Getting from Antikythera to Heraklion

If you are heading to Heraklion from Antikythera you are making one of the most natural connections from the island, to the capital of Crete which lies just to the south. It has the Palace of Knossos just 5 kilometres from the city centre and one of the finest archaeological museums in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is a direct ferry from Antikythera to Kissamos in western Crete running year-round, taking around 2 hours. From Kissamos the bus to Heraklion takes around 3.5 hours. Alternatively, take the direct ferry from Antikythera to Piraeus, which takes around 9 hours, and then board the overnight Piraeus to Heraklion ferry. The Kissamos connection is considerably more practical for reaching Crete without going through Athens.

Getting there by air

Heraklion has an international airport with daily connections from Athens. Antikythera has no airport, only a helipad. Taking the ferry from Antikythera to Kythira, flying to Athens and then Athens to Heraklion takes around 50 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the direct ferry from Antikythera to Kissamos and then take the bus east to Heraklion. It avoids Athens entirely and is the most natural connection from the island to Crete. If you need to get there faster, take the ferry from Antikythera to Kythira and fly to Heraklion via Athens. If you are traveling with a car, the direct ferry to Kissamos puts your vehicle in western Crete from where you can drive east to Heraklion.