Getting from Mykonos to Alonissos

Alonissos is the most northerly and remote of the three main Sporades and for many people it is the most rewarding. Where Skiathos is cosmopolitan and Skopelos is well known for the Mamma Mia connection, Alonissos is genuinely quiet and has been built around a different kind of visitor entirely. The island sits at the heart of the National Marine Park of Alonissos, the largest protected marine area in Europe, and the waters around it are home to the endangered Mediterranean monk seal. The old hilltop Chora was abandoned after an earthquake in 1965 and has been slowly restored over the past few decades, attracting artists and people looking for somewhere that still feels untouched. Patitiri, the port village, is small and unpretentious and that is exactly the point.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Mykonos to Alonissos. The two islands are in completely different parts of the Aegean and the ferry networks do not connect them directly. The practical route by ferry is to travel via the mainland to Volos, which has daily crossings to Alonissos with the journey taking around 3 to 4 hours on a fast ferry. You can also reach Alonissos via Skiathos and Skopelos if you are already in the Sporades. The ferry from Skopelos to Alonissos takes around 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.

What about flying?

Alonissos does not have an airport. The nearest airport is Skiathos, around 70 kilometres to the southwest. The journey from Mykonos goes Mykonos to Athens and then Athens to Skiathos, followed by the ferry through Skopelos to Alonissos. Total travel time is around 5 to 6 hours. It is worth knowing that in Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights. Almost all island to island travel goes through Athens.

Your best option

Fly to Skiathos via Athens and take the ferry through Skopelos to Alonissos. It is the most time efficient approach and gives you the option of stopping on Skopelos on the way if your schedule allows. Give Alonissos at least three nights. Rent a boat for a day to explore the marine park and the uninhabited islands around it, swim in the clear water above the protected sea grass beds and eat at one of the tavernas in Patitiri in the evening. It is a very different Greece from Mykonos and all the better for it.