Getting from Arki to Elafonisos

If you are heading to Elafonisos from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to a small island off the southern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It has pink-tinged sand beaches that are among the finest in Greece and a setting of extraordinary natural beauty.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Arki to Elafonisos. Arki is connected to Patmos, Leros, Lipsi, Kalymnos and occasionally Rhodes and Samos, with services running a limited number of times per week. Elafonisos is accessible only by the short local ferry from Pounta on the southern Peloponnese. Getting there means taking the ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then driving south through the Peloponnese via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta to Pounta, where the 10 minute ferry to Elafonisos runs every 30 minutes in summer.

Getting there by air

Elafonisos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Arki has no airport either. Taking the local ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then driving south to Pounta gives a total journey time of around 8 to 9 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the local ferry from Arki to Leros, fly to Athens and drive south to Pounta for the short ferry across to Elafonisos. Having a car is essential as the KTEL bus connection to Pounta is complicated and infrequent. Check the ferry schedule from Arki carefully before booking your flights as services run only a limited number of times per week. If you are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Arki through the Dodecanese network to Piraeus and drive south through the Peloponnese to Pounta.