Getting from Tilos to Kea

If you are heading to Kea from Tilos you are making your way from a volcanic island in the Dodecanese to the closest Cycladic island to Athens, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has good beaches, a quiet Chora and an ancient stone lion carved into the hillside that is one of the more unusual monuments in the Cyclades.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Tilos to Kea. Kea is served exclusively from Lavrio on the southeastern Attica coast. Getting there means taking the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio, around 30 minutes from Athens Airport, for the ferry to Kea, which takes around 1 hour and runs up to 7 times daily in summer. This avoids crossing the city to Piraeus entirely.

Getting there by air

Kea has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens International, around 30 kilometres from Lavrio. Tilos has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry to Kea gives a total journey time of 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 take a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry across to Kea. The proximity of Lavrio to Athens Airport makes it one of the most convenient island connections from the airport in Greece. 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 to Lavrio for the ferry across to Kea.