Getting from Santorini to Kasos

If you are heading to Kasos from Santorini you are going to one of the most overlooked islands in Greece and one of the most genuinely remote. Kasos sits between Karpathos and Crete at the southeastern edge of the Dodecanese, a small rocky island of around 1,000 permanent residents with a handful of villages, a fishing harbour, some excellent beaches and the kind of unhurried island life that used to exist everywhere in the Aegean before mass tourism arrived. Fry, the main village, is compact and characterful. The island has no tourist infrastructure to speak of and is all the better for it. People who go to Kasos tend not to talk about it too loudly.

Take the ferry

There is a direct ferry from Santorini to Kasos operated by Blue Star Ferries, running 2 to 3 times per week year-round. The crossing takes between 5 hours 10 minutes and around 10 hours depending on the specific sailing and the stops along the route. This is one of those routes where the ferry is a genuinely good option if the timing works, connecting two islands that are rarely visited together without the need to go through Athens. Check the schedule carefully on Ferryhopper and book ahead in summer.

What about flying?

Kasos has its own small airport with domestic connections from Athens, Rhodes and Karpathos via Olympic Air and Sky Express. The journey from Santorini goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Kasos, with total travel time around 5 to 6 hours. Alternatively you can fly from Santorini to Athens and then to Rhodes, and take the short Olympic Air flight from Rhodes to Kasos, which takes around 40 minutes. 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 Blue Star ferry timing works with your schedule, take it. A direct crossing from Santorini to Kasos without going through Athens is a better experience and saves you a significant amount of time. If the ferry days do not align, fly via Athens. Either way, give yourself at least two or three nights. Kasos is not a place that reveals itself in an afternoon.