Getting from Spetses to Leros

If you are heading to Leros from Spetses you are making your way from a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf to one of the most atmospheric islands in the Dodecanese group, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has a striking Art Deco Italian colonial port at Lakki and a medieval castle above the main town of Platanos.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Spetses to Leros. 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 Leros or boarding the overnight Piraeus to Leros ferry, which runs 3 to 5 times a week and takes around 9 to 13 hours. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Leros has its own small airport with daily connections from Athens. Spetses has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus and flying from Athens to Leros takes around 50 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 4 to 5 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 Leros. It is the fastest and most practical approach. 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 overnight Piraeus to Leros ferry, which takes your vehicle and arrives in the morning.