Getting from Symi to Lavrio

If you are heading to Lavrio from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to the third ferry port serving Athens, on the southeastern tip of Attica around 30 minutes from Athens Airport. It is the departure point for ferries to Kea, Kythnos and several other Cycladic islands.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Lavrio. 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 taking a taxi directly to Lavrio from Athens Airport, which takes around 20 to 30 minutes. This avoids crossing the city to Piraeus entirely and is one of the most convenient airport to port connections in Greece.

Getting there by air

Lavrio has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens International, around 30 kilometres to the northwest. Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio gives a total journey time of around 4 to 5 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 take a taxi directly to Lavrio from Athens Airport. At around 20 to 30 minutes it avoids crossing the city to Piraeus entirely and is one of the most convenient airport to port connections in Greece. If you are heading to Kea or Kythnos from Lavrio, ferries to both islands run frequently throughout the day 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 to Lavrio.