Getting from Chania to Zakynthos

If you are heading to Zakynthos from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to one of the most beautiful of the Ionian islands, on the opposite side of Greece. It has Navagio Beach, the shipwreck cove with towering white cliffs and turquoise water that is one of the most photographed places in the Mediterranean.

Getting there by air

Zakynthos 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 Zakynthos takes around 50 to 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 Zakynthos. 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 driving to Kyllini on the western Peloponnese for the ferry to Zakynthos, which takes around 1 hour 15 minutes and runs frequently. The total journey takes the better part of two days.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and then fly to Zakynthos. It is the fastest and most practical approach. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and drive to Kyllini for the ferry across to Zakynthos, which at around 1 hour 15 minutes is a short and frequent connection.