Greece travel health guide
The data behind Greece's score 63.3/100 · #23 of 30
Eight metrics, scored 0–100 and weighted per the index methodology. Evidence and sources shown per metric.
| Summer heat | Very High | 32°C July avg high (1991–2020) · Athens |
| Mosquito / vector | High | Tiger mosquito established · West Nile 2024–25 |
| Food & gastro | Moderate | Salmonellosis 2.7/100k (ECDC 2021) |
| Tap water | Generally safe | Athens & mainland fine; many islands (Santorini, Mykonos) desalinated → bottled |
| Doctors | Excellent | 6.71 per 1,000 · WHO/Eurostat 2022–24 |
| Pharmacies | Excellent | 101 per 100,000 · PGEU/ABDA 2023 |
| Vaccinations | Routine only | Routine vaccines only |
| Emergency | 112 | 112 (ambulance 166) |
Greece is a joy to travel and, for most visitors, a straightforward one — but it’s the country on this list where the summer heat genuinely earns a Very High rating, and where the tap-water answer depends entirely on whether you’re on the mainland or an island. Pharmacies are on almost every corner, doctors are plentiful, and 112 doubles as the country’s emergency-alert system. Get the heat, the water map and the northern mosquitoes right and the rest looks after itself.
Can you drink the tap water in Greece? Generally safe
Greece is the one country here where you should check the map before you drink. On the mainland the tap water is generally safe: Athens draws high-quality water from the Mornos and Evinos reservoirs through the utility EYDAP, and it’s fine to drink straight from the tap, as it is in Thessaloniki and most mainland towns.
The islands are a different story. Many have little fresh groundwater and rely on desalination or shipped-in water, which is treated but often brackish and heavily chlorinated. On Santorini and Mykonos the tap water is generally not recommended for drinking — locals and hotels use bottled and so should you, though the tap is perfectly fine for showering and brushing your teeth. Other Cyclades such as Naxos and Paros are much the same.
The larger islands are more forgiving: on Crete (Heraklion, Chania) and Corfu the mainland-style supply is usually drinkable, while Rhodes, Kos and others vary by area — when in doubt, ask your accommodation and default to bottled. Bottled water is cheap and universal; use it for infant formula anywhere the supply is desalinated, and look out for the refill schemes now appearing on the more sustainability-minded islands.
Mosquitoes and insect risk in Greece High
Greece scores High for mosquitoes — a notch below Italy, but ahead of Portugal. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is widespread and bites through the day, and — this is the part that matters — Greece has seasonal West Nile virus transmission most summers, spread by native Culex mosquitoes.
That West Nile risk is heavily concentrated in the north: the agricultural plains of Central Macedonia around Thessaloniki, along with Eastern Macedonia, Thrace and Thessaly, see most human cases, typically between July and October, with the occasional year reaching Attica. Beach-and-island holidays in the south and the Cyclades carry very little of this risk. There is no local malaria and no traveller vaccine for West Nile, so the answer, as ever, is bite avoidance.
A DEET- or icaridin-based repellent, covered skin around dawn and dusk, and rooms with screens or air-conditioning are the standard defence — worth being strict about if you’re heading to the northern mainland, wetland areas or the Thessaloniki region in high summer. For a standard Cycladic or Cretan beach week, mosquitoes are mostly just an evening annoyance.
How hot does Greece get in summer? Very High
Heat is Greece’s standout health consideration, and the index rates it Very High. Athens averages July highs of 33–34°C, but the concrete Attica basin bottles the heat and heatwaves regularly punch past 40°C: the 2021 ‘Lucifer’ event pushed Attica towards 47°C, and Greece’s national record of 48.0°C was set at Elefsina, just west of Athens, back in 1977 — for decades the highest reliably measured temperature in Europe.
The heat is now taken seriously at national level. During recent extreme spells the authorities have closed the Acropolis during the hottest afternoon hours and halted outdoor work, while the fire service issues near-daily wildfire warnings — blazes on Rhodes and Evia and around Athens have forced large tourist evacuations in recent summers. Greece’s 112 line doubles as the emergency-alert system, texting evacuation messages during fires, so keep your phone charged and switched on.
For relief, the islands often beat the mainland thanks to the meltemi, the dry northerly summer wind that ventilates the Cyclades (Mykonos, Naxos, Paros) and takes the edge off the heat. The northern mountains — Zagori and Epirus, Metsovo, Mount Pelion — are cooler still. Track forecasts and heat warnings through the national weather service EMY (HNMS) and the widely used meteo.gr, stay out of the midday sun, and hydrate constantly.
