Getting from Telendos to Ithaca

If you are heading to Ithaca from Telendos you are making your way from a tiny car-free island off the western coast of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese to an island in the Ionian Sea, on the opposite side of Greece. It is the legendary home of Odysseus with a deep central bay at Vathy that is one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the Ionian.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Telendos to Ithaca. No Dodecanese island is connected by sea to any Ionian island. Getting there means taking the local boat from Telendos to Myrties on Kalymnos, which takes around 5 minutes, and then either flying from Kalymnos to Athens and then Athens to Kefalonia and taking the short ferry from Sami to Ithaca, which takes around 20 to 30 minutes, or taking the overnight ferry from Kalymnos port at Pothia to Piraeus and driving to Astakos for the direct ferry to Ithaca, which takes around 2 to 2.5 hours and runs daily.

Getting there by air

Ithaca has no airport. The nearest airport is Kefalonia. 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 Athens to Kefalonia, followed by the short ferry from Sami to Ithaca, 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 local boat from Telendos to Myrties and fly from Kalymnos to Athens, then fly from Athens to Kefalonia and take the short ferry across to Ithaca from Sami. It is the most practical approach. 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 to Astakos for the direct ferry to Ithaca.