Getting from Arki to Kalamata

If you are heading to Kalamata from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to the capital of Messenia in the southern Peloponnese, on the opposite side of Greece. It has a renovated waterfront, good food and easy access to the Mani peninsula and the Byzantine ruins of Mystras.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Arki to Kalamata. Arki is connected to Patmos, Leros, Lipsi, Kalymnos and occasionally Rhodes and Samos, with services running a limited number of times per week. Getting to Kalamata means taking the ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then either flying to Kalamata or driving south through the Peloponnese, which takes around 2.5 to 3 hours from Athens via Corinth and Tripoli.

Getting there by air

Kalamata has an international airport with connections from Athens. Arki has no airport either. Taking the local ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then Athens to Kalamata takes around 55 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 local ferry from Arki to Leros, fly to Athens and then fly to Kalamata. It is the fastest and most practical approach. Check the ferry schedule from Arki carefully before booking your flights as services run only a limited number of times per week. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal to Kalamata runs several times daily and takes around 3 hours, which is a good alternative if you prefer not to fly the second leg. 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 Kalamata.