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Crimea lies in the same latitude as Venice, and its summer temperatures are similar to those on the French and Portuguese Algarve mediterranean coasts. Although it's so much further east, it avoids the high humidity experienced by parts of mainland Greece and Turkey in the summer months because of its position as a near-island in the Black Sea (see map). Fresh sea breezes ensure that the high summer temperatures don't become uncomfortable.
Crimea has two seasons - the warm / hot season, which lasts from May through to October, and the cool season running from November to April. Rainfall is light , averaging around 1 inch (38 mm) per month in summer and 3 inches (83 mm) in the cool season.
In the warm / hot season temperatures rival those of the mediterranean resorts and the average sea temperature in summer is 23ºC. Swimming begins in earnest in May and continues through to the end of October.
As you travel west along the coast to Yalta and Sevastopol, the climate stays hot but the landscape becomes greener, with mountain forests where the trees and animals have conservation status. The further east you go, towards Sudak and Feodosia, the more rugged the terrain becomes, although softened in places by vineyards which provide the grapes for the many Crimean wines. Eastern Crimea is famous for the Kara-dag nature reserve, a wild area of volcanic mountains where rock formations boast names such as the Devil's Finger. Here it can be noticeably hotter and drier than in the leafier western areas.
The Crimean coast is shielded from the north winds by the mountains, and as a result usually has mild winters. Cool season temperatures average around 7ºC and it is rare for the weather to drop below freezing except in the mountains, where there is usually snow. Flowers are already appearing in March and by April the warm weather is on the way back.
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