Getting from Zakynthos to Halki

If you are heading to Halki from Zakynthos you are making your way from one of the most beautiful of the Ionian islands to a car-free island just off the western coast of Rhodes in the Dodecanese group, on the opposite side of Greece. It has neoclassical sponge merchant mansions around a horseshoe harbour and a pace of life that is as slow as it gets in Greece.

Getting there by air

Halki has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Zakynthos has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Zakynthos to Athens and then Athens to Rhodes, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Halki taking around 1.5 to 2 hours, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Zakynthos to Halki. 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 Piraeus to Rhodes ferry, followed by the local ferry across to Halki. 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 Rhodes and take the local ferry across to Halki. It is the most practical approach. Give yourself at least two nights on Halki. The island is small enough to walk across in an afternoon and the pace of life rewards those who stay long enough to settle into it. If you are traveling with a car, note that Halki is car-free so your vehicle would remain in Rhodes.