Getting from Chania to Kalamata

If you are heading to Kalamata from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to the capital of Messenia in the southern Peloponnese, on the opposite side of Greece. It has a renovated waterfront, good food and easy access to the Mani peninsula and the Byzantine ruins of Mystras.

Getting there by air

Kalamata has an international airport with connections from Athens. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then Athens to Kalamata takes around 55 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 4 to 5 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chania to Kalamata. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus, which takes around 8 to 9 hours, and then driving or taking the KTEL bus south through the Peloponnese to Kalamata, which takes around 2.5 to 3 hours from Athens via Corinth and Tripoli. The total journey takes the better part of two days.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and then fly to Kalamata. It is the fastest and most practical approach. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal to Kalamata runs several times daily and takes around 3 hours, which is a good alternative if you prefer not to fly the second leg. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and drive south through the Peloponnese to Kalamata via Corinth and Tripoli.