Getting from Arki to Karpathos

If you are heading to Karpathos from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to a long mountainous island in the southern part of the same group. It has a strong local culture and the extraordinary village of Olympos in the north where centuries-old customs are still very much alive.

Take the ferry

There is a seasonal direct ferry from Arki to Karpathos running via the Dodekanisos Seaways network, which connects multiple Dodecanese islands on the same route south. The service runs a limited number of times per week and takes around 12 to 15 hours with stops along the way through Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos and Rhodes. It is the most natural sea connection and keeps the journey entirely within the Dodecanese without going through Athens.

Getting there by air

Karpathos has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Arki has no airport either. Taking the local ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then Athens to Karpathos takes around 1 hour 15 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 Karpathos. 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. If you prefer to travel by sea, take the Dodekanisos Seaways ferry south through the Dodecanese to Karpathos, which keeps the journey entirely within the island group and avoids Athens entirely.