Getting from Arki to Kea

If you are heading to Kea from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to the closest Cycladic island to Athens, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has good beaches, a quiet Chora and an ancient stone lion carved into the hillside that is one of the more unusual monuments in the Cyclades.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Arki to Kea. Arki is connected to Patmos, Leros, Lipsi, Kalymnos and occasionally Rhodes and Samos, with services running a limited number of times per week. Kea is served exclusively from Lavrio on the southeastern Attica coast, around 30 minutes from Athens Airport. Getting to Kea means taking the ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry to Kea, which takes around 1 hour and runs up to 7 times daily in summer.

Getting there by air

Kea has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens International, around 30 kilometres from Lavrio. Arki has no airport either. Taking the local ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry to Kea gives a total journey time of 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 take a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry across to Kea. The proximity of Lavrio to Athens Airport makes it one of the most convenient island connections from the airport in Greece. Check the ferry schedule from Arki carefully before booking your flights as services run only a limited number of times per week.