Getting from Santorini to Kalamata

Kalamata is the capital of Messenia and the largest city in the southern Peloponnese, a place that has been quietly transforming itself over the past decade into one of the most appealing destinations on the Greek mainland. The waterfront has been renovated, the old town above it has good restaurants and a lively café culture, and the surrounding region of Messenia is extraordinary, with the Mani peninsula to the south, the Byzantine ruins of Mystras to the east and some of the finest olive oil in the world produced in the hills around the city. Kalamata olives are famous for good reason and the local food scene reflects a region that takes its produce seriously.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry to Kalamata. Despite having a port, Kalamata has no regular passenger ferry connections to the islands. Getting there from Santorini by sea means taking the ferry to Piraeus and then making the long road journey south through the Peloponnese, which takes around 3.5 hours from Athens.

What about flying?

Both Santorini and Kalamata have airports, which makes this a clean connection by air. There are no direct flights between the two. The journey goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Kalamata, with Aegean Airlines serving the Athens to Kalamata route. Total travel time is around 4 to 5 hours door to door. 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 via Athens. It is the most practical approach and considerably faster than going by ferry and road. The Athens to Kalamata flight takes around 50 minutes and Kalamata Airport is close to the city centre.