Food and stomach bugs in Greece Moderate
Greek food-hygiene standards are good and the tap water is safe on the mainland, so food-borne illness is uncommon and Greece’s salmonella rate is actually among the lower ones in this guide. Most holiday tummy trouble is mild traveller’s diarrhoea brought on by heat, unfamiliar oils and generous taverna portions rather than genuine contamination.
The classic risk here is the all-inclusive buffet: dishes such as moussaka or pastitsio held warm for hours, and salads or dairy left out in island heat, are where care pays off. High-turnover souvláki and gyros counters, grilled fish and freshly cooked food are very low risk, as is feta. Favour busy places, be cautious with anything lukewarm, and keep oral rehydration sachets in the bag for the odd upset.
Do you need vaccinations for Greece? Routine only
Greece needs no special vaccinations for a normal holiday — just keep your routine ones up to date: MMR (measles circulates around Europe), tetanus-diphtheria-polio and COVID-19 as advised for you. Hepatitis A and typhoid aren’t routinely recommended for standard tourism.
Rabies isn’t a practical concern for ordinary travel. If you’re planning a long stay, rural volunteering or a lot of outdoor work you can sanity-check the details on NHS Fit for Travel or with a clinician, but for island-hopping and city sightseeing your everyday jabs are all you need.
Healthcare in Greece: doctors, pharmacies & the EHIC/GHIC Excellent access
Greece is generously supplied with medical basics: it has one of the highest doctor ratios in the EU (around 6.7 per 1,000 people) and, remarkably, the densest network of pharmacies in Europe — roughly 101 per 100,000 people. The farmakeío (φαρμακείο), marked by a green cross, is genuinely everywhere and a highly capable first stop; pharmacists can advise on and dispense many medicines directly, and a rota keeps one open overnight.
State care runs through the ESY national health system. EU visitors should carry the EHIC and UK visitors the GHIC for treatment on the same basis as locals, alongside travel insurance for private clinics and repatriation. One island-specific point: smaller islands may have only a health centre (kentro ygeías) or first-aid post, and a serious case can mean transfer by ambulance-boat or air to Crete, Rhodes or Athens — another reason good insurance matters if you’re island-hopping.
For everyday issues that don’t need a hospital — a prescription refill, a UTI, a rash, an ear infection, holiday diarrhoea — an online consultation can get you seen and prescribed for quickly, which is especially handy on a small island a ferry ride from the nearest clinic.
Emergency numbers in Greece 112
The number to dial is 112 — free from any phone, with English-speaking operators, covering ambulance, police and fire across the mainland and islands, and doubling as the national system that texts wildfire and evacuation alerts in summer. For an ambulance directly you can also call 166, the EKAB emergency service.
Other useful lines: 199 for the fire service, 100 for the police and — handy around the coast and islands — 108 for the coastguard. Save 112, note where you’re staying, and if you’re out hiking or on a remote beach, GPS coordinates help crews find you faster.
Travelling to Greece? Take a doctor with you.
Run out of a prescription, picked up a bug, or need advice before you fly? MobiDoctor connects you with a European-licensed doctor online — from home or from your sun-lounger.
Start a consultation →Greece travel health: FAQs
Can you drink the tap water in Greece?▾
It depends where you are. On the mainland — Athens, Thessaloniki and most towns — the tap water is generally safe to drink. On many islands, especially Santorini and Mykonos, the supply is desalinated or brackish and bottled water is advised, though the tap is fine for showering and brushing teeth.
Can you drink the tap water in Athens?▾
Yes. Athens draws high-quality water from the Mornos and Evinos reservoirs via the utility EYDAP, and it’s safe and pleasant to drink straight from the tap. The same goes for Thessaloniki and most of mainland Greece.
Is the tap water on Santorini and Mykonos safe to drink?▾
It’s best to stick to bottled water on both. These islands rely on desalination, and the tap is usually brackish and heavily chlorinated — generally not recommended for drinking, though perfectly fine for showering and teeth. Bottled water is cheap and sold everywhere.
How hot does Athens get in summer?▾
Athens averages July highs of 33–34°C, but the Attica basin traps heat and heatwaves regularly exceed 40°C; the 2021 heatwave neared 47°C. Afternoons are hardest, so plan around a midday break — and note the Acropolis has been closed during peak afternoon heat on extreme days.
Are mosquitoes and West Nile virus a problem in Greece?▾
The tiger mosquito is widespread and bites by day, and Greece has seasonal West Nile virus most summers — but it’s concentrated in the northern farming plains around Thessaloniki, not the southern islands. Use DEET or icaridin repellent, especially in the north; a standard island beach holiday carries little West Nile risk.
What is the emergency number in Greece?▾
Dial 112 for any emergency — it’s free, works from any phone, has English-speaking operators and even sends wildfire evacuation alerts by SMS in summer. For an ambulance directly, call 166 (EKAB); the coastguard, useful around the islands, is 108.