Greek Ferry Guide: How to Reach the Western Cyclades
This guide provides everything you need to know about ferry routes in the Western Cyclades, including detailed information on how to reach islands like Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Kimolos, and Milos, as well as how to search for and book your Greek ferry ticket.
By ferry to the Western Cyclades
The Western Cyclades comprise the islands that make up the western half of the Cyclades archipelago.
From north to south, the main inhabited islands of the Western Cyclades are Kea (also known as Tzia), Kythnos (sometimes called Thermia), Serifos, Sifnos, Kimolos, and Milos.
Except for Milos, which has a small airport and can also be reached by plane from Athens, you will need to take a ferry to visit any of the islands in the Western Cyclades.
The easiest way to reach the Western Cyclades is by ferry from the Greek mainland, with numerous ferries departing daily from Piraeus, the port city just south of Athens, as well as from Lavrio.
Ferry routes
The main ferry route across the Western Cyclades runs from Piraeus to Serifos, Sifnos, and Milos, with a few ferries also calling at islands such as Kythnos and Kimolos.
A secondary route runs from the mainland port of Lavrio to Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, and Milos.
On the map below, you can see all the ferry routes of the Western Cyclades and the ports where these ferries call.
I’ll discuss all these Western Cyclades ferry routes, including connections to other Cycladic islands like Syros, Paros and Santorini, and even to Crete, a bit further down this article.
Searching your ferry connection
As ferry schedules vary depending on the season and route, it’s important to check which options are available on the dates you plan to travel and which are not.
My preferred websites to search ferry connections in Greece is Omio (4.3 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot), a renowned international booking website where you can buy all your train, bus, and ferry tickets, and even book flights.
Given that some Greek ferry websites are not very user-friendly and Omio sells tickets for the exact same price, you may want to use it as your go-to website for ferry bookings.
Omio has a handy search engine that includes all ferry companies and lists all available sailings for a particular date and route.
Even if you plan to book your ticket directly with the ferry company, Omio is still great for getting an overview of which ferry company operates a certain route and to compare prices schedules, making it the perfect place to get oriented.
Different ferry companies
At the moment, Aegean Sea Lines, Magic Sea Ferries, Seajets, and Zante Ferries are the four main ferry companies operating in the Western Cyclades, alongside a few others that either have more limited schedules or serve fewer destinations.
However, it’s important to note that ferry schedules, routes, and operators are always subject to change, so the current situation may not necessarily be the same next year.
Ferry companies can always go bankrupt and halt all their sailings, while rival ferry companies might suddenly start operating in competition with the current operators.
Similarly, new routes between islands or to the mainland might be opened, while other routes might be closed a year later if they prove to be unprofitable.
To ensure that islands remain connected, the Greek government subsidises vital ferry routes that would otherwise be unprofitable for companies to operate.
However, these tenders are generally awarded to a specific company for a couple of years, and when the contract for a subsidised route expires, another company could take over the route.
Although the information you find here about ferry routes in the Western Cyclades is correct at the time of writing, the situation might be different in the future, so you’re always advised to check whether there might be a change in ferry operator or some routes might have changed.
That being said, let’s take a closer look at all the ferry routes to the different islands of the Western Cyclades.
Ferry connections to and from Kea
To get from the Greek mainland to Kea, the northernmost of the Western Cyclades, you will need to take a ferry from Lavrio, as this island does not have a direct ferry connection to Piraeus.
At the time of writing, there are four ferry companies that offer multiple sailings a day between Lavrio and the port of Coressia on Kea, namely Blue Star Ferries, Karystia Lines, Magic Sea Ferries, and Goutos Lines.
Depending on the shipping company and the specific departure you choose, the service may be operated by either a conventional ferry or a fast catamaran.
If you want to travel between Kea and other islands in the Western Cyclades, you can use Magic Sea Ferries or Blue Star Ferries.
Magic Sea Ferries operates a ferry three or four times a week from Kea to Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, and Milos, and vice versa.
Blue Star Ferries operates a twice-weekly service from Kea to Kythnos, although in the reverse direction this company only operates a weekly ferry.
Ferry connections to and from Kythnos
The port of Merihas on the Western Cycladic island of Kythnos can be reached by ferry from both Piraeus and Lavrio on the Greek mainland.
Ferries from Lavrio to Kythnos are your best best, as on this route there are multiple daily departures by four different ferry companies, namely Blue Star Ferries, Karystia Lines, Magic Sea Ferries, and Goutos Lines.
Some of these ferries make an intermediate stop at the island of Kea on their way between Lavrio and Kythnos, while others make the trip directly.
The service can be operated by either a conventional ferry or a fast catamaran, depending on the shipping company and the precise departure you select.
If you want to travel between Kythnