Getting from Arki to Katerini

If you are heading to Katerini from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to a city at the foot of Mount Olympus on the Pierian coast of northern Greece, with the mountain rising steeply behind it and the beaches of the Pieria coast below.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Arki to Katerini. Katerini is a mainland city with no ferry connection. 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 Katerini means taking the ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then either flying to Thessaloniki and driving or taking the KTEL bus south to Katerini, which takes around 1 hour, or driving north from Athens via the E75 motorway, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours.

Getting there by air

Katerini has no airport. The nearest airport is Thessaloniki, around 70 kilometres to the north. Arki has no airport either. Taking the local ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then Athens to Thessaloniki, followed by a bus or drive to Katerini, gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 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 Thessaloniki and take the KTEL bus or drive south to Katerini. It is the 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 are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Arki through the Dodecanese network to Piraeus and drive north via the E75 motorway to Katerini.