Greece
Satellite: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX (CC BY 4.0). Outline and points © OpenStreetMap contributors / Natural Earth. North up.
In numbers
32.8km²
Area
38km
Coastline
98m
Highest point
208
People
26°C
Warmest sea
August
190km
To the mainland
When to go to Gavdos
Best for the beach from July to September.
The sea is warmest in August (26 °C) and coolest in February (16 °C). Comfortable swimming (21 °C or more): from June to November.
Averages 1991–2020. Sea: NOAA OISST, the water within 35 km of the coast. Air, rain and sun: NASA POWER. Best months weigh warm afternoons (23–30 °C), sea of 24 °C or more and few wet days.
Island in Greece
Gavdos is an island in Greece. It covers 32.8 km², with 38 km of coastline. Its highest point rises to 98 m. About 208 people live on it. The nearest mainland is 190 km away.
Getting there
- Chania International Airport (CHQ)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 78 km in a straight lineCar hire at CHQ airport (Souda)Discover Cars · Affiliate link↗
- FerriesSfakia - Gavdos, Palaiochora - Gavdos, Agia Roumeli - Gavdos
- 190 km from the mainlanddistance to the nearest continental coast
- From July to Septemberbest months to go (from 30 years of averages)
Plan the trip
Ferries, stays and things to do
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On the island
What you find on Gavdos.
- 18beachesAgios Ioannis Naturist Beach, Sarakiniko, Korfos and 15 more
- 4viewpointsView Point and 3 more
- 2lighthousesGreen
- 1ferry terminals
- 1marinasPort of Gavdos
- 1named peaksGavdos
- 5ruins and archaeological sitesNeveli and 4 more
- 1campsites
- 5hotels, guesthouses and apartments
- 23restaurants, cafés and bars
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit, inside the island's outline. A low number may only mean nobody has mapped it yet.
The shape of the land.
On average the island stands 131 m above the sea. 76 % of it is below 200 m.
- 22 %0–50 m
- 53 %50–200 m
- 24 %200–500 m
Share of the island's area in each altitude band, from the Copernicus DEM (30 m, read at 30–240 m on large islands).
Size, for real
Next to islands you may know.
5 km
All outlines drawn to the same scale (Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap).
Towns on the island
- Kastrí37 people
Month by month
The weather on the island.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon high (°C) | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 19 | 16 |
| Night low (°C) | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 13 |
| Sea (°C) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 18 |
| Rain (mm) | 90 | 80 | 40 | 25 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 47 | 67 | 95 |
| Wet days | 13 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 13 |
| Sun h/day | 3.9 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 8.6 | 10.3 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 11.3 | 9.3 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 3.5 |
| Wind (km/h) | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 21 |
Averages 1991–2020 for the ~55 km NASA POWER cell over the island; the sea from NOAA OISST.
Recent years
Warmer and cooler years at sea.
Each month's sea temperature compared with its 1991–2020 average, in degrees.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.7 | +0.7 | +0.3 | +0.1 | +0.9 | −0.7 | +0.6 | +0.7 | +1.6 | +1.4 | +0.4 | +1.1 |
| 2021 | +1.3 | +0.9 | +0.7 | +0.4 | +0.9 | +0.3 | +0.2 | +0.7 | +0.7 | +0.2 | +0.8 | +0.4 |
| 2022 | +0.6 | +0.2 | −0.1 | ±0.0 | +0.4 | +0.9 | +0.3 | +0.3 | +0.7 | −0.2 | ±0.0 | +1.1 |
| 2023 | +1.6 | +0.8 | +0.7 | +0.1 | −0.4 | −0.2 | +1.5 | +1.2 | +1.2 | +1.6 | +1.8 | +1.2 |
| 2024 | +1.7 | +0.8 | +0.8 | +0.9 | +0.3 | +1.4 | +1.3 | +2.0 | +1.8 | +0.9 | +0.8 | +1.5 |
| 2025 | +1.8 | +1.9 | +1.4 | +0.6 | +0.4 | +0.9 | +1.1 | +1.0 | +1.0 | +0.3 | +1.2 | +1.1 |
+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual
Photos
Seen by visitors.
Nearby
More islands nearby.
About these numbers
| Names, area, population | Wikidata (Q213895) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Outline | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Sea temperature | NOAA OISST v2.1 · 1991–2020 |
| Climate | NASA POWER · 1991–2020 |
| Relief, 3D model | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Beaches, ports, lighthouses, trails | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Towns | GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
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