Getting from Chania to Arki

If you are heading to Arki from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese, between Patmos and Lipsi in the northern Dodecanese. It has no cars, no proper roads and an atmosphere of complete isolation.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chania to Arki. Arki is connected to the wider network through Patmos and Lipsi, with local ferries calling a few times a week in summer. Getting there means taking the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus, which takes around 8 to 9 hours, and then flying to Leros, followed by the local ferry to Arki via Lipsi, which takes around 1 to 2 hours. Alternatively fly from Chania to Athens and then fly to Leros.

Getting there by air

Arki has no airport. The nearest airports are Leros and Kos. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then Athens to Leros, followed by the local ferry to Arki, gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and then fly to Leros and take the local ferry across to Arki. Check the schedule before booking your flights as connections to Arki run only a few times a week in summer. Come entirely self-sufficient as the island has almost no facilities and the isolation is the whole point of being there. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and board the Blue Star ferry through the Dodecanese network, noting that no cars are permitted on Arki itself.