Getting from Athens to Ikaria

If you are heading to Ikaria from Athens you are making one of the better decisions available to you in Greece. Ikaria is one of the world's Blue Zones, a place where people live measurably longer than almost anywhere else on earth, and the reasons locals give tend to involve sleeping late, eating well, ignoring schedules and dancing at panigiri festivals that go until dawn. The island is mountainous and densely forested in parts, with a wild coastline, natural hot springs and a personality that is entirely its own. It draws people who want somewhere genuinely different from the island-hopping mainstream and rewards them completely.

Take the ferry

The Athens to Ikaria ferry departs from Piraeus and runs year-round, with up to 5 weekly crossings depending on the season and up to 2 daily in summer. Blue Star Ferries serves both ports on the island, Agios Kirikos in the south and Evdilos in the north, so check which port is closest to where you are staying before booking as the mountain road between them takes well over an hour. Seajets also operates the route to Evdilos. Journey time ranges from around 6 hours to 8 hours 15 minutes depending on the vessel and intermediate stops. The overnight Blue Star crossing is a good option, leaving Piraeus in the evening and arriving in the morning.

What about flying?

Ikaria has its own small airport with daily connections from Athens, operated by Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air. The flight takes around 50 minutes and the airport is around 10 kilometres from Agios Kirikos. Book a taxi in advance as airport transfers on Ikaria are not always easy to arrange on arrival.

Your best option

If you have the time, take the overnight Blue Star ferry from Piraeus. It is comfortable, saves you a night's accommodation and you arrive on the island in the morning with the whole day ahead of you. If you are short on time, fly. Either way, build flexibility into your plans once you are there. Ikaria runs on its own schedule and that is entirely the point.