Getting from Santorini to Agios Efstratios

If you are heading to Agios Efstratios from Santorini you are going to one of the most isolated islands in the northern Aegean and one of the most quietly remarkable. The island sits between Limnos and Lesvos, small and almost entirely flat, with a single village rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1968 and a coastline of beaches that see almost no visitors outside of a handful of Greeks who keep the place to themselves. It carries a heavy history as a place of political exile during the dictatorship years, when hundreds of dissidents were exiled here, and that history is still present in the character of the place. People who find Agios Efstratios tend to be fiercely protective of it.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Santorini to Agios Efstratios. The island is connected primarily through Limnos, with Blue Star Ferries and Seajets running services from Limnos to Agios Efstratios four times a week in summer and once a week in the low season. The crossing from Limnos takes around 55 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. Getting to Limnos from Santorini means going through Athens first, either by ferry to Piraeus or by flying.

What about flying?

Agios Efstratios has no airport. The nearest airport is Limnos, which has domestic connections from Athens and Thessaloniki. The journey from Santorini goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Limnos, followed by the ferry to Agios Efstratios. 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 Limnos via Athens and take the ferry across to Agios Efstratios. Check the Limnos to Agios Efstratios schedule before booking your flights as the ferry runs only four times a week in summer and once a week in winter. Plan your arrival in Limnos around the departure day and build flexibility into your itinerary. Bring everything you need with you.