Getting from Mykonos to Skyros

Skyros is the most remote and least visited of the Sporades, sitting alone in the northern Aegean further east than its island group neighbours. It is a curious island, split in personality between the green forested north and the stark rocky south, with a main town that piles up a steep hillside beneath a Byzantine castle in a way that looks almost Cycladic rather than typical of northern Greece. It is the island where the poet Rupert Brooke is buried, where a rare breed of small wild horses still roams the southern hills, and where a local carnival tradition survives that is one of the oldest and strangest in Greece. People who make it to Skyros tend to feel like they have genuinely gone off the beaten track.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Mykonos to Skyros. Skyros is served by ferries from Kymi on the eastern coast of Evia, with crossings operated by Skyros Shipping Co running year round once or twice daily. The journey from Kymi to Skyros takes around 2 hours. To reach Kymi from Mykonos you would need to take the ferry to Athens and then travel by road to Kymi, which takes around 2.5 hours from the city. It is a full day of travel but manageable if you plan the connections carefully.

What about flying?

Skyros has its own small airport with connections to Athens operated by Sky Express. The journey from Mykonos goes Mykonos to Athens and then Athens to Skyros, with total travel time around 3 to 4 hours door to door. Flights are limited and the airport is small so check availability early and book ahead once you have your dates confirmed.

Your best option

Fly if you can get a seat. The combination of the Athens ferry and the road to Kymi makes the sea route a long day and the flight is considerably more straightforward. Once you are on Skyros rent a car or a scooter and give yourself at least three days. Get to the south of the island to look for the wild horses and make time for the castle above the town at sunset.