Getting from Dokos to Symi

If you are heading to Symi from Dokos you are making your way from an uninhabited rocky island in the Saronic Gulf to one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese group, on the opposite side of Greece. The colorful neoclassical mansions stacked up the hillside above the port make for one of the most striking harbour approaches in the Greek islands.

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, with the crossing from Hydra taking around 30 minutes. Getting to Symi 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 flying to Rhodes, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Symi taking around 1 to 1.5 hours.

Getting there by air

Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Dokos has no airport. Taking the water taxi from Dokos to Hydra, the Saronic ferry to Piraeus and flying from Athens to Rhodes, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Symi, gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 hours. 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 Rhodes, then take the local ferry across to Symi. Pre-arrange your water taxi departure as you cannot hail a boat once you are on Dokos. Give yourself at least two nights on Symi. The island reveals itself completely once the day visitors leave and the harbour becomes entirely your own.