Getting from Santorini to Kythnos

Kythnos sits between Kea and Serifos in the western Cyclades and has over 60 beaches, which is a remarkable number for an island its size and explains why Greeks love it so much. It is not on the international tourist circuit to any meaningful degree and the people you meet there are mostly Athenians who have been coming for years. The island has two attractive villages, Chora in the hills and Driopida, the older capital, which has a medieval warren of lanes that hardly anyone outside Greece knows about. The beach at Kolona, a double-sided strip of sand connecting Kythnos to a small islet, is one of the finest in the Cyclades.

Take the ferry

There is a ferry connection from Santorini to Kythnos but it runs only once a week, making the timing critical. The connection goes via Piraeus or through the western Cyclades network. The more practical approach is to take the ferry from Santorini to Piraeus and then connect onto the Piraeus to Kythnos service, which takes 1 hour 40 minutes on the high-speed ferry or around 3 hours on a conventional vessel. Kythnos is also served from Lavrio, the port closest to Athens Airport.

What about flying?

Kythnos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Flying from Santorini to Athens and then taking the ferry from Piraeus or Lavrio to Kythnos is the fastest overall approach, 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

Fly to Athens and take the ferry from Piraeus or Lavrio to Kythnos. The Lavrio option is worth considering if you are arriving at Athens Airport and want to avoid crossing the city to Piraeus, as Lavrio is closer to the airport and the crossing to Kythnos takes around 1 hour 10 minutes.