Getting from Chania to Kea

If you are heading to Kea from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to the closest Cycladic island to Athens, to the north. It has good beaches, a quiet Chora and an ancient stone lion carved into the hillside that is one of the more unusual monuments in the Cyclades.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chania to Kea. Kea is served exclusively from Lavrio on the southeastern Attica coast, around 30 minutes from Athens Airport. Getting there means taking the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus, which takes around 8 to 9 hours, and then traveling to Lavrio for the ferry to Kea, which takes around 1 hour and runs up to 7 times daily in summer. Alternatively fly from Chania to Athens and take a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry.

Getting there by air

Kea has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens International, around 30 kilometres from Lavrio. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry to Kea gives a total journey time of around 4 to 5 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and take a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry across to Kea. The proximity of Lavrio to Athens Airport makes it one of the most convenient island connections from the airport in Greece. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and drive to Lavrio for the ferry across to Kea.