Getting from Chania to Ithaca

If you are heading to Ithaca from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to an island in the Ionian Sea, on the opposite side of Greece. It is the legendary home of Odysseus with a deep central bay at Vathy that is one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the Ionian.

Getting there by air

Ithaca has no airport. The nearest airport is Kefalonia. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then Athens to Kefalonia, followed by the short ferry from Sami to Ithaca taking around 20 to 30 minutes, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chania to Ithaca. No Aegean port is connected by sea directly to any Ionian island. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus, which takes around 8 to 9 hours, and then either driving to Astakos for the direct ferry to Ithaca, which takes around 2 to 2.5 hours, or driving to Patras for the ferry via Kefalonia. The total journey takes the better part of two days.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and then fly to Kefalonia and take the short ferry across to Ithaca from Sami. It is the most practical approach. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and drive to Astakos or Patras for the ferry across to Ithaca.