Travel Details
FERRIES Most of the Cyclades are served by main-line ferries from Pireas . Boats for Kea depart from Lavrio , which will become increasingly important as work proceeds on the new highway to the new international airport at Spata. There are daily services from Rafina to Andhros, Tinos and Mykonos, with less frequent sailings to Syros, Paros, Naxos and Amorgos, and the north and east Aegean. All three ports are easily reached by bus from Athens. From June to September there are also a few weekly sailings from Thessaloniki to the most popular islands. The frequency of sailings given below is intended to give an idea of services from April to October, when most visitors tour the islands. During the winter expect departures to be at or below the minimum level listed, with some routes cancelled entirely. Conversely, routes tend to be more comprehensive in spring and autumn, when the government obliges shipping companies to make extra stops to compensate for numbers of boats still in dry dock. All agents are required to issue computerized tickets, using a computerized booking system. This was designed to conform to EU regulations and prevent the overcrowding of ferries so common in the past. It means that, in high season, certain popular routes may be booked up days in advance, so if you're visiting a few islands it is important to check availability on arrival in Greece, and book your outward and final pre-flight tickets well ahead. There is not usually so much problem with space between islands as there is to and from Pireas. Amorgos 6-8 ferries weekly to Naxos and Paros, one of these continuing to Rafina rather than Pireas; 3-4 weekly to Syros; 2-3 weekly to Tinos and Mykonos; 2-3 weekly to Andhros, Koufonissi, Skhinoussa, Iraklia and Dhonoussa; 2-3 weekly to Astypalea. Anafi 6-8 weekly to Pireas (12hr 30min), mostly via Thira (1hr 30min), Ios, Naxos, Paros; 1 weekly to Astypalea; 1 weekly to Syros, Sikinos and Folegandhros; 2 weekly mail boats to Thira (2hr). Andhros At least 3 daily to Rafina (2hr), Tinos (2hr) and Mykonos; 4 weekly to Syros; 2 weekly to Amorgos and Naxos; 1-4 weekly to Paros. Dhonoussa 3-4 weekly to Amorgos; 2-3 weekly to Naxos, Koufonissi, Skhinoussa, Iraklia and Paros; 1 weekly to Pireas, Mykonos, Tinos and Syros; 2 weekly to Astypalea. Ios At least 3 daily to Pireas (10hr), Paros (5hr), Naxos (3hr) and Thira (several of which continue to Anafi); 4-5 weekly to Sikinos and Folegandhros; 1 weekly to Crete; 1 weekly to Milos, Kimolos, Serifos and Sifnos; 2-3 weekly to Syros and Kassos; daily to Mykonos. Kea 1-3 daily to Lavrio (1hr 30min); 4 weekly to Kythnos; 2 weekly to Syros. Kimolos 2 daily kaikia to Milos (Pollonia) year-round, 5 in summer; 2-5 weekly to Milos (Adhamas), Sifnos, Serifos, Kythnos and Pireas (7hr); 2 weekly to Folegandhros, Sikinos and Thira. Koufonissi, Skhinoussa, Iraklia 2-3 weekly to Naxos; 1-2 weekly to Paros, Syros and Tinos and Mykonos; 1 weekly to Dhonoussa, Amorgos and Pireas. Kythnos 4-12 weekly to Pireas (3hr 15min); 4-10 weekly to Serifos, Sifnos, Kimolos and Milos; 3-4 weekly to Thira and Folegandhros; 1-2 weekly to Sikinos, Syros, Ios and Kea. Milos At least daily to Pireas (8hr); Thurs-Sat to Sifnos (2hr), Serifos and Kythnos; 2-5 daily kaikia or 4-6 weekly ferries to Kimolos; 2-3 weekly to Folegandhros, Sikinos, Ios and Thira; 2 weekly to Syros; 2 weekly to Crete (Iraklion or Sitia); 2 weekly to Kassos and Karpathos; 1 weekly to Halki and Rhodes. Mykonos At least 2 daily to Pireas (5hr), Rafina (3hr 30min), Tinos (1hr), Andhros (2hr 30min) and Syros (2hr); 2-3 weekly to Amorgos; 2 weekly to Crete (Iraklion), Skiathos and Thessaloniki; 1-2 weekly to Dhonoussa, Koufonissi, Skhinoussa and Iraklia; 1 weekly to Patmos and Fourni; 3-4 weekly to Ikaria and Samos; daily to Ios, Naxos and Paros; daily (except Mon) excursion boats to Delos. Naxos At least 3 daily to Pireas (8hr), Paros (1hr), Ios and Thira; 6-8 weekly to Syros; 5-7 weekly to Amorgos; 3 weekly to Crete (Iraklion); 5-6 weekly to Amorgos; 4-5 weekly to Tinos; 5 weekly to Sikinos and Folegandhros; 2 weekly to Andhros and Rafina; 3 weekly to Anafi; 3-4 weekly to Rhodes; 2-4 weekly to Ikaria and Samos; 4 weekly to Astypalea; 1-2 weekly to Kassos and Karpathos; 1 weekly to Kos and Fourni; 2-3 weekly to Skiathos and Thessaloniki; 3-6 weekly to Iraklia, Skhinoussa, Koufonissi and Dhonoussa. Paros At least 3 daily to Pireas (7hr), Andiparos, Naxos, Ios, Thira; 6-8 weekly to Syros and Tinos; 4 weekly to Iraklion (Crete); 3-6 weekly to Ikaria and Samos; 4-6 weekly to Sikinos, Folegandhros and Amorgos; 4 weekly to Rafina and Andhros; 2-3 weekly to Skiathos and Thessaloniki; daily to Rhodes; 4-6 weekly to Anafi; 1-2 weekly to Fourni, Kos, Kassos and Karpathos; 4 weekly to Astypalea; 2-4 weekly to Koufonissi, Skhinoussa, Iraklia and Dhonoussa; 1 weekly to Volos; 1 weekly to Patmos and Kalymnos; 3-6 weekly to Ikaria and Samos; at least 1 daily to Mykonos; at least hourly (from Parikia) to Andiparos in summer, dropping to 3 weekly in winter. There is also a car ferry from Pounda to Andiparos at least hourly throughout the year. Serifos and Sifnos 5-12 weekly to Pireas (4hr 30min), Kythnos and each other; 5-10 weekly to Milos; 2-5 weekly to Kimolos; 2-3 weekly to Folegandhros, Sikinos and Thira; once weekly to Ios; 2 weekly to Syros; 1-2 weekly to Crete from Sifnos only; twice weekly from Sifnos to Paros. Sikinos and Folegandhros 6 weekly between each other, and to Pireas (10hr); 2 weekly to Syros, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Milos and Kimolos; 3-6 weekly to Ios, Thira, Paros and Naxos. Syros At least 2 daily to Pireas (4hr), Tinos (1hr), Mykonos (2hr), Naxos and Paros; at least 2 weekly to Rafina (3hr 30min) and Andhros; 3 weekly to Amorgos and the islets behind Naxos; 2-4 weekly to Ios and Thira; 1 weekly to Sikinos and Folegandhros; 3 weekly to Ikaria, Samos and Astypalea; 2 weekly to Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Milos and Kimolos; 1 weekly to Patmos, Leros and Lipsi; 2-4 weekly to Skiathos and Thessaloniki. Thira At least 3 daily to Pireas (10-12hr), Paros, Ios and Naxos; 5-6 weekly to Iraklion, Crete (5hr) and Thessaloniki; 6-8 weekly to Sikinos and Folegandhros; 4-6 weekly to Anafi and Sifnos; daily to Mykonos; 6-8 weekly to Syros; 3-5 weekly to Tinos and Skiathos; 2-4 weekly to Milos and Kimolos; 1-2 weekly to Karpathos, Kassos and Serifos; 2 weekly to Rhodes; 1 weekly to Volos; 4-6 weekly to Thirassia (plus lots of expensive daily excursion boats in season); 2 weekly mail boats to Anafi. Tinos At least 2 daily to Pireas (5hr), Rafina (4hr), Andhros, Syros and Mykonos; 3-4 weekly to Paros and Naxos; 3 weekly to Thira and Iraklion (Crete); 2-4 weekly to Skiathos and Thessaloniki; 3 weekly to Amorgos; 1 weekly to Ios, Koufonissi, Skhinoussa, Iraklia and Dhonoussa; also excursion boats calling at Delos and Mykonos, 1 daily except Mon. OTHER SERVICES To simplify the lists above, certain strategic hydrofoil and small-boat services have been omitted. Of these, the Express Skopelitis plies daily in season between Mykonos and Amorgos, spending each night at the latter and threading through all of the minor isles between it and Naxos, as well as Naxos and Paros (Piso Livadhi), in the course of a week; however, it's unreliable and often overcrowded. The Seajet catamaran - a small-capacity (and expensive) jet-boat (tel 010 41 41 250 for details) - operates daily during summer out of Rafina and connects Syros, Andhros, Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Thira. Cycladic routes are pretty well mapped out by the three hydrofoil companies - Minoan Flying Dolphins, Speed Lines and Cruises (Santorini Dolphin) and Dolphin Sea Line, with regular services from Zea (Pireas), Thira and Rafina respectively. Hydrofoil travel is expensive; however, when time is an issue, or for more regular connections to some of the less commonly serviced routes such as the minor islets around Naxos, these handy flying machines are a welcome addition to the conventional fleet. FLIGHTS There are airports on Paros, Mykonos, Thira, Syros, Milos and Naxos . In season, or during storms when ferries are idle, you have little chance of getting a seat with Olympic Airways at less than three-days' notice. Olympic's Athens-Milos route is probably the best value for money, but it's usually booked by the island's mining executives; the other destinations seem deliberately overpriced, in a usually unsuccessful attempt to keep passenger volume manageable. Axon and Aegean Cronus have summer flights to Thira and Mykonos. Expect off-season (Oct-April) frequencies to drop by at least eighty percent. Flights are on Olympic unless otherwise stated. Athens-Milos (1-2 daily; 45min) Athens-Mykonos (5-6 daily on Olympic; 2-3 daily on Axon; 45min) Athens-Naxos (6 weekly; 45min) Athens-Paros (3-4 daily; 45min) Athens-Syros (6 weekly on Olympic; 3 daily on Axon & Aegean-Cronus; 35min) Athens-Thira (5-6 daily on Olympic) Mykonos-Rhodes (2 weekly; 1hr) Mykonos-Thessaloniki (3 weekly; 1hr 15min) Mykonos-Thira (3-7 weekly; 30min) Thira-Iraklion (Crete) (2 weekly; 40min) Thira-Rhodes (3-6 weekly; 1hr) Thira-Thessaloniki (3 weekly; 1hr 30min)
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