Getting from Astypalaia to Dokos

If you are heading to Dokos from Astypalaia you are making your way from a butterfly-shaped island between the Cyclades and the Dodecanese to an uninhabited rocky island in the Saronic Gulf between Hydra and the Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. The waters around it hold the oldest known shipwreck in the world, dating to around 2700 BC.

Take the ferry

There are no scheduled ferries from Astypalaia to Dokos. Dokos is accessible only by water taxi from Hydra, which takes around 30 minutes, or by private boat. Getting there means taking the ferry from Astypalaia to Piraeus, which runs around 5 times a week and takes around 8 to 12 hours, and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra, which takes around 1 hour 5 minutes to 2 hours, followed by a water taxi to Dokos. Alternatively fly from Astypalaia to Athens and take the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra.

Getting there by air

Dokos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Astypalaia has its own small airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Astypalaia to Athens and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra, followed by a water taxi to Dokos, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Astypalaia to Athens, take the Saronic ferry to Hydra and arrange a water taxi from the harbour across to Dokos. Come entirely self-sufficient as there is nothing on the island. The coves empty out in the late afternoon when day boats leave and that is when Dokos is at its most extraordinary.