Getting from Dokos to Astypalaia

If you are heading to Astypalaia from Dokos you are making your way from an uninhabited rocky island in the Saronic Gulf to a butterfly-shaped island sitting between the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, on the opposite side of Greece. It has a Chora topped by a Venetian castle that is one of the finest in the Aegean.

Take the ferry

There are no scheduled ferries from Dokos. Dokos has no ferry service and is accessible only by water taxi from Hydra, Spetses or Ermioni on the mainland, with the crossing from Hydra taking around 30 minutes. Getting to Astypalaia means arranging a water taxi from Dokos to Hydra, taking the Saronic ferry from Hydra to Piraeus, which takes around 1 hour 5 minutes to 2 hours, and then boarding the Piraeus to Astypalaia ferry, which runs around 5 times a week and takes around 8 to 12 hours. The total journey takes the better part of two days by sea.

Getting there by air

Astypalaia has its own small airport with connections from Athens. Dokos has no airport. Taking the water taxi from Dokos to Hydra, the Saronic ferry to Piraeus, flying to Athens and then flying to Astypalaia gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 hours. Check the schedule carefully as flights to Astypalaia run a limited number of times per week. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Arrange a water taxi from Dokos to Hydra before leaving the island, take the Saronic ferry to Piraeus and fly from Athens to Astypalaia. It is the most practical approach. Pre-arrange your water taxi departure as you cannot hail a boat once you are on Dokos. Give yourself at least three nights on Astypalaia as the island rewards those who stay long enough to explore both its Cycladic and Dodecanese sides. If you are traveling with a car, note that Dokos is only accessible by small boat so a vehicle cannot be brought to or from the island.