North Aegean
The region has 122 official bathing-water sites; of the 122 with a classification in the 2024 season, all were Excellent (EEA). At most of these beaches the average sea temperature is 22 °C or higher from June 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
- 5OpenStreetMap, 6 Oct 2026
- Municipalities
- 11OpenStreetMap, 6 Oct 2026
- Official bathing-water sites
- 122YPEN register, EEA
- Excellent in 2024
- 122 of 122100% of classified sites (EEA)
- Sea at 22 °C or more
- Jun–Augat most beaches, NOAA average 1991–2020
- Airports
- 5list of commercial airports
- Ferry ports
- 24ports with ferry terminals (OpenStreetMap)
- Natura 2000
- 29 sitesoverlap the area (YPEN)
- Wildfires 2016–2026
- 439 firesabout 33,630 hectares burnt (EFFIS)
- Zone prices 2021, per m²
- 400–1,600 €361 zones, a tax value and not a market price
When to go
This section is about Mytilene, the seat of the region not the whole region.
- Jan10°15°
- Feb10°15°
- Mar12°16°
- Apr15°19°
- May19°22°comfortable weather
- Jun23°23°comfortable weather, warm sea
- Jul26°24°warm sea
- Aug26°22°warm sea
- Sep23°21°comfortable weather
- Oct19°18°
- Nov15°17°
- Dec11°15°
- Top figure: air, bottom: sea
- Comfortable weather for walking
- Sea 22 °C or warmer
The weather is most comfortable for walking and sightseeing in May, June and September (average temperature around 21.8 °C, little rain).
The sea is 22 °C or warmer from June to August (up to 23.5 °C).
The average temperature is 10 °C or lower in January, while monthly rain reaches 80 mm or more from December to February.
Day length is 9 h 25 min at the winter solstice (07:29 to 16:54) and 14 h 55 min at the summer solstice (05:47 to 20:42), Greek time.
- Mean temperature °C
- Rain (mm, right axis)
- Sea °C
- Sea 22 °C or warmer
| Month | Mean temp. °C | Rain mm | Sea °C | Daylight h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.7 | 118 | 14.8 | 9.7 |
| Feb | 10.3 | 93 | 15.1 | 10.7 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 58 | 16.0 | 11.9 |
| Apr | 14.9 | 47 | 18.5 | 13.2 |
| May | 19.3 | 25 | 21.8 | 14.3 |
| Jun (sea 22 °C or warmer) | 23.4 | 17 | 23.3 | 14.9 |
| Jul (sea 22 °C or warmer) | 25.7 | 4 | 23.5 | 14.7 |
| Aug (sea 22 °C or warmer) | 25.9 | 2 | 22.3 | 13.8 |
| Sep | 22.6 | 20 | 20.5 | 12.5 |
| Oct | 18.5 | 53 | 18.3 | 11.3 |
| Nov | 14.7 | 76 | 16.6 | 10.1 |
| Dec | 11.1 | 111 | 15.3 | 9.4 |
Temperature and rain: NASA POWER (MERRA-2), period 2001–2020, model cell about 29 km away. The temperatures are monthly averages from a regional model. Sea: NOAA OISST v2.1, period 1991–2020, nearest cell about 8 km away (0.25 degree grid). Daylight: calculated for the 15th of each month. These are regional model values and typical conditions, not a forecast.
Regional units
North Aegean is divided into 5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Agia Paraskevi | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agia Foteini | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agias Paraskevis | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agiasmata | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Aimilianos Kallimasias | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Ermogenis | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Isidoros | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Isidoros | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Ioannis | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Kampos Marathokampou Beach | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
Towns to know
Cities and towns of the region that have a page of their own, larger ones first. Population only sets the order and is never shown.
- Mytilenecity, Mytilene
- Chiostown, Chios
- Samostown, Eastern Samos
- Karlovassitown, Western Samos
- Myrinatown, Lemnos
- Plomaritown, Mytilene
- Polichnitostown, Western Lesvos
- Agiasostown, Mytilene
- Agia Paraskevitown, Western Lesvos
- Vathytown, Eastern Samos
- Kallonitown, Western Lesvos
- Pappadostown, Mytilene
- Mandamadostown, Western Lesvos
- Evdilostown, Icaria
- Agios Kirikostown, Icaria
- Moudrostown, Lemnos
- Mitiliniitown, Eastern Samos
- Neo Karlovasitown, Western Samos
- Vrontadostown, Chios
Islands
The inhabited islands of the region that have a page of their own, largest first. Areas come from OpenStreetMap outlines.
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 MytileneMytilene
- Volissos CastleChios
- Mithymna CastleWestern Lesvos
Archaeological sites
Museums
- Archaeological Museum of ChiosChios
- Archaeological Museum of MytileneMytilene
- Mecidiye Museum MosqueChios
Monasteries
- Nea Moni of ChiosChios
- Saint Ignatios MonasteryWestern Lesvos
- Vronta MonasteryEastern Samos
Caves
- Cave SykiaChios
- Pythagoras CaveWestern Samos
Lighthouses
Natura 2000 protected areas
27 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.
- Limnos: Limnes Chortarolimni Kai Alyki, Kolpos Moudrou, Elos Diapori Kai Chersonisos FakosSPA, 42,758 ha
- Voreia Chios Kai Nisoi Oinousses Kai Paraktia Thalassia ZoniSCI, 34,476 ha
- Voreia ChiosSPA, 32,183 ha
- Notiodytiki Chersonisos, Apolithomeno Dasos LesvouSPA, 28,748 ha
- Nisos Fournoi Kai Nisides Thymaina, Alatsonisi, Thymainaki, Strongylo, Plaka, Makronisi, Mikros Kai Megalos Anthropofagos, Agios MinasSPA, 24,069 ha
- Lesvos: Dytiki Chersonisos - Apolithomeno DasosSCI, 20,543 ha
- Lesvos: Kolpos Kallonis Kai Chersaia Paraktia ZoniSCI, 18,805 ha
- Limnos: Chortarolimni - Limni Alyki Kai Thalassia PeriochiSCI, 18,314 ha
- Oros Olympos LesvouSPA, 14,812 ha
- Lesvos: Paraktioi Ygrotopoi Kolpou KallonisSPA, 14,780 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chios Island National Airport "Homer" | JKH | Chios |
| Ikaria Island National Airport "Icarus" | JIK | Icaria |
| Lemnos Island International Airport "Hephaestus" | LXS | Lemnos |
| Mytilene International Airport "Odysseas Elitis" | MJT | Mytilene |
| Samos International Airport "Aristarchus of Samos" | SMI | Eastern Samos |
| Port, at the nearest settlement | Terminals in OSM | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| Mytilene | 5 | Mytilene |
| Sigri | 3 | Western Lesvos |
| Chios | 2 | Chios |
| Agios Kirikos | 2 | Icaria |
| Perama | 2 | Mytilene |
| Karlovassi | 2 | Western Samos |
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 the North Aegean15
- Monasteries in the North Aegean7
- Museums in the North Aegean5
- Beaches with excellent water quality in the North Aegean109
- All regions of Greecelist
- Greece month by monthlist
- Eastern Macedonia and Thraceregion
- Atticaregion
- 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 .