The Meltemi — what it is, and why it changes your plan.
One wind. Three months. The reason we steer most families away from the Cyclades in summer.
The Meltemi is a dry northerly wind that blows down through the Aegean from late June into early September. In a moderate year it sits at 15–25 knots in the afternoons. In a strong year it pushes 30–40 knots for days at a time, with seas to match. It is a real wind for experienced crews and a dangerous one for novices, families with small children, or anyone who gets seasick.
It doesn't reach the Ionian. It barely touches the Saronic. It is mostly absent in May, June, and from mid-September on. The reason we send first-time families to the Ionian in July and August is the Meltemi. The reason we recommend the Cyclades in May, early June, or late September is the Meltemi has gone.
You don't have to fear it. You do have to plan around it. We do that for free.