Getting from Santorini to Ithaca

Ithaca is one of those islands that carries an almost impossible weight of mythology and still manages to live up to it. Homer's Odysseus spent ten years trying to get home to it, and arriving by sea for the first time you understand why he kept going. The island is steep, green and mountainous, with a deep central bay at Vathy that is one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the Ionian. The villages are quiet, the roads are winding and the island has a literary and philosophical atmosphere that draws people who want something more contemplative than the usual Greek island experience. It is small enough to feel intimate and beautiful enough that leaving is genuinely difficult.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Santorini to Ithaca. The two islands sit on opposite sides of Greece and the ferry networks do not connect them. Getting there by sea means taking the ferry from Santorini to Piraeus and then travelling by road across Greece to Patras, where Levante Ferries runs daily services to Ithaca from June to September taking around 3 to 3.5 hours. Alternatively, ferries from Kylini on the Peloponnese connect to Kefalonia and from there a short 20 to 30 minute crossing reaches Ithaca. The total journey by this route takes the better part of a day.

What about flying?

Ithaca has no airport. The nearest airport is Kefalonia, around 20 kilometres away by sea. The journey from Santorini goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Kefalonia, followed by a ferry from Kefalonia to Ithaca taking around 20 to 30 minutes. Total travel time is 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

Fly to Kefalonia via Athens and take the short ferry across to Ithaca. It is the most time efficient approach and the crossing between the two islands is one of the most pleasant short hops in the Ionian.