Getting from Arki to Monemvasia

If you are heading to Monemvasia from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to a medieval fortress town on the southeastern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It is built entirely on a massive rock connected to the mainland by a single causeway with Byzantine churches and narrow lanes that have changed little in centuries.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Arki to Monemvasia. Arki is connected to Patmos, Leros, Lipsi, Kalymnos and occasionally Rhodes and Samos, with services running a limited number of times per week. Monemvasia is accessible only by road. Getting there means taking the ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then driving or taking the KTEL bus south through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta.

Getting there by air

Monemvasia 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 driving or taking the KTEL bus to Monemvasia gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal runs to Monemvasia via Sparta and takes around 4.5 to 5 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 drive or take the KTEL bus south to Monemvasia. Check the ferry schedule from Arki carefully before booking your flights as services run only a limited number of times per week. Monemvasia rewards at least two nights. The town reveals itself slowly once the day visitors leave in the evening and the streets inside the walls become entirely your own.