Getting from Symi to Kylini

If you are heading to Kylini from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to a port town on the northwestern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It has a long sandy beach and the medieval castle of Chlemoutsi nearby, one of the best preserved Frankish fortifications in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Kylini. 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 west to Kylini, which takes around 3 to 3.5 hours from Athens via Corinth and Patras. Having a car is essential as public transport connections to Kylini are slow and infrequent.

Getting there by air

Kylini 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 west to Kylini 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 west to Kylini via Corinth and Patras. Having a car is essential for this route. Kylini is the main departure point for ferries to Zakynthos and Kefalonia making it a useful hub if you are continuing your journey into the Ionian islands. If you are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and board the overnight Piraeus ferry in reverse, then drive west to Kylini.