Many visitors to Greece like to choose an island, or even a few, that is close to other islands so they can do some day trips. Some are well located for this, but others are too isolated and often the ferry time tables do not work in your favour. These are the best greek islands for day trips as well as how it works on several of the more popular ones.
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Are day trips to other Greek Islands worth it?
The answer is – maybe.
Day trips to the small adjacent islands on the little local ferries are often easy, quick and inexpensive. Paros to Antiparos for example takes 15 minutes and costs €3.
But if you have to catch a fast ferry, especially a Seajet in the Cyclades, then it can be an expensive exercise. Naxos to Mykonos for example takes 40-90 minutes each way and costs €57.70 – or €577.70 return for a family of 5!
The other consideration is the ferry timetables.
In the Cyclades most of the bigger ( and arguably better) ferries originate in Athens and come down vertically through either the western Cyclades or the eastern Cyclades, terminating in Santorini or even Crete, and back again the next day. This means their arrival and departure times are often not conducive to day trips, and may only allow a short time on another island, if at all.
It’s almost impossible to do a day trip from Santorini other than to Ios, and even then, the way the ferry schedules are, you’re going for either 4 hours or 12, and only between June and September.
The Ionian groups of islands, in Western Greece, are a big distance from each other and have limited ferry connections – ie it takes 8 hours to get from Corfu to Zakynthos on the Lefkada Palace, and it isn’t possible every day. The only viable day trips from most of these islands are on the small local ferries mentioned above or organised sailing trips.
Best Islands for day trips to others:
From these islands you can easily visit at least 3 other inhabited islands and/or mainland places easily:
Paros
From Paros you can easily visit Antiparos in under 7 minutes by car ferry and Naxos in 30, as well as Mykonos and sometimes Syros.
Naxos
Naxos is well connected with Paros and Mykonos and also Ios, Amorgos and all the islands in the Small Cyclades such as Iraklia, Schinoussa and Koufonia.
Mykonos
Mykonos is only 15 minutes by ferry to Tinos, and 40 minutes by ferry to Paros, Naxos & Syros. The most popular day trip is actually to the sacred island of Delos which is 30 minutes on a small local ferry, and there are many organised tours too.
Ios
Ios is very centrally located in the middle of the Cyclades. Within an hour you can be on Santorini, Naxos, Paros or Milos and a couple of times a week you can go to Sikinos which is 30 minutes away ( you may not get back the same day however).
Syros
As the capital of the Cyclades, Syros receives frequent ferries from many islands year-round. It is 20-40 minutes from Tinos and Mykonos and 60 minutes from Paros and Kythnos.
Hydra
Hydra is in the Saronic Group of Islands and around 90 minutes from Athens. From there you can catch small ferries to Poros and Spetses islands and even over to the mainland at Ermioni and Metochi on the water taxis.
Corfu
Corfu is the most famous of the Ionian Islands in Western Greece. There is a lot to see and do there including the most popular day trip, which is to the beautiful island of Paxos, which often includes visiting Anti-Paxos too. You can also catch the ferry to Igoumenitsa Port to explore parts of the mainland and even neighbouring Saranda in Albania.
Lefkada
This is the most central of the Ionian Islands and it is one of the few Greek islands that you can drive onto over a narrow causeway.
From Lefkada there are many places to explore by ferry including the charming island of Meganisi, and you can also do organised tours to uninhabited islands like Skorpios.
It’s also possible to catch the ferry or do a day cruise to Kefalonia – usually from Vasiliki to Fiscardo.
Kefalonia
Right next door to Kefalonia is the fascinating island of Ithaca, once the kingdom of Odysseus, the hero of the Trojan War.
There are regular ferries to Vathy in Ithaca from Sami in Kefalonia and less frequent ones from Fiscardo to Frikes.
It’s also possible to do day trips to Zakynthos in the south.
Rhodes
Rhodes is the capital of the Dodecanese in south-east Greece. From there it is only 1 hour to gorgeous Symi and Chalki islands, which are very popular day trips.
You can also do a day trip to the Turkish town of Marmaris.
Kos
North of Rhodes is Kos, a medium-sized island with an international airport and centrally located in the Dodecanese.
From Kos Harbour ,you can catch a ferry to Nisyros and Kalymnos in under an hour or a little longer to Leros. There are also day trips to the Turkish town of Bodrum and a little local ferry that runs from Mastichari port to the hardly inhabited island of Pserimos in under 30 minutes.
Leros
Leros is a small, lesser-known island in the Dodecanese but it is very well placed to visit other islands due to its very central location.
Just 20 minutes north is Lipsi, and 45 minutes south is Kalymnos. It’s also possible to visit the island of Patmos, also 45 minutes away but to the north. A very popular destination for christians and theologists as it is where St.John is believed to written the Book of Revelations.
Skiathos
Skiathos is the capital of the Sporades Islands and is small, lively and home to a small international airport famous for its short runway and much videoed landings.
From Skiathos there are regular ferries to nearby Skopelos, the ‘Mama Mia’ island, and regular day trips to there and Alonissos island, home to the largest protected marine park in Europe.
You can also catch the ferry to Volos on the Mainland is around 90 minutes and sometimes to the Pelion peninsula too.
