Getting from Santorini to Ikaria

Ikaria has a reputation in Greece that goes far beyond its size. It is one of the world's Blue Zones, a place where people live noticeably longer than almost anywhere else on earth, and the reasons locals give for this tend to involve sleeping late, eating well, ignoring schedules and dancing at panigiri festivals that run until dawn. The island is mountainous, densely forested in parts and has a wild, rugged coastline with some excellent beaches. It sits in the northeastern Aegean between Samos and Mykonos, closer in feel to the Northern Aegean than the Cyclades, and draws visitors who want somewhere genuinely different from the island-hopping mainstream.

Take the ferry

There is an indirect ferry connection from Santorini to Ikaria. The route goes via Naxos or directly through the Blue Star Ferries or Seajets network, with an average sailing time of around 7 hours. The connection is not daily so check the schedule carefully on Ferryhopper as you may need to build your travel dates around the available departures. Ikaria has two ports, Evdilos in the north and Agios Kirikos in the south, and knowing which one your ferry arrives at matters for where you are staying.

What about flying?

Ikaria has its own small airport with domestic connections from Athens and Thessaloniki. The journey from Santorini goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Ikaria, with total travel time around 4 to 5 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

If the ferry timing works with your schedule it is worth taking, as arriving by sea into either of Ikaria's two ports is a fine approach to the island. If the schedule does not align, fly via Athens. Either way, build flexibility into your plans. Ikaria runs on its own time and that is part of the point.