, you'll find the link here.
Key Differences
- Hurghada's sea is warmer all year (by up to 6°C)
- Sea at 22°C or more in Crete: from June to October
- Sea at 22°C or more in Hurghada: all year
- Hurghada averages 35°C or more from June to September
- Crete has about 53 rainy days a year, Hurghada about 0
- From London, Crete is about 4 h by air, Hurghada about 5 h 30
- No visa for EU, UK and US citizens in Greece; Egypt needs one
- Hurghada has coral reefs to snorkel; Crete doesn't
- In Crete a car helps; in Hurghada you can do without a car
Side by Side
Crete
Island, Greece
Hurghada
Resort, Egypt
Getting there
Heraklion airport is at the edge of the city. Almost all direct flights run from spring to autumn.
- London: 4 h, seasonal
- Frankfurt: 3 h, all year
- Warsaw: 3 h, seasonal
- Belgrade: 2 h, seasonal
Direct flights all year from all four cities. The airport is about 8-10 km from the resort strip.
- London: 5.5 h, all year
- Frankfurt: 4.5 h, all year
- Warsaw: 4.5 h, all year
- Belgrade: 3.5 h, all year
Getting around
KTEL buses along the north coast and to the south are frequent and cheap; taxis are expensive. Hire a car for remote beaches and villages.
Uber and Careem work in town; taxis have no meters, so agree the fare first. The town stretches about 36 km along the coast, so you walk only within one area, such as the marina.
Beaches and sea
Sand and pebble beaches of every kind, 154 with a Blue Flag in 2026. Snorkeling is Mediterranean: rocks, seagrass and clear water, not coral.
- Ammoudara, a 6 km sandy strip west of Heraklion
- Matala, red sand and caves (1 h 15 - 1 h 30)
- Vai, a palm grove on the beach (about 1 h 50)
- Balos and Elafonisi, the lagoons of the far west (a long day)
Sandy resort beaches with calm water. The best reefs are offshore, so you snorkel and dive from boats. Almost every beach belongs to a hotel or charges entry.
- Giftun islands, Mahmya and Orange Bay (boat, 20-40 min)
- Town beaches near the marina (entry fee)
- Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay resorts (south)
Food and drink
Long meals with friends in tavernas, plates of meze shared by the table.
- Dakos, Kalitsounia, Gamopilafo with staka, Snails with rosemary, Antikristo lamb, Tsikoudia (raki)
- Coffee about 4 EUR, beer about 4.70 EUR, lunch for two about 36 EUR (Post Office Family Holiday Costs Barometer 2025, resort prices)
Mostly hotel and all-inclusive dining, with restaurants around the marina and Sheraton Road.
- Koshari, Ful medames, Ta'ameya, Grilled Red Sea fish, Karkadeh (hibiscus)
Sights and day trips
- Knossos (20 min by city bus)
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum (in the city)
- Spinalonga (about 1 h 15 to the boat)
- Rethymno old town (1 h - 1 h 15)
- Matala (1 h 15 - 1 h 30)
- Giftun islands (boat, 20-40 min)
- El Gouna (about 20-25 km north)
- Hurghada Marina and El Mina Mosque (in town)
- Luxor (4-5 h each way)
- Cairo and Giza (6-7 h by bus, or 1 h by air)
Best for
Entry and money
Schengen area: no visa for EU, UK and US citizens. The EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors at the border.
Visa needed: 30 US dollars for a single-entry tourist visa, online or on arrival. Sharm El Sheikh has a free Sinai only stamp for short stays in the South Sinai resorts.
Health and safety
- The EU's EHIC and the UK's GHIC cover state healthcare.
- The main risks are natural: summer wildfires (April to October) and heat. UK travel advice
- EHIC and GHIC don't apply: get insurance that covers medical evacuation. Drink bottled water.
- The Red Sea tourist areas are generally low risk, but there is a terrorism risk in Egypt and boat safety varies. UK travel advice
Plan it
Beach Holiday, Month by Month
Based on the climate alone: sea at 22°C or more and highs under 35°C count as beach weather. Fresh = sea 20-21°C, cold = under 20°C, hot = highs of 35°C or more.
| Month | Crete | Hurghada | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Hurghada |
| Feb | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Hurghada |
| Mar | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Hurghada |
| Apr | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Hurghada |
| May | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Hurghada |
| Jun | BeachBeach weather | HotVery hot | Crete |
| Jul | BeachBeach weather | HotVery hot | Crete |
| Aug | BeachBeach weather | HotVery hot | Crete |
| Sep | BeachBeach weather | HotVery hot | Crete |
| Oct | BeachBeach weather | BeachBeach weather | Both |
| Nov | FreshFresh sea | BeachBeach weather | Hurghada |
| Dec | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Hurghada |
Weather Month by Month
Average daytime high, sea temperature and rainy days for every month.
| Month | Crete | Hurghada | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | Sea | Rain | Air | Sea | Rain | |
| Jan | 15° | 17° | 10 | 22° | 23° | 0 |
| Feb | 15° | 16° | 9 | 24° | 22° | 0 |
| Mar | 17° | 16° | 7 | 26° | 22° | 0 |
| Apr | 20° | 17° | 3 | 30° | 23° | 0 |
| May | 24° | 19° | 2 | 34° | 24° | 0 |
| Jun | 29° | 23° | 1 | 36° | 26° | 0 |
| Jul | 30° | 25° | 0 | 37° | 28° | 0 |
| Aug | 30° | 26° | 0 | 38° | 29° | 0 |
| Sep | 28° | 25° | 1 | 35° | 28° | 0 |
| Oct | 24° | 23° | 5 | 32° | 27° | 0 |
| Nov | 20° | 20° | 6 | 28° | 25° | 0 |
| Dec | 17° | 18° | 9 | 24° | 24° | 0 |
Air: average daily high in °C. Sea: average sea surface temperature in °C (green = warm enough for most people, blue = cold). Rain: average rainy days in the month. Sources: Heraklion airport (HNMS, 1991-2020), sea: seatemperature.org; Hurghada airport (WMO, 1991-2020), sea: seatemperature.org.