Getting from Symi to Kefalonia

If you are heading to Kefalonia from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to the largest of the Ionian islands, on the opposite side of Greece. It is mountainous with dramatic cliffs, turquoise bays and some of the finest beaches in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Kefalonia. No Dodecanese island is connected by sea to any Ionian island. 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 Kefalonia, or driving to Kyllini on the northwestern Peloponnese coast for the ferry to Kefalonia, which takes around 1 hour 30 minutes and runs up to 4 daily crossings.

Getting there by air

Kefalonia 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 Kefalonia takes around 45 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 Kefalonia. 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 to Kyllini for the ferry across to Kefalonia, which at around 1 hour 30 minutes is the shortest mainland to Kefalonia connection.