Getting from Crete to Astakos

If you are heading to Astakos from Crete you are making your way to a small port town on the western coast of central Greece in Aetolia-Acarnania. Astakos exists primarily as a departure point for ferries to Kefalonia and Ithaca but has a genuinely unhurried waterfront and a sense of being somewhere the wider world has not yet found.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Crete to Astakos. The town is a mainland port with no connection to Crete or the southern Aegean ferry network. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight ferry from Crete to Piraeus and then travelling by road northwest to Astakos, which takes around 3.5 to 4 hours from Athens.

Getting there by air

Astakos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Flying from Crete to Athens takes around 50 minutes and then the drive to Astakos takes around 3.5 to 4 hours. Total travel time is around 5 to 6 hours.

Your best option

Fly to Athens and drive to Astakos. It is the most practical approach. If you are using Astakos to connect to the Ionian islands, ferries run from here to Kefalonia and Ithaca with the trip taking around 2 to 2.5 hours.