Getting from Symi to Kalamata

If you are heading to Kalamata from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to the capital of Messenia in the southern Peloponnese, on the opposite side of Greece. It has a renovated waterfront, good food and easy access to the Mani peninsula and the Byzantine ruins of Mystras.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Kalamata. 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 either flying to Kalamata or driving south through the Peloponnese, which takes around 2.5 to 3 hours from Athens via Corinth and Tripoli.

Getting there by air

Kalamata has an international airport with connections from Athens. Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then Athens to Kalamata takes around 55 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 5 to 6 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 fly from Athens to Kalamata. It is the fastest and most practical approach. 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 south through the Peloponnese to Kalamata via Corinth and Tripoli.