Getting from Athens to Kastellorizo

If you are heading to Kastellorizo from Athens you are making one of the longest and most rewarding journeys in the Greek island world. Kastellorizo is the easternmost point of Greece, a tiny island of around 500 people sitting just a few hundred metres off the Turkish coast near Kas, closer to Anatolia than to Rhodes. The harbour is lined with neoclassical mansions painted in deep reds and ochres, the Blue Cave on the southern coast is one of the finest sea caves in the Mediterranean and the island has an atmosphere of complete tranquility that is almost impossible to find anywhere else in Greece. The film Mediterraneo was shot here and the island has been quietly drawing people back ever since.

Take the ferry

There is a direct ferry from Piraeus to Kastellorizo operated by Blue Star Ferries, running twice a week year-round. The crossing takes around 20 hours 45 minutes to 22 hours, stopping at multiple Dodecanese islands along the way including Patmos, Kalymnos, Kos, Nisyros, Tilos, Symi and Rhodes before continuing to Kastellorizo. It is a long crossing but the Blue Star vessels are comfortable with cabins available and the journey through the Dodecanese is a genuinely good one if you have the time.

What about flying?

Kastellorizo has its own small airport with daily connections from Athens via Rhodes, operated by Aegean Airlines. The journey goes Athens to Rhodes and then Rhodes to Kastellorizo, with total travel time around 3 hours 45 minutes including the connection. There are no direct flights from Athens to Kastellorizo without the Rhodes stop.

Your best option

Fly via Rhodes. At under 4 hours total it is the only realistic approach for most travellers compared to the 21-hour ferry crossing. If you have the time and the inclination, the Blue Star overnight from Piraeus through the Dodecanese is a remarkable journey in its own right, but flying is the practical choice.