Getting from Athens to Arki

If you are heading to Arki from Athens you are going to one of the smallest and most isolated inhabited islands in the Aegean. Arki sits between Patmos and Lipsi in the northern Dodecanese, a tiny island of around 50 permanent residents with a single settlement, a handful of tavernas, some excellent anchorages and almost nothing else. It has no cars, no proper roads and no tourist infrastructure beyond the basics. The people who find Arki are sailors, island obsessives and those who have simply run out of obvious places to go. It rewards all of them.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Athens to Arki. The island is connected to the wider network through Patmos and Lipsi, with the Express Skopelitis calling at Arki on its route through the small islands of the northern Dodecanese a few times a week in summer. Getting to Patmos from Athens means either flying or taking the long Piraeus to Dodecanese ferry.

Getting there by air

Arki has no airport. The nearest airports are Leros and Kos. Flying to Leros takes around 50 minutes from Athens and the ferry connection from Leros to Arki via Lipsi takes around 1 to 2 hours. Total travel time is around 4 to 5 hours but the ferry frequency to Arki is very limited so planning carefully around departure days is essential.

Your best option

Fly to Leros and take the local ferry across to Arki via Lipsi. Check the schedule before booking your flights as connections to Arki run only a few times a week in summer and are almost nonexistent in winter. Come entirely self-sufficient. Arki has almost no facilities and the isolation is the whole point of being there.