Getting from Telendos to Elafonisos

If you are heading to Elafonisos from Telendos you are making your way from a tiny car-free island off the western coast of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese to a small island off the southern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It has pink-tinged sand beaches that are among the finest in Greece and a setting of extraordinary natural beauty.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Telendos to Elafonisos. Elafonisos is accessible only by the short local ferry from Pounta on the southern Peloponnese, which takes around 10 minutes and runs every 30 minutes in summer. Getting there means taking the local boat from Telendos to Myrties on Kalymnos, which takes around 5 minutes, and then flying from Kalymnos to Athens and driving south through the Peloponnese via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta to Pounta, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens.

Getting there by air

Elafonisos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Telendos has no airport. The nearest airports are Kalymnos and Kos. Taking the local boat from Telendos to Myrties, flying from Kalymnos to Athens and then driving south to Pounta gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. Having a car is essential as the KTEL bus connection to Pounta is complicated and infrequent. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the local boat from Telendos to Myrties and fly from Kalymnos to Athens, then drive south through the Peloponnese to Pounta for the short ferry across to Elafonisos. Having a car is essential for the final leg. If you are traveling with a car, note that no cars are permitted on Telendos so your vehicle would already be on Kalymnos, from where you can take the overnight ferry to Piraeus and drive south through the Peloponnese to Pounta.