Getting from Volos to Arki

If you are heading to Arki from Volos you are making your way from a city on the Pagasetic Gulf at the foot of the Pelion peninsula to one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese, between Patmos and Lipsi in the northern Dodecanese, on the opposite side of Greece. It has no cars, no proper roads and an atmosphere of complete isolation.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Volos to Arki. Volos is the main departure point for the Sporades group and has no connection to the Dodecanese ferry network. Arki is connected to the wider network through Patmos and Lipsi, with local ferries calling a few times a week in summer. Getting there means driving from Volos to Athens and flying to Leros, followed by the local ferry to Arki via Lipsi, which takes around 1 to 2 hours.

Getting there by air

Arki has no airport. The nearest airports are Leros and Kos. Volos has a small airport at Nea Anchialos with limited connections from Athens. Driving from Volos to Athens and flying from Athens to Leros, followed by the local ferry to Arki, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Drive from Volos to Athens and fly from Athens to Leros, then take the local ferry across to Arki. Check the schedule carefully as connections to Arki run only a few times a week in summer. Come entirely self-sufficient as the island has almost no facilities and the isolation is the whole point of being there. Note that no cars are permitted on Arki itself.