Getting from Symi to Serifos

If you are heading to Serifos from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to an island in the western Cyclades, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has a Chora that climbs a steep hill above the port in a way that looks almost impossibly dramatic from the water.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Serifos. Getting there by sea 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 boarding the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry in reverse, arriving at Piraeus and then boarding the Piraeus to Serifos ferry, which runs 4 to 5 times daily in summer and takes around 2 to 3.5 hours on the fast boat. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Serifos 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 taking the Piraeus to Serifos ferry 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 take the Piraeus to Serifos ferry. At around 2 to 3.5 hours the Piraeus to Serifos crossing is one of the more manageable Cyclades connections. 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 then board the conventional Piraeus to Serifos ferry, which takes your vehicle directly to Livadi port.