Getting from Zakynthos to Monemvasia

If you are heading to Monemvasia from Zakynthos you are making your way from one of the most beautiful of the Ionian islands to a medieval fortress town on the southeastern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It is built entirely on a massive rock connected to the mainland by a single causeway with Byzantine churches and narrow lanes that have changed little in centuries.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Zakynthos to Monemvasia. Monemvasia is accessible only by road. Getting there means taking the ferry from Zakynthos to Kyllini and then driving southeast through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Kyllini via Pyrgos, Tripoli and Sparta. This avoids Athens entirely and is the most natural road connection between the two given their shared position in the southern Peloponnese region.

Getting there by air

Monemvasia has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Zakynthos has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Zakynthos to Athens and then driving or taking the KTEL bus south through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta, gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Zakynthos to Kyllini and drive southeast through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia. At around 5 to 6 hours total it avoids Athens entirely and is the most direct road approach. Having a car is essential for this route as public transport connections are slow and infrequent. Monemvasia rewards at least two nights. The town reveals itself slowly once the day visitors leave in the evening and the streets inside the walls become entirely your own.