Getting from Spetses to Donoussa

If you are heading to Donoussa from Spetses you are making your way from a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf to one of the Small Cyclades islands, northeast of Naxos, on the opposite side of Attica. It has good beaches and a single main settlement with an atmosphere of genuine isolation.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Spetses to Donoussa. Getting there means taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus, which runs up to 10 times daily and takes around 2 to 3.5 hours, and then either flying from Athens to Naxos and taking the local Express Skopelitis ferry to Donoussa, which runs 6 days a week in summer and takes around 2 to 3 hours, or boarding the direct Piraeus to Donoussa ferry, which runs around 3 to 6 times a week and takes around 7 to 8 hours.

Getting there by air

Donoussa has no airport. The nearest airport is Naxos. Spetses has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus, flying from Athens to Naxos and then taking the local Express Skopelitis ferry to Donoussa gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus and fly from Athens to Naxos, then take the local Express Skopelitis across to Donoussa. It is the most practical approach. Check the Donoussa departure days carefully before booking as the service runs a limited number of times per week. Give yourself at least two nights on Donoussa and come prepared as facilities on the island are limited. Note that Spetses is car-free so if you are traveling with a car it would be at the mainland port of Kosta, from where you can drive to Piraeus and board the conventional Piraeus to Donoussa ferry.