Getting from Santorini to Pserimos

Pserimos is a tiny island wedged between Kos and Kalymnos in the Dodecanese, small enough to walk around in a couple of hours and quiet enough that most of its visitors arrive on day trips from Kos and leave again by late afternoon. The permanent population is a few dozen people. There is a single sandy beach in front of the main village, a handful of tavernas, a church and almost nothing else. In the high season it gets busy with day trippers but by early evening the island belongs to the few people staying overnight and it transforms completely. The water around it is clear and the surrounding landscape of Kos and Kalymnos visible on either side gives it a sense of being at the centre of something larger.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Santorini to Pserimos. The island is accessible only by local boat from Kalymnos, which takes around 30 minutes, or as a day trip excursion from Kos. Getting to Pserimos from Santorini means flying to Kos or Kalymnos via Athens and then taking the local boat across.

What about flying?

Pserimos has no airport. The nearest airports are Kos and Kalymnos, both of which have domestic connections from Athens. The fastest overall route from Santorini is to fly to Kos via Athens and then take a day excursion boat or arrange a transfer to Pserimos. 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 Kos via Athens and take the local boat or excursion to Pserimos. If you want to stay overnight rather than day trip, the local ferry from Kalymnos is the more reliable connection and takes around 30 minutes. Check local schedules on arrival in Kos or Kalymnos as the Pserimos service is not bookable online in the same way as the main ferry routes.