Getting from Zakynthos to Dokos

If you are heading to Dokos from Zakynthos you are making your way from one of the most beautiful of the Ionian islands to an uninhabited rocky island in the Saronic Gulf between Hydra and the Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. The waters around it hold the oldest known shipwreck in the world, dating to around 2700 BC.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Zakynthos to Dokos. No Ionian island is connected by sea to any Aegean island. Dokos is accessible only by water taxi from Hydra, taking around 30 minutes. Getting there means taking the ferry from Zakynthos to Kyllini and then driving north through the Peloponnese to Piraeus, which takes around 3.5 to 4 hours, and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra, which takes around 1 hour 5 minutes to 2 hours, followed by a water taxi to Dokos arranged in advance from Hydra harbour.

Getting there by air

Dokos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Zakynthos has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Zakynthos to Athens and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra, followed by a water taxi to Dokos, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Zakynthos to Athens, take the Saronic ferry to Hydra and arrange a water taxi from the harbour across to Dokos. Pre-arrange your water taxi before leaving Hydra as you cannot hail a boat once you are on the island. Come entirely self-sufficient as there is nothing on Dokos. The coves empty out in the late afternoon when day boats leave and that is when Dokos is at its most extraordinary.