Погода: Острова Ксамил, июнь

June is the month Corfu regulars recommend for the gap it sits in: the season has been running since mid-to-late April so everything is open, but this is not yet the July and August crush. Nowhere is overly busy, with the exception they all name - Paleokastritsa, which fills with coach trips through the day and is far busier than somewhere like Kassiopi. The weather is mostly clear and mid-to-high 20s, our row giving 29.2C, though they are honest that a June of torrential rain does happen and is not that unusual. On the sea, 24C in our row, the split is geographic: the west coast runs colder than the east, and mid-June opinion divides between warm bath water and not warm enough. The record: 19.6C nights, 4.9 precipitation days carrying 28.3mm and 13.1 hours of sun.

There isn't much January-specific chatter about Ksamil itself on the forums, but the broader Albania threads are useful: January is the coldest month here, but being southern Europe it's noticeably milder than central or northern Europe, and the western coast - where Ksamil sits - stays warmer than the mountainous interior. One January trip report summed it up well: not the ideal season for a beach visit, but the crowds are gone, the pace is relaxed and the weather is agreeable rather than harsh. Expect grey, showery stretches rather than a washout, and pack a proper coat for the evenings.

Forum posters describe July as genuinely hot and the peak of the beach season here, with the small, popular beaches getting seriously crowded by mid-month - sunbeds alone can run anywhere from 15 to 55 euros, since the main beaches are entirely lounger-based. Posters give mixed reports on water conditions: some describe it as warm and crystal clear, while others visiting in late July specifically noted the water wasn't as clean as its reputation suggests, with litter turning up on the sand and in the sea at the busiest beaches. For anyone wanting to escape the crowds, posters recommend either a short boat trip out to the small islands facing Ksamil or heading to the quieter Pulebardha beach nearby.