Getting from Arki to Kythnos

If you are heading to Kythnos from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to an island in the western Cyclades, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has over 60 beaches and a medieval village at Driopida that hardly anyone outside Greece knows about.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Arki to Kythnos. Arki is connected to Patmos, Leros, Lipsi, Kalymnos and occasionally Rhodes and Samos, with services running a limited number of times per week. Kythnos is served primarily from Lavrio on the southeastern Attica coast. Getting to Kythnos means taking the ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry to Kythnos, which takes around 1 hour 10 minutes and runs up to 5 times daily in summer.

Getting there by air

Kythnos 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 taking a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry to Kythnos 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 Kythnos. The proximity of Lavrio to Athens Airport makes it a convenient connection that avoids crossing the city to Piraeus entirely. 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 to Lavrio for the ferry across to Kythnos.