Getting from Santorini to Kythira

Kythira sits at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, geographically between the Aegean and the Ionian seas and belonging officially to the Ionian islands despite feeling unlike any of them. It is a place of wild, rugged beauty with stone villages, deep gorges, Byzantine churches and a coastline of turquoise coves that very few international visitors ever find. The Venetian castle above Chora is one of the best in Greece. The beaches on the east coast around Avlemonas and Kaladi are exceptional. Kythira has a loyal following among Greeks and Australians, many of whom trace their family roots to the island, and almost no presence on the mainstream tourist circuit. That gap between quality and visibility is one of the most appealing things about it.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Santorini to Kythira. The connection goes via Piraeus. Seajets operates ferries from Piraeus to Kythira twice a week year-round, with the crossing taking around 6 to 6.5 hours to the port of Diakofti on the island's east coast. You can also reach Kythira by ferry from Neapoli and Gythio on the Peloponnese coast, and seasonally from Kissamos in Crete, which is useful if you are combining Kythira with a Crete trip.

What about flying?

Kythira has its own small airport with daily flights to Athens operated by Olympic Air and Sky Express. The journey from Santorini goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Kythira, with total travel time 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 to Athens and take the short flight on to Kythira. It is the most time efficient approach and the connection via Athens is easy. If you are combining Kythira with a trip to the Peloponnese, the ferry from Neapoli or Gythio is worth considering as it puts you on the island without going back through Athens.