Getting from Symi to Parga

If you are heading to Parga from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to a Venetian-built harbour town on the Epirus coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It faces the Ionian Sea with good beaches and a relaxed waterfront atmosphere.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Parga. Parga is a mainland coastal town accessible only by road. 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 either Athens to Preveza and taking a taxi or bus to Parga, which takes around 1 hour, or Athens to Ioannina and taking a taxi or bus to Parga, which takes around 1.5 hours.

Getting there by air

Parga has no airport. The nearest airports are Preveza, around 65 kilometres south, and Ioannina, around 103 kilometres east. 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 Preveza, followed by a taxi or bus to Parga, 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 fly from Athens to Preveza and take a taxi or bus to Parga. It is the 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 northwest via the E65 motorway and Ioannina to Parga.