Getting from Athens to Zakynthos

If you are heading to Zakynthos from Athens you are going to one of the most amazing of the Ionian islands. Zakynthos has Navagio Beach, the shipwreck cove with towering white cliffs and turquoise water that is one of the most photographed places in the Mediterranean. It has the Blue Caves on the northern coast, a National Marine Park protecting the largest nesting population of loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean and a lively town built around a Venetian castle. The island draws large numbers in summer and handles them well enough that you can still find quiet corners if you know where to look.

Getting there by air

Zakynthos has an international airport with daily connections from Athens operated by Olympic Air and Sky Express, with the flight taking around 1 hour. This is the fastest and most straightforward approach and the one most people take.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Athens to Zakynthos. The ferry connection goes via Kyllini, a port on the northwestern Peloponnese coast around 3.5 hours by road from Athens. From Kyllini the crossing to Zakynthos takes around 1 hour 15 minutes with up to 7 daily departures in summer. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal also runs directly to Zakynthos three times daily, combining the road journey and the Kyllini ferry crossing in around 4.5 hours total.

Your best option

Fly from Athens. The 1-hour flight is hard to beat and avoids the Kyllini connection entirely. If you are travelling with your own car, drive to Kyllini and take the ferry across, which gives you a vehicle on the island. The drive from Athens to Kyllini takes around 3.5 hours via Patras.