Getting from Elafonisos to Ioannina

If you are heading to Ioannina from Elafonisos you are making your way from a small island off the southern Peloponnese coast to a city in the mountains of Epirus in northwestern Greece, on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis with the Pindos range behind it and the Vikos Gorge, one of the deepest in the world, an hour away.

Take the ferry

Elafonisos has no ferry connection to the wider Greek ferry network. The only ferry from Elafonisos is the short 10 minute crossing to Pounta on the southern Peloponnese, which runs every 30 minutes in summer. Ioannina is an inland city with no sea connection. Getting there means taking the ferry from Elafonisos to Pounta and then driving northwest through the Peloponnese via Patras and the E65 motorway to Ioannina, which takes around 5 to 6 hours from Pounta. This avoids Athens entirely.

Getting there by air

Ioannina has its own airport with connections from Athens. Elafonisos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens, around 3.5 to 4 hours by car from Pounta. Taking the ferry from Elafonisos to Pounta, driving north to Athens and flying from Athens to Ioannina gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. The airport is just 4 kilometres from the city centre. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Elafonisos to Pounta and drive northwest via Patras and the E65 motorway to Ioannina. At around 5 to 6 hours from Pounta it avoids Athens entirely and is the most direct road approach. Having a car is essential for this route as the KTEL bus connection from Pounta is slow and infrequent. Alternatively take the ferry to Pounta, drive to Athens and fly to Ioannina if you prefer not to drive the full distance.