Getting from Telendos to Symi

If you are heading to Symi from Telendos you are making your way from a tiny car-free island off the western coast of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese to one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the same island group, to the south. The colorful neoclassical mansions stacked up the hillside above the port make for one of the most striking harbour approaches in the Greek islands.

Take the ferry

There is a ferry connection from Telendos to Symi via the Dodecanese network. Getting there means taking the local boat from Telendos to Myrties on Kalymnos, which takes around 5 minutes, and then making your way to Kalymnos port at Pothia for the ferry south through Rhodes to Symi, which takes around 1 to 1.5 hours from Rhodes and runs several times a week. This keeps the journey entirely within the Dodecanese network and avoids Athens entirely.

Getting there by air

Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. 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 Rhodes, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Symi, 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 make your way to Kalymnos port at Pothia for the ferry south through the Dodecanese to Rhodes, then take the local ferry across to Symi. It keeps the journey entirely within the Dodecanese and avoids Athens entirely. Give yourself at least two nights on Symi. The island reveals itself completely once the day visitors leave and the harbour becomes entirely your own. Note that Symi is car-free like Telendos, so the transition feels entirely natural.