Getting from Athens to Astakos

If you are heading to Astakos from Athens you are making your way to one of the least visited corners of the Greek mainland. Astakos is a small port town on the western coast of central Greece in Aetolia-Acarnania, sitting on a quiet bay surrounded by hills. It exists primarily as a departure point for ferries to Kefalonia and Ithaca, but the town itself has a genuinely unhurried atmosphere, good seafood tavernas along the waterfront and a sense of being somewhere that the wider world has not yet found. The surrounding region of Aetolia-Acarnania is wild and beautiful and almost entirely unvisited.

Getting there by air

Astakos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens, around 280 kilometres to the southeast. Flying is not a practical option for this route.

Take the train, bus or drive

There is no train service to Astakos. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal runs to Astakos with a journey time of around 4 to 4.5 hours. The drive from Athens takes around 3.5 to 4 hours heading northwest via the E65 motorway and Agrinio, a straightforward journey through central Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry from Athens to Astakos. The town is a mainland port with no connection to Piraeus or the Aegean ferry network.

Your best option

Drive or take the KTEL bus from Athens. If you are using Astakos to connect to the Ionian islands, ferries run from here to Kefalonia and Ithaca with crossings taking around 2 to 2.5 hours.