Vitamin D in Greece in January: sun, UV and what to expect

Too cold Too cold here in January: afternoon highs average only 15.0°C, which is too chilly for sunbathing in light clothing. Try another month or a warmer destination.

2.3 hsun window (UV 2.5+)

2.9peak UV Index

18 minto a full dose

15°Cafternoon high

8/30rainy days

26/30sunny days

Open Greece for January on the map Find stays in Greece

How long in the sun in January?

If you travel anyway, plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 2.9. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 18 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 34 minutes at age 65.
Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 69 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
Water, sand and light surfaces reflect UV, so at the beach you get a little more sun than the number suggests, for the good and the bad.

Skin type	Full dose, age 30	Full dose, age 65	Time to burn
Type I	12 min	23 min	46 min
Type II	15 min	29 min	57 min
Type III	18 min	34 min	69 min
Type IV	28 min	52 min	1.7 h
Type V	37 min	69 min	2.3 h
Type VI	61 min	1.9 h	3.8 h

Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Naxos, the median coastal place. Time to burn is the time to reach one minimal erythemal dose and does not depend on age. A rough planning guide, not medical advice.

Places in Greece in January

Place	Rating	Sun window	Full dose	Afternoon high	Rainy days
Rhodes	Too cold	2.9 h	17 min	17°C	8/30
Heraklion	Too cold	2.9 h	17 min	17°C	10/30
Nafplio	Too cold	2.8 h	18 min	15°C	3/30
Zakynthos	Too cold	2.7 h	18 min	15°C	8/30
Hydra	Too cold	2.6 h	19 min	15°C	3/30
Athens	Too cold	2.5 h	18 min	15°C	5/30
Ios	Too cold	2.5 h	18 min	15°C	8/30
Kefalonia	Too cold	2.5 h	18 min	15°C	10/30
Santorini	Too cold	2.3 h	18 min	16°C	5/30
Mykonos	Too cold	2.3 h	18 min	15°C	7/30
Naxos	Too cold	2.3 h	18 min	15°C	8/30
Chania	Too cold	2.4 h	18 min	16°C	13/30
Rethymno	Too cold	2.4 h	18 min	16°C	14/30
Kos	Too cold	2.3 h	19 min	16°C	9/30
Milos	Too cold	2.2 h	19 min	15°C	7/30
Paros	Too cold	2.2 h	19 min	15°C	8/30
Lefkada	Too cold	2.0 h	19 min	14°C	11/30
Halkidiki	Too cold	1.8 h	21 min	13°C	8/30
Skiathos	Too cold	1.6 h	21 min	13°C	13/30
Corfu	Too cold	1.6 h	–	14°C	10/30

Other months in Greece

Best months: May to October. Full Greece guide

Other sunny places in January

All best places for vitamin D in January