Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
The region has 56 official bathing-water sites; of the 56 with a classification in the 2024 season, 53 were Excellent (EEA). At most of these beaches the average sea temperature is 22 °C or higher from May to August (NOAA, 1991–2020). In the seat of the region the weather is most comfortable for walking and sightseeing in May, June and September.
- Regional units
- 6OpenStreetMap, 6 Oct 2026
- Municipalities
- 22OpenStreetMap, 6 Oct 2026
- Official bathing-water sites
- 56YPEN register, EEA
- Excellent in 2024
- 53 of 5695% of classified sites (EEA)
- Sea at 22 °C or more
- May–Augat most beaches, NOAA average 1991–2020
- Airports
- 2list of commercial airports
- Ferry ports
- 11ports with ferry terminals (OpenStreetMap)
- Natura 2000
- 41 sitesoverlap the area (YPEN)
- Wildfires 2016–2026
- 109 firesabout 123,466 hectares burnt (EFFIS)
- Zone prices 2021, per m²
- 300–1,650 €883 zones, a tax value and not a market price
When to go
This section is about Komotini, the seat of the region not the whole region.
- Jan4°
- Feb6°
- Mar9°
- Apr13°
- May18°comfortable weather
- Jun24°comfortable weather
- Jul27°
- Aug27°
- Sep22°comfortable weather
- Oct16°
- Nov11°
- Dec6°
- Figure: mean air temperature
- Comfortable weather for walking
The weather is most comfortable for walking and sightseeing in May, June and September (average temperature around 21.2 °C, little rain).
The highest average temperature, about 26.9 °C, falls in July and August.
The average temperature is 10 °C or lower from December to March.
Day length is 9 h 13 min at the winter solstice (07:39 to 16:52) and 15 h 8 min at the summer solstice (05:45 to 20:53), Greek time.
- Mean temperature °C
- Rain (mm, right axis)
| Month | Mean temp. °C | Rain mm | Daylight h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.4 | 74 | 9.5 |
| Feb | 5.6 | 58 | 10.6 |
| Mar | 8.6 | 54 | 11.9 |
| Apr | 12.6 | 39 | 13.3 |
| May | 18.4 | 48 | 14.4 |
| Jun | 23.5 | 42 | 15.1 |
| Jul | 26.9 | 26 | 14.9 |
| Aug | 26.9 | 16 | 13.9 |
| Sep | 21.6 | 43 | 12.5 |
| Oct | 15.5 | 60 | 11.2 |
| Nov | 10.7 | 64 | 9.9 |
| Dec | 5.8 | 77 | 9.2 |
Temperature and rain: NASA POWER (MERRA-2), period 2001–2020, model cell about 23 km away. The temperatures are monthly averages from a regional model. Daylight: calculated for the 15th of each month. These are regional model values and typical conditions, not a forecast.
Regional units
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is divided into 6 regional units. Each has a page with its municipalities, beaches and sights.
Best beaches
The 10 official sites with the most seasons of Excellent water since 2011; ties are settled by the latest classification (2024 season). It is the EU's classification by season, not a reading on the day.
| Beach | Latest class | History |
|---|---|---|
| Avdira | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Georgios | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Ioannis | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Alyki | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Ammoglossa – Keramoti 1 | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Ammoglossa – Keramoti 2 | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Ammolofoi | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Arogi 1 | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Arogi 2 | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Aspri Ammos | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
Towns to know
Cities and towns of the region that have a page of their own (24 of 32), larger ones first. Population only sets the order and is never shown.
- Kavalacity, Kavala
- Alexandroupoliscity, Alexandroupoli
- Xanthicity, Xanthi
- Komotinicity, Komotini
- Dramacity, Drama
- Orestiadatown, Orestiada
- Didymoteichotown, Didymoticho
- Chrysoupolitown, Nestos
- Eleftheroupolitown, Paggaio
- Ferestown, Alexandroupoli
- Souflitown, Soufli
- Doxatotown, Doxato
- Kalambakitown, Doxato
- Agios Athanasiostown, Doxato
- Krinidestown, Kavala
- Kimmeriatown, Xanthi
- Thassostown, Thassos
- Nea Vyssatown, Orestiada
- Iasmostown, Iasmos
- Amygdaleonastown, Kavala
- Choristitown, Drama
- Nikisianitown, Paggaio
- Limenariatown, Thassos
- Nea Karvalitown, Kavala
Islands
The inhabited islands of the region that have a page of their own, largest first. Areas come from OpenStreetMap outlines.
- Thasos383 km²
- Samothraki180 km²
Sights
A short selection from Wikidata, not a ranking of importance: only entries that have a Wikidata item, those with a page of their own on this site first, then those with an English label, then the oldest item. Up to 3 per kind. Coverage is uneven.
Castles
- Castle of DidymoteichoDidymoticho
- AnastasiopolisIasmos
- Polyanthos CastleIasmos
Archaeological sites
Museums
- Archaeological Museum of AbderaAbdera
- Archaeological Museum of DramaDrama
- Archaeological Museum of KomotiniKomotini
Monasteries
- Archangel Michael's Monastery, ThasosThassos
- Lazarist Monastery, KavalaKavala
- Theotokos KosmosoteiraAlexandroupoli
Caves
- Cave of AngitisProssotsani
- Cave of Cyclo PolyphemosMaronia - Sapes
- Eleski holesKato Nevrokopi
Canyons
- Pyrgoi GorgeProssotsani
Waterfalls
- Fonias waterfallSamothraki
Natura 2000 protected areas
36 Natura 2000 sites with a page of their own in the region, the 10 largest. Each page says what the site protects, from the European Environment Agency's Natura 2000 database.
- Kentriki Rodopi Kai Koilada NestouSPA, 106,342 ha
- Oreinos Evros - Koilada DereiouSPA, 48,942 ha
- Vouna EvrouSCI and SPA, 43,299 ha
- Koilada FiliouriSPA, 37,370 ha
- Notio Dasiko Symplegma EvrouSPA, 29,785 ha
- Koilada Timiou Prodromou-MenoikionSPA, 29,189 ha
- Limnes Kai Limnothalasses Tis Thrakis - Evryteri Periochi Kai Paraktia ZoniSCI, 28,606 ha
- Parapotamio Dasos Voreiou Evrou Kai ArdaSPA, 25,162 ha
- Oros FalakroSPA, 24,630 ha
- Oros Pangaio Kai Noties Yporeies TouSPA, 23,967 ha
Getting there
The airports and ferry ports of the area as our sources record them. We do not copy timetables or fares, because they would go stale; where an official source exists it is linked below.
| Airport | IATA | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandroupolis International Airport "Democritus" | AXD | Alexandroupoli |
| Kavala International Airport "Alexander the Great" | KVA | Nestos |
| Port, at the nearest settlement | Terminals in OSM | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| Kavala | 2 | Kavala |
| Thassos | 2 | Thassos |
| Keramoti | 2 | Nestos |
| Port unnamed in OSM | 2 | Alexandroupoli |
| Port unnamed in OSM | 2 | Alexandroupoli |
| Port unnamed in OSM | 2 | Alexandroupoli |
Official travel information
- KTEL Kavala: timetables and service notices
- KTEL Kavala: search and book tickets
- Kavala city buses: lines, stops and arrivals
- Thassos municipality: local buses and Kavala/Keramoti connections
- Thassos municipality: ferry schedules and service updates
- KTEL Evros: routes and tickets
- Fast Ferries: Samothraki timetables and booking
- Samothraki municipality: local bus timetables
Routes and connections can change by season. Confirm times and service directly with the operator before travelling.
How the numbers were counted
Each municipality belongs to the region and regional unit that OpenStreetMap records for it, and the figures on this page add up its municipalities. Beaches, airports, ports and sights belong to the municipality that contains them (up to 3 km outside the boundary for those on the shore).
Ports: a port is a group of ferry terminals mapped in OpenStreetMap within 1 km of each other (a harbour is mapped as many berths). The name is the nearest settlement. The number of terminals shows how closely the harbour is mapped, not how large it is or how many ferries call.
Fires: the count covers EFFIS burnt areas (roughly 30 hectares and above) whose reference point lies in a municipality of the area, with dates from 23 Mar 2016 to 12 Sept 2026. Natura 2000: each site is counted once, even when it overlaps several municipalities.
Zone prices: the lowest and highest value among the 2021 objective-system zones whose reference point lies in the area. They are tax values, not market prices.
See also
- Archaeological sites in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace27
- Museums in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace11
- Beaches with excellent water quality in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace49
- All regions of Greecelist
- Greece month by monthlist
- Atticaregion
- North Aegeanregion
- Western Greeceregion
- Western Macedoniaregion
- Epirusregion
- Thessalyregion
- Ionian Islandsregion
- Central Macedoniaregion
- Creteregion
- South Aegeanregion
- Peloponneseregion
- Central Greeceregion
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, with the date each was updated.
- Designated bathing waters (locations)Ministry for Environment and Energy: YPEN geoportal · Current bathing season register · Date:
- Bathing water quality classificationEuropean Environment Agency: WISE Bathing Water Directive database · Latest assessed season in the EEA database; every season from 2011 is kept as a per-beach history · Date:
- Monthly climate normalsNASA POWER, MERRA-2 meteorological model · 2001–2020 climatology period returned by NASA POWER · Date:
- Sea temperature (NOAA OISST)NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / Physical Sciences Laboratory · OISST v2.1 monthly long-term mean climatology, 1991-2020 period · Date:
- Burnt areasEFFIS: European Forest Fire Information System (Copernicus EMS) · Rolling archive of mapped burnt areas · Date:
- Natura 2000 protected sitesMinistry for Environment and Energy: YPEN geoportal · Current national Natura 2000 network · Date:
- Objective property value zonesMinistry of National Economy and Finance, via data.gov.gr · 2021 revision of the objective value system · Date:
- AirportsFraport Greece; the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (ΥΠΑ/HCAA); Wikipedia (cross-checked for IATA/ICAO codes and coordinates) · Checked 24 September 2026 · Date:
- Everyday places, tourism, transport and natureOpenStreetMap contributors, via the Overpass API · Live database at the time of the query · Date:
- Wikidata landmarks: castles, monasteries, museums, archaeological sites and natural landmarksWikidata contributors · Live SPARQL query snapshot, taken 25 September 2026 · Date:
- Region, unit and municipal boundaries, settlements, seats and ferry terminalsOpenStreetMap (Geofabrik Greece extract, 24 Sep 2026), ODbL · Date:
Page updated .