What to pack for The Greek Islands in March

The layer you'll wear more than any other.

UV index of 6.8 burns skin even on cooler March days with cloud cover.

Some islands fine you for the regular stuff.

Water reflects intense sun and glare strains eyes during the long 11.9-hour daylight.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Island clinics are far apart and minor cuts from rocky terrain need care.

This country runs on Type C or F. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Daylight lasts only 11.9 hours, so camera and phone batteries drain quickly.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Day trips between islands mean a separate bag for snorkel gear and lunch.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.

Coastal wind cuts through a t-shirt fast.

Wind gusts to 28 km/h chill exposed skin on the water and between islands.

For temples, mosques, and churches that check at the door.

Tap water is safe but carrying your own cuts plastic waste on islands.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

Tourist season brings pickpockets to ferries and crowded harbors in March.

Ferry schedules change and bags get mixed up in the rush between islands.

Seven rain days soak clothes, so cubes keep damp items away from dry ones.

Humidity at 69 percent makes clothes smell fast in guesthouses with poor ventilation.

Engine noise on overnight ferries disrupts sleep without sound isolation.

Water temperature sits at 54°F, cold enough that locals wear suits year-round.

Doubles as a towel, a scarf, and a cover-up where one's expected.

Lips crack fast in salt air and 28 km/h wind without protection.

Seven rain days mean wet hands before meals and shared surfaces stay damp.

One outlet per guesthouse means charging devices in sequence takes all night.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

Salt spray and humidity corrode documents faster than on mainland routes.

Shared accommodations and ferry luggage holds need locks on an international route.

Bathroom space is cramped on islands, so hanging storage saves counter room.

Ferries between islands run at night and cabins have thin pillows.