Crete vs Sharm El Sheikh
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
- Sharm El Sheikh's sea is warmer all year (by up to 7°C)
- Sea at 22°C or more in Crete: from June to October
- Sea at 22°C or more in Sharm El Sheikh: all year
- Sharm El Sheikh averages 35°C or more from May to September
- Crete has about 53 rainy days a year, Sharm El Sheikh about 0
- From London, Crete is about 4 h by air, Sharm El Sheikh about 5 h 30
- No visa for EU, UK and US citizens in Greece; Egypt needs one
- Sharm El Sheikh has coral reefs to snorkel; Crete doesn't
- In Crete a car helps; in Sharm El Sheikh you can do without a car
- A coffee costs about 2.50 EUR in Sharm El Sheikh and about 4 EUR in Crete
- A beer costs about 4.70 EUR in Crete and about 6.40 EUR in Sharm El Sheikh
Side by Side
Crete
Island, Greece
Sharm El Sheikh
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
About 10 km from Naama Bay. Year-round flights from the UK and Germany; from Warsaw and Belgrade mostly charters.
- London: 5.5 h, all year
- Frankfurt: 4.5 h, all year
- Warsaw: 4.5 h, seasonal
- Belgrade: 3.5 h, seasonal
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.
Taxis have no meters and the airport is notorious for prices, so book a transfer. Naama Bay is a walkable promenade; hotels further out, such as Nabq, rely on shuttles and taxis.
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)
Coral starts right off the shore, often reached over a jetty or walkway, so you can snorkel without a boat. Naama Bay is the easy sandy beach for children.
- Naama Bay, sandy and shallow
- Ras Um Sid, beginner snorkeling from the shore
- Shark's Bay, reef from a walkway
- Ras Muhammad (40 min by road, 1-2 h by boat)
- Tiran island reefs (boat, under 2 h)
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 all-inclusive, plus restaurants on the Naama Bay promenade and grills in the Old Market. A 10-15% service charge is usual.
- Koshari, Ful medames, Ta'ameya, Kofta and kebab, Fresh Red Sea fish, Karkadeh (hibiscus)
- Coffee about 2.50 EUR, beer about 6.40 EUR, dinner for two with wine about 74 EUR (Post Office Long Haul Holiday Report 2025)
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)
- Ras Muhammad National Park (40 min by road)
- Tiran island (boat, under 2 h)
- Old Market and Al Sahaba Mosque (short taxi ride)
- Dahab (about 1 h)
- St Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai (3-4 h)
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 | Sharm El Sheikh | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Sharm El Sheikh |
| Feb | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Sharm El Sheikh |
| Mar | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Sharm El Sheikh |
| Apr | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Sharm El Sheikh |
| May | ColdToo cold to swim | HotVery hot | Sharm El Sheikh |
| 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 | Sharm El Sheikh |
| Dec | ColdToo cold to swim | BeachBeach weather | Sharm El Sheikh |
Weather Month by Month
Average daytime high, sea temperature and rainy days for every month.
| Month | Crete | Sharm El Sheikh | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | Sea | Rain | Air | Sea | Rain | |
| Jan | 15° | 17° | 10 | 22° | 24° | 0 |
| Feb | 15° | 16° | 9 | 24° | 23° | 0 |
| Mar | 17° | 16° | 7 | 26° | 23° | 0 |
| Apr | 20° | 17° | 3 | 30° | 23° | 0 |
| May | 24° | 19° | 2 | 35° | 25° | 0 |
| Jun | 29° | 23° | 1 | 38° | 27° | 0 |
| Jul | 30° | 25° | 0 | 38° | 29° | 0 |
| Aug | 30° | 26° | 0 | 38° | 29° | 0 |
| Sep | 28° | 25° | 1 | 36° | 28° | 0 |
| Oct | 24° | 23° | 5 | 33° | 28° | 0 |
| Nov | 20° | 20° | 6 | 28° | 26° | 0 |
| Dec | 17° | 18° | 9 | 24° | 25° | 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; Sharm El Sheikh airport (1991-2020), sea: seatemperature.org.