Getting from Mykonos to Nisyros

So you're heading to Nisyros. Good choice and probably not one you made by accident. Nisyros is a volcano, not a dormant metaphor for something dramatic but an actual active volcano that you can walk down into and stand on the crater floor with the sulphur vents steaming around you. The island was formed entirely by volcanic activity and it shows in everything from the landscape to the black sand beaches to the hot springs at Loutra. The main village of Mandraki is one of the prettiest in the Dodecanese, painted white with a black pebble square and a castle sitting above it. Nisyros is genuinely unlike anywhere else in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry between Mykonos and Nisyros. The connection goes via Piraeus and the total journey by sea is around 12 to 14 hours depending on the service. Most people who visit Nisyros do so from Kos, which is just over an hour away by boat and has far better connections from the mainland and other islands. Flying to Kos and taking the ferry across is the most practical way to reach Nisyros from Mykonos.

What about flying?

Nisyros does not have an airport so you cannot fly directly to the island. The nearest airport is Kos, from where ferries run to Nisyros regularly through the summer season. The journey would be Mykonos to Athens, Athens to Kos, and then the ferry across to Nisyros. It is a multi leg journey but significantly faster than coming all the way from Piraeus by sea.

Your best option

Fly to Kos and take the ferry across. It is straightforward, it saves you a very long day at sea and it means you arrive at Nisyros with the energy to actually explore it. Walk down into the volcano in the morning before the heat builds, get back to Mandraki for lunch and spend the afternoon in the village. It is a small island and a day or two is enough to see it properly.