Getting from Symi to Astakos

If you are heading to Astakos from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to a port town on the western coast of central Greece, on the opposite side of the country. Astakos sits on a quiet bay surrounded by hills and is the departure point for ferries to Kefalonia and Ithaca.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Astakos. Getting there means taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, which takes around 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes and runs multiple times daily, and then flying from Rhodes to Athens and driving or taking the KTEL bus northwest to Astakos, which takes around 3.5 to 4 hours from Athens via the E65 motorway and Agrinio. Alternatively take the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry in reverse and drive northwest to Astakos.

Getting there by air

Astakos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then driving or taking the KTEL bus northwest to Astakos gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and fly from Rhodes to Athens, then drive or take the KTEL bus northwest to Astakos via the E65 motorway and Agrinio. Having a car makes this route considerably more practical. From Astakos you have ferry connections to Kefalonia and Ithaca making it a useful hub if you are continuing your journey into the Ionian islands. Note that Symi is car-free so if you are traveling with a car it would already be in Rhodes, from where you can board the overnight Piraeus ferry in reverse and drive northwest to Astakos.