Mediterranean holidays

There are 22 separate countries around the Mediterranean coast, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Most are in Europe, but there are also several in Africa and Asia, with the Mediterranean Sea including various other seas, such as the Aegean and Adriatic.

The European countries which border the Mediterranean Sea are Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus. Although Portugal is often included among Mediterranean holidays, thanks to its position in western Europe, the country is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, which is separated from the Mediterranean by the Straits of Gibraltar.

You’ll find a string of islands in the Mediterranean Sea, some of which are independent countries and other island territories of different European states. The Mediterranean Sea is home to Malta and Cyprus, as well as the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, the French island of Corsica, the Spanish Balearic Islands (Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) plus all the Greek islands, including Crete, Rhodes and Corfu.

Flights to the Mediterranean take from around two hours 30 minutes to the Spanish Costas and the Balearic Islands, up to around four hours 30 minutes to Cyprus.

There are two time zones covering the countries around the Mediterranean – western Europe, including Spain, France and Italy, is one hour ahead of GMT, while the eastern Mediterranean, including Greece and Cyprus, is two hours ahead of GMT. All European countries around the Mediterranean observe daylight saving, with clocks changing on the same dates as the UK, so the time difference is constant year-round.

Countries bordering the Mediterranean in North Africa, such as Morocco and Tunisia, are also one hour ahead of GMT but don’t observe daylight savings so are the same time as the UK during the summer months.

The best time to visit the Mediterranean is during the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn, particularly May to June and September to October when the weather is pleasantly sunny but without the crowds of the busiest months. During the peak summer months of July and August, temperatures can soar into the high 30s, especially in destinations such as Cyprus, while during the winter months (especially November to January), you can often expect rain and cool temperatures and many attractions and tourist destinations will be closed or have limited hours.

If you’re planning to visit the Mediterranean outside the main shoulder season, you can often find pleasantly warm temperatures in the low 20Cs in Cyprus and the southern Greek islands, such as Crete and Rhodes, during April – depending when Easter falls, it can also be quieter outside the school holidays (although do bear in mind that Orthodox Easter falls on a different date than in the western calendar).

Don’t rule out a visit earlier in the year if you’re looking for winter sun or a more active holiday, with weather that’s ideal for walking holidays in the Costas (Brava, Blanca and del Sol) during late February and March when temperatures begin to climb into the high teens, almost double those of the UK.

The Mediterranean climate is typically temperate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Winters are rarely very cold, although you will find snow in the mountains of Cyprus, while summers can get very hot in the southern Mediterranean. Some local winds also affect the northern Mediterranean, like the Bora, Mistral, and Sirocco.

Temperatures do vary across the Mediterranean during the winter, hovering around 18C on the coast of Cyprus even in December, although these do drop down to around 10C at night. Further north, the Spanish Costa del Sol and islands like Mallorca still see temperatures of around 15-16C in December as well. However, you can also expect more rain during the winter months, which can make the weather feel cooler on wet days.

Yes, the Mediterranean Sea is tidal but the tides are very small, especially compared to the oceans and other seas. The tidal range is usually only 30cm (one foot) as it is an enclosed sea bordered by the narrow Straits of Gibraltar, with one high tide and one low tide every 24 hours. As the tidal range is so small, some areas of the Mediterranean are considered non-tidal as the difference is so minimal. By comparison, the tidal range in Norfolk and Cornwall is often around 2.5m.

The sea temperatures of the Mediterranean can vary quite a lot throughout the year, as well as by location, with the warmest waters found towards the eastern Mediterranean. The difference in water temperature between winter lows and summer highs can be around 10C. During the winter months, the water temperatures drop to around 14C on the Spanish coast, and to around 18C in Cyprus, while in late summer, the water is as warm as 23-27C across the Mediterranean. If you’re visiting outside peak summer, autumn is a better time for swimming in the Mediterranean than spring as the sea retains the summer heat – October’s sea temperatures usually range from 20-25C compared to around 17-20C in May.

Yes, there are a string of dolphin and shark species found in the Mediterranean Sea. The area is home to around 20 species of cetaceans, including some whales, although only around eight are commonly seen, including several species of dolphin such as common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin and Risso’s dolphin. Italy is a particularly food place to spot dolphins, especially in the Ligurian Sea, the east coast of Sicily and the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea.

There are also 47 species of shark found in the Mediterranean, although few pose any danger to humans – species such as the blue shark prefer cool, deep water so they’re far more likely to be out at sea rather than close to the coast, while grey nurse sharks are nocturnal so are rarely spotted by tourists either. Although Great White Sharks can be found in the Mediterranean, they’re extremely rare and you’re more likely to see species such as black-tip reef sharks in shallow waters.