Getting from Donoussa to Antikythera

If you are heading to Antikythera from Donoussa you are making your way from one of the Small Cyclades to one of the most remote islands in Greece, sitting in the strait between Kythira and Crete with around 30 to 40 permanent residents. It is known to the world for the Antikythera Mechanism, a 2,000-year-old bronze analog computer recovered from a shipwreck in 1900 and now considered the most sophisticated device to survive from antiquity.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Donoussa to Antikythera. Antikythera is served by a ferry running from Piraeus through Kythira to Antikythera, continuing to Kissamos in Crete. Getting there means taking the ferry from Donoussa to Piraeus, which runs around 3 to 6 times a week and takes around 7 to 8 hours, and then boarding the Piraeus to Antikythera ferry, which takes around 8 to 10 hours, or flying to Kythira and taking the short ferry from Kythira to Antikythera, which takes around 1 hour 30 minutes.

Getting there by air

Antikythera has no airport, only a helipad. The nearest airport is Kythira, with connections from Athens. Donoussa has no airport. The nearest airport is Naxos. Taking the ferry from Donoussa to Piraeus and flying from Athens to Kythira, followed by the short ferry from Kythira to Antikythera, gives a total journey time of around 12 to 14 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Donoussa to Piraeus and fly from Athens to Kythira, then take the ferry across to Antikythera. Check the Donoussa to Piraeus departure days before planning as the service runs a limited number of times per week. Check the ferry schedule before booking your flights as the Kythira to Antikythera service runs only a few times per week. Bring everything you need as the island has almost no facilities and that is rather the point of going.