Getting from Arki to Skyros

If you are heading to Skyros from Arki you are making your way from one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese to the most remote of the Sporades group, in the northern Aegean. It has two completely different landscapes, a dramatic hilltop Chora and a wild volcanic south, with its own native horse breed and one of the most extraordinary carnival traditions in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Arki to Skyros. Skyros is connected to the mainland only via Kymi on the eastern coast of Evia. 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 Skyros means taking the ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then either flying to Skyros directly or driving to Kymi for the ferry across to Skyros, which takes around 1 hour 40 minutes.

Getting there by air

Skyros has its own small airport with connections from Athens, running around twice a week. Arki has no airport either. Taking the local ferry from Arki to Leros, flying to Athens and then Athens to Skyros gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. Check the Athens to Skyros schedule carefully as the service runs a limited number of times per week. 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 connect to Skyros by air or drive to Kymi for the ferry. Flying is the most time efficient 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 to Kymi for the ferry across to Skyros.