Getting from Santorini to Skyros

Skyros is the most remote and most unusual of the Sporades, an island of two completely different landscapes that meet roughly in the middle. The north is green and forested, with the dramatic hilltop Chora climbing a rocky outcrop above the port of Linaria and the Byzantine castle and monastery of Agios Georgios rising above it all. The south is bare, volcanic and wild, its own strange world. The island has its own native horse breed, the Skyrian horse, one of the smallest in the world, which roams the southern plateau. Rupert Brooke is buried here, having died offshore in 1915 on his way to Gallipoli. The carnival tradition in Skyros is one of the most extraordinary in Greece. It is an island that surprises people and stays with them.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Santorini to Skyros. Skyros is connected to the mainland only via Kymi, a port on the eastern coast of Evia, with Skyros Shipping Co running 1 to 2 daily crossings taking around 1.5 hours. Kymi is around a 2.5 hour drive from Athens. Getting there from Santorini means going through Athens first and then either flying to Skyros or making the road and ferry journey via Kymi.

What about flying?

Both Santorini and Skyros have airports. The journey goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Skyros with Olympic Air, with total travel time around 4 to 5 hours. The Athens to Skyros flight 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

Fly to Athens and take the short domestic flight on to Skyros. It is considerably more straightforward than the Kymi ferry route and the flight from Athens is one of the shortest domestic hops in Greece. Check the Olympic Air schedule as the Athens to Skyros service runs a limited number of times per week.