yea, they're usually windier and therefore are (and feel) a few degrees cooler. Fortunately they aren't particularly humid either (usually) which makes them feel quite pleasant imo

You can take a cool dive in the sea in them. In Athens not so much. And in Athens you have the combined extra heat of all the concrete, cars, and air-conditioning units output to bear.

That said, it's still nothing like Phoenix or New Orleans. More like San Diego heat.

More wind and less urban heat island effect would keep the temperatures more reasonable, I think.