Getting from Mykonos to Psara

Few places in the Aegean are as wonderfully left alone as Psara. A small island sitting off the western coast of Chios in the Northern Aegean, it has a permanent population of a few hundred people, one settlement built around the port, no tourist infrastructure to speak of and some of the finest and least visited beaches in Greece. It carries a heavy history as well. In 1824 the Ottoman fleet attacked and destroyed the island during the Greek War of Independence, killing or enslaving most of the population. The island never fully recovered in terms of numbers and that history still sits quietly beneath the surface. For travellers who want to go somewhere genuinely remote and untouched, Psara delivers completely.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Mykonos to Psara but the connection is manageable. Mykonos is connected to Chios by ferry on the Blue Star Ferries route that runs through the Northern Aegean, with the crossing from Mykonos to Chios taking around 6 to 8 hours. From Chios, Hellenic Seaways operates ferries to Psara with the crossing taking around 3 hours. Check the schedule carefully as the Chios to Psara service runs only a few times per week and your dates will need to work around the timetable.

What about flying?

Psara does not have an airport. The nearest airport is Chios, which is your gateway to Psara however you approach it. The journey from Mykonos goes Mykonos to Athens and then Athens to Chios, and then the ferry across to Psara. 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 Chios via Athens and take the ferry across to Psara. It is the most time efficient approach and considerably faster than the long overnight crossing from Piraeus. Check the Chios to Psara schedule before you book your flights to make sure the ferry timing works with your arrival. Build flexibility into your plans and stay at least two or three nights. Psara is not somewhere you go for a quick visit.