Getting from Thassos to Kylini

If you are heading to Kylini from Thassos you are making your way from the northernmost island in Greece to a port town on the northwestern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of the country. It has a long sandy beach and the medieval castle of Chlemoutsi nearby, one of the best preserved Frankish fortifications in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Thassos to Kylini. Getting there means taking the ferry from Thassos to Kavala, which runs almost hourly in summer and takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, and then either driving west via the Egnatia motorway and Ioannina to Patras and then to Kylini, which takes around 6.5 to 7 hours from Kavala and avoids Athens entirely, or flying from Kavala to Athens and driving west to Kylini, which takes around 3 to 3.5 hours from Athens via Corinth and Patras.

Getting there by air

Kylini has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Thassos has no airport. The nearest airport is Kavala. Taking the ferry from Thassos to Kavala, flying from Kavala to Athens and then driving west to Kylini 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 Thassos to Kavala and drive west via the Egnatia motorway and Ioannina to Patras and then to Kylini. At around 8 to 8.5 hours total it avoids Athens entirely and keeps the journey on some of the finest driving roads in northern and western Greece. Having a car is essential for this route as public transport connections to Kylini are slow and infrequent. Kylini is the main departure point for ferries to Zakynthos and Kefalonia making it a useful hub if you are continuing your journey into the Ionian islands.