Getting from Chania to Monemvasia

If you are heading to Monemvasia from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to a medieval fortress town on the southeastern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It is built entirely on a massive rock connected to the mainland by a single causeway with Byzantine churches and narrow lanes that have changed little in centuries.

Getting there by air

Monemvasia has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then driving or taking the KTEL bus south through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta, gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chania to Monemvasia. Monemvasia is accessible only by road. 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 to Monemvasia. The total journey takes the better part of two days.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and drive or take the KTEL bus south to Monemvasia. Monemvasia rewards at least two nights. The town reveals itself slowly once the day visitors leave in the evening and the streets inside the walls become entirely your own. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and drive south through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia.