Getting from Symi to Kavala

If you are heading to Kavala from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to a port city in northern Greece on the Macedonian coast, with a Byzantine castle above the harbour, a Roman aqueduct running through the upper town and the archaeological site of Philippi just 15 kilometres inland.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Kavala. 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 then Athens to Kavala. Alternatively take the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry in reverse and drive northeast via the E75 and Egnatia motorways to Kavala, which takes around 7 to 8 hours from Athens.

Getting there by air

Kavala has its own 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 Kavala takes around 1 hour on the second leg. Total journey time is around 5 to 6 hours. Kavala Airport is around 30 kilometres from the city so factor in a taxi on arrival. 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 Kavala. It is the fastest and most practical approach. If you are planning to visit Thassos from Kavala, ferries to the island run almost hourly in summer. 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 northeast via the Egnatia motorway to Kavala.