Getting from Spetses to Symi

If you are heading to Symi from Spetses you are making your way from a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf to one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese group, on the opposite side of the Aegean. The colorful neoclassical mansions stacked up the hillside above the port make for one of the most striking harbour approaches in the Greek islands.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Spetses to Symi. Getting there by sea 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 boarding the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Symi taking around 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Spetses has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus, flying from Athens to Rhodes and then taking the local ferry from Rhodes to Symi 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 Rhodes, then take the local ferry across to Symi. It is the most practical approach. Give yourself at least two nights on Symi. The island reveals itself completely once the day visitors leave and the harbour becomes entirely your own. Both Spetses and Symi are car-free so the transition feels entirely natural. Note that 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 Rhodes ferry, leaving your car there before taking the local ferry to Symi.