Getting from Crete to Schinoussa

If you are heading to Schinoussa from Crete you are going to one of the most quietly beautiful of the Small Cyclades, a small island of low hills, olive trees and more than 18 beaches that you can walk across in an afternoon.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Crete to Schinoussa. The most practical approach is to take the seasonal direct ferry from Heraklion to Naxos, which runs in summer and takes around 3 to 4 hours, and then connect to Schinoussa from Naxos, with the ferry taking around 1 hour 20 minutes. Outside of the summer season the connection goes via Piraeus.

Getting there by air

Schinoussa has no airport. The nearest airport is Naxos, which has daily connections from Athens. Flying from Crete to Athens takes around 50 minutes and then Athens to Naxos takes around 45 minutes, followed by the ferry to Schinoussa taking around 1 hour 20 minutes. Total travel time is around 3 to 4 hours.

Your best option

Fly to Naxos via Athens and take the ferry across to Schinoussa. It is the fastest approach. Give yourself at least two nights on Schinoussa and come with everything you need. The island is small, the facilities are limited and the quieter it gets in the afternoon the better it becomes.