We sail this coast about two hundred days a year, so the question we are asked more than any other is when to come. This page answers it with numbers rather than adjectives: ten years of daily records for Demre and the water off Kekova, averaged month by month, plus what today actually looks like from the harbour.
Live conditions at Çayağzı, updated automatically.
The short answer: June and September are the best all-round months, July and August are the hottest and busiest, and October is the one most people underestimate. Here is why.
The land warms long before the sea does. April days reach a comfortable 22 °C and it only rains about five days in the month, but the water is still around 19 °C — swimmable in a wetsuit, bracing without one. This is the season for the ruins, the castle and the colour of the water rather than for long swims. By late May the sea is past 21 °C and the coast is still quiet.
Four months of near-guaranteed sun: 30 or 31 sunny days a month and as few as two rain days in July. June and September are the pick of them — hot but not punishing, with the sea at 25 °C and 29 °C respectively. July and August bring highs of 34–35 °C and the most crowded bays, which is exactly why we run our route in reverse and reach Kaleköy after the day boats have gone.
The most underrated stretch of the year. The sea holds 26.5 °C through October — warmer than it is in June — while the air drops to a pleasant 27 °C and the summer crowds disappear. November still offers a 23.5 °C sea and 26 sunny days. If you want August water without August prices or people, come in October.
Cool, green and genuinely quiet. Highs sit between 15 °C and 18 °C and January is the wettest month at around 14 rain days. Swimming is out for most people, but the light is beautiful and there is hardly anyone else looking at the Sunken City. This is what our short cultural tour is built for — 2 to 4 hours, hot tea, and very little else on the water.
The gap between the two lines is the thing worth understanding. The sea lags the air by roughly two months: it is coldest in March, not January, and it is still holding summer warmth in late October, long after the air has cooled.
Ten-year averages (2015–2024) for Demre and the sea off Kekova. Swimming and boat-tour ratings are ours — the rule behind each one is spelled out below the table, so you can disagree with it.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Sea | Rain days | Sunny days | Wind | Swimming | Boat tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.8° | 8.1° | 19.8° | 14 | 23 | 13.8 | Fair | Poor |
| February | 16.2° | 8.7° | 18.5° | 10 | 23 | 13.9 | Fair | Fair |
| March | 18° | 10.2° | 18.3° | 9 | 26 | 15.2 | Fair | Fair |
| April | 22.2° | 13.7° | 19° | 5 | 28 | 14 | Fair | Good |
| May | 26.5° | 18.1° | 21.2° | 7 | 29 | 14.3 | Good | Good |
| June | 30.7° | 22.2° | 25.5° | 4 | 30 | 14.1 | Excellent | Excellent |
| July | 34.7° | 25.8° | 28.6° | 2 | 31 | 14.3 | Excellent | Excellent |
| August | 34.3° | 25.8° | 30.2° | 3 | 31 | 14 | Excellent | Excellent |
| September | 31.4° | 22.8° | 28.8° | 4 | 30 | 14.5 | Excellent | Excellent |
| October | 26.8° | 18.5° | 26.5° | 5 | 30 | 13 | Excellent | Good |
| November | 21.6° | 14° | 23.5° | 8 | 26 | 12.2 | Good | Good |
| December | 17.1° | 10.3° | 20.9° | 12 | 25 | 12.2 | Fair | Fair |
A rain day is any day with at least 1 mm of precipitation, the standard meteorological definition. A sunny day is one where recorded sunshine reaches at least 70% of the daylight available. Wind is the average of each day’s peak 10-metre wind speed. Swimming is rated on sea temperature alone: excellent at 24 °C and above, good from 21 °C, fair from 18 °C. Boat tours combine rain days, wind and daytime highs.
Daily peak wind sits between 12 and 15 km/h in every single month — this stretch of coast is sheltered by the islands. Rough days happen, but they are the exception, and the captain will move the route or the date rather than sail into one.
These are the two months when private charters go first, often weeks ahead. June, September and October are usually bookable at shorter notice and, in our view, are the better trips anyway.
Daytime is warm well into autumn, but once the sun drops behind the ridge the deck cools quickly. A light jacket makes the difference on sunset and moonlight tours from October onwards.
With highs of 34–35 °C and almost no cloud, the shaded aft deck is where most guests end up between swims. Sun cream, a hat and water are not optional in midsummer.
Monthly figures are ten-year averages (2015–2024) computed from Open-Meteo open data: ERA5 reanalysis for air temperature, precipitation, sunshine and wind at Demre, and the marine archive for sea surface temperature off Kekova. Live conditions come from the same service. Open-Meteo data is published under CC BY 4.0. The suitability ratings and all commentary on this page are our own.
ERA5 reanalysis (land) and marine forecast archive (sea surface temperature) · Open-Meteo · CC BY 4.0
