Getting from Donoussa to Kythira

If you are heading to Kythira from Donoussa you are making your way from one of the Small Cyclades to an island at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, between the Aegean and the Ionian seas. It has stone villages, deep gorges, a Venetian castle above Chora and a coastline of turquoise coves.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Donoussa to Kythira. 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 either boarding the Piraeus to Kythira ferry, which runs several times a week and takes around 6 to 6.5 hours to the port of Diakofti, or flying to Athens and driving to Neapoli on the southern Peloponnese for the shorter crossing to Kythira, which takes around 1 hour and runs daily in summer.

Getting there by air

Kythira has its own small airport with daily 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 takes under 1 hour on the second leg. Total journey time is 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. It is the most practical approach. Check the Donoussa to Piraeus departure days before planning as the service runs a limited number of times per week. If you are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Donoussa to Piraeus and drive to Neapoli for the short ferry across to Kythira, which avoids the longer Piraeus crossing entirely.