Getting from Tilos to Kythira

If you are heading to Kythira from Tilos you are making your way from a volcanic island in the Dodecanese to an island at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, between the Aegean and the Ionian seas. It has stone villages, deep gorges, a Venetian castle above Chora and a coastline of turquoise coves.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Tilos to Kythira. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight ferry from Tilos to Piraeus, which runs via Rhodes and takes around 15 to 18 hours, and then either boarding the Piraeus to Kythira ferry, which runs several times a week and takes around 6 to 6.5 hours to the port of Diakofti, or flying from Athens to Kythira and taking the short ferry from Neapoli to Kythira. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Kythira has its own small airport with daily 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 Kythira takes under 1 hour 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 Kythira. 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 Neapoli for the short ferry across to Kythira.