Getting from Athens to Kythira

If you are heading to Kythira from Athens you are going to one of the most beautiful and most overlooked islands in Greece. Kythira sits at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, caught between the Aegean and the Ionian seas and belonging officially to the Ionian islands despite feeling unlike any of them. It is a place of wild, rugged beauty with stone villages, deep gorges, Byzantine churches and a coastline of turquoise coves that very few international visitors ever find. The Venetian castle above Chora is one of the best in Greece. The beaches on the east coast around Avlemonas and Kaladi are exceptional. Kythira has a loyal following among Greeks and Australians, many of whom trace their family roots to the island, and almost no presence on the mainstream tourist circuit.

Take the ferry

Kythira is connected to Piraeus by ferry several times a week year-round, with the crossing taking around 6 to 6.5 hours to the port of Diakofti on the island's east coast. The island is also reachable by ferry from Neapoli and Gythio on the Peloponnese coast, with the Neapoli crossing taking around 1 hour and running daily in summer. If you are combining Kythira with a trip to the Peloponnese the Neapoli connection is the most practical approach.

Getting there by air

Kythira has its own small airport with daily connections from Athens operated by Sky Express and Olympic Air. The flight takes around 50 minutes and is the fastest approach from the capital.

Your best option

Fly from Athens if time matters. The 50-minute flight is straightforward and gets you on the island quickly. If you want to combine Kythira with the southern Peloponnese, drive to Neapoli and take the short ferry across. The drive from Athens to Neapoli takes around 3.5 to 4 hours and gives you a vehicle on the island for exploring its spread-out villages and beaches.