Getting from Symi to Elafonisos

If you are heading to Elafonisos from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to a small island off the southern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It has pink-tinged sand beaches that are among the finest in Greece and a setting of extraordinary natural beauty.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Elafonisos. Elafonisos is accessible only by the short local ferry from Pounta on the southern Peloponnese, which takes around 10 minutes and runs every 30 minutes in summer. 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 south through the Peloponnese via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta to Pounta, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens.

Getting there by air

Elafonisos 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 south to Pounta gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. Having a car is essential as the KTEL bus connection to Pounta is complicated and infrequent. 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 south through the Peloponnese to Pounta for the short ferry across to Elafonisos. Having a car is essential for this route. If you are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and board the overnight Piraeus ferry in reverse, then drive south through the Peloponnese to Pounta.