Getting from Crete to Kefalonia

If you are heading to Kefalonia from Crete you are going to the largest of the Ionian islands and one of the most beautiful, a mountainous island with dramatic cliffs, turquoise bays and some of the finest beaches in Greece including the famous Myrtos on the west coast.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Crete to Kefalonia. The two islands sit on opposite sides of Greece and are not connected by sea. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight ferry from Crete to Piraeus and then travelling by road to Patras or Kylini for the onward ferry to Kefalonia, making the total journey the better part of two days.

Getting there by air

Kefalonia has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Crete to Athens takes around 50 minutes and then Athens to Kefalonia takes around 50 minutes, giving a total journey time of around 3 to 4 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly to Kefalonia via Athens. It is the only realistic approach and at around 3 to 4 hours total it is one of the more straightforward cross-Greece connections. If you are travelling with a car, fly to Athens, drive to Kylini and take the ferry across to Kefalonia, which at 1 hour 30 minutes is the shortest mainland to Kefalonia trip.