Getting from Spetses to Halkidiki

If you are heading to Halkidiki from Spetses you are making your way from a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf to a three-pronged peninsula southeast of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, with Kassandra in the west for long sandy beaches, Sithonia in the middle for quieter waters and the monastic peninsula of Athos in the east.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry to Halkidiki. It is a mainland peninsula with no island ferry connections. 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 Thessaloniki and continuing to Halkidiki by road, or driving north via the E75 motorway to Thessaloniki and then Halkidiki. The drive from Thessaloniki to Halkidiki takes around 1 to 1.5 hours.

Getting there by air

Halkidiki has no airport. The nearest airport is Thessaloniki, around 60 to 90 kilometres from the various parts of the peninsula. Spetses has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus, flying from Athens to Thessaloniki and then renting a car or taking the KTEL bus to Halkidiki 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 Thessaloniki, then rent a car at the airport and drive to Halkidiki. A car is essential for getting between beaches, villages and the different peninsulas. 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 north via the E75 motorway to Thessaloniki and then Halkidiki, which avoids Piraeus entirely and takes around 7 to 8 hours.