Best Time to Visit Preveza: Weather Month by Month

Preveza has hot, almost rainless summers and mild, wet winters. Most of the year's rain falls between October and March, and the sea stays warm enough for most swimmers from June to October. Here is what each month is really like, measured in Preveza itself, and what that means for your trip.

Preveza weather month by month

Average daily high and low air temperature and average monthly rainfall come from the National Observatory of Athens weather station in Preveza (meteo.gr network, records since December 2009). Average sea surface temperature comes from seatemperature.org, which uses NOAA satellite data.

• January: high 13.8 °C, low 6.3 °C, rain 171 mm, sea 15.9 °C
• February: high 15.5 °C, low 7.5 °C, rain 130 mm, sea 15.4 °C
• March: high 17.1 °C, low 8.7 °C, rain 99 mm, sea 15.6 °C
• April: high 20.8 °C, low 11.4 °C, rain 46 mm, sea 16.4 °C
• May: high 24.6 °C, low 14.9 °C, rain 47 mm, sea 19.4 °C
• June: high 28.9 °C, low 18.9 °C, rain 18 mm, sea 23.2 °C
• July: high 31.7 °C, low 21.5 °C, rain 7 mm, sea 25.5 °C
• August: high 32.6 °C, low 22.0 °C, rain 12 mm, sea 25.7 °C
• September: high 28.7 °C, low 19.1 °C, rain 69 mm, sea 25.6 °C
• October: high 24.1 °C, low 15.4 °C, rain 120 mm, sea 22.4 °C
• November: high 19.8 °C, low 12.0 °C, rain 174 mm, sea 19.9 °C
• December: high 15.4 °C, low 8.2 °C, rain 139 mm, sea 17.4 °C

That adds up to about 1,030 mm of rain a year, and almost all of it falls outside summer. July is the driest month, November the wettest. The highest temperature the station has recorded is 39.9 °C, in July. The sea is warmest in August and September and coldest in February.

Spring: April and May

Days in the low to mid 20s make spring the best time for sightseeing on foot. Walk the historic centre, spend a morning at Ancient Nikopolis and climb the 410 steps to the Zalongo Monument before the heat arrives. Spring and autumn are also the seasons for hiking the Skala Tzavelaina path above the Acheron springs. The sea is still cool, under 20 °C until late May.

The Archaeological Museum of Nicopolis switches to its longer summer hours on 1 April. At the end of May the free Preveza Jazz Festival takes over the seafront by the port; see our events guide for the dates.

Museums

Archaeological Museum of Nicopolis

The museum of Augustus' City of Victory, at the entrance to Preveza: over 1,100 finds from Roman and Early Christian Nikopolis, including portraits of Augustus and Agrippa.

5th km of the Preveza–Ioannina road, at the entrance to Preveza

Summer: June to August

This is beach season. Highs are around 29–33 °C, it hardly rains, and the sea is 23–26 °C. Our beach guide compares the closest beaches. Summer is also the time to wade upstream in the cold, shallow Acheron at Glyki.

Plan around the heat. Nikopolis has little shade, so go early or late and bring water. On Zalongo, avoid the midday hours.

July brings the International Choral Festival of Preveza. The 45th festival is on 8–11 July 2027, with concerts on the central beach, in historic churches of the town and at the Roman Odeon of Nicopolis. Every summer the village of Kamarina, below Zalongo, holds its Zalongeia festival.

Events

International Choral Festival of Preveza

The 45th edition of Preveza's international choir festival, with the 31st International Choral Competition and concerts around the town.

Venues around Preveza town and the Roman Odeon of Nicopolis

The summer wind

The meltemi (etesian winds) are the strong, dry north winds of the Aegean. They blow from about mid-May to mid-September and are strongest in the afternoon, and similar winds blow in the Ionian. On our coast you feel it on the beaches that face the open sea. On Monolithi, afternoon wind and waves are common. At Loutsa, afternoon swells can build quickly and pull strongly towards the sea. With small children, swim on the open Ionian beaches in the morning.

Autumn: September and October

September is the local secret: the sea is still at its warmest, around 25.6 °C, and highs are back under 30 °C. October is warm too, with highs around 24 °C and a sea of about 22 °C, but rain returns: about 120 mm in the month, and on 6 October 2014 the station recorded 122.6 mm in a single day.

The museum of Nicopolis keeps summer hours until 31 October and is free for everyone on the last weekend of September (European Heritage Days) and on 28 October, a national holiday.

Winter: November to March

November to January are the wettest months, with 130–175 mm of rain each, and highs of 14–20 °C. It is the quiet season for a town walk and the museums. From 1 November the Nicopolis museum opens 08:30–15:30 daily, and admission is free on the first and second Sunday of every month from November to April. The walls of the Castle of Agios Andreas and the sunset at Pantokrator Castle need no opening hours.

Fire season: 1 May to 31 October

The Municipality of Preveza announced that the 2026 fire season runs from 1 May to 31 October, and that during it any use of fire in the open is strictly forbidden. Civil protection advice for the region adds:

• No barbecues in forests or where there is dry grass.
• Never throw away a lit cigarette.
• Don't park on dry grass: a hot exhaust can start a fire.

On days of very high fire risk the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection issues a risk map, and regional authorities can ban access to forests and protected areas until the risk drops. Check local announcements before a hike. To report a fire, dial 199 or 112.

So when should you go?

• Swimming: June to September. The warmest sea is in August and September.
• Sightseeing and hiking: April, May and October.
• Festivals: late May for jazz, July for choirs.
• Free museum days: first and second Sundays from November to April.

Wherever you go, keep our useful phone numbers and the pharmacies guide handy.

Sources

• meteo.gr / National Observatory of Athens: Preveza station climate diagrams
• seatemperature.org: Préveza sea temperature
• Wikipedia: Etesian winds
• Archaeological Museum of Nicopolis: your visit
• Armonia Choral Society: 2027 festival
• Preveza Jazz Festival
• Wikipedia: Monument of Zalongo
• Municipality of Preveza: fire season notice, 27 May 2026 (PDF)
• Lefkada civil protection: fire season advice (2022)
• To Vima: fire risk map and access bans
• nikana.gr: Vrachos–Loutsa beach