Getting from Tilos to Kalamata

If you are heading to Kalamata from Tilos you are making your way from a volcanic island in the Dodecanese to the capital of Messenia in the southern Peloponnese, on the opposite side of Greece. It has a renovated waterfront, good food and easy access to the Mani peninsula and the Byzantine ruins of Mystras.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Tilos to Kalamata. Getting there means taking the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes, which takes around 1 hour 10 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes and runs 4 to 7 days per week, and then flying from Rhodes to Athens and either flying to Kalamata or driving south through the Peloponnese, which takes around 2.5 to 3 hours from Athens via Corinth and Tripoli.

Getting there by air

Kalamata has an international airport with connections from Athens. Tilos has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then Athens to Kalamata takes around 55 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes and fly from Rhodes to Athens, then fly from Athens to Kalamata. It is the fastest and most practical approach. Check the Tilos to Rhodes schedule before booking as departure days and times vary by season. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Tilos to Piraeus and drive south through the Peloponnese to Kalamata via Corinth and Tripoli.