Getting from Zakynthos to Arki

If you are heading to Arki from Zakynthos you are making your way from one of the most beautiful of the Ionian islands 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.

Getting there by air

Arki has no airport. The nearest airports are Leros and Kos. Zakynthos has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Zakynthos to Athens and then Athens to Leros, followed by the local ferry to Arki via Lipsi taking around 1 to 2 hours and running a few times a week in summer, gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Zakynthos to Arki. No Ionian island is connected by sea to any Aegean island. Getting there by road means taking the ferry from Zakynthos to Kyllini and driving to Piraeus for the overnight Blue Star ferry through the Dodecanese network to Arki. The total journey by road and sea takes the better part of two days.

Your best option

Fly from Zakynthos to Athens and then fly 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. If you are traveling with a car, note that no cars are permitted on Arki itself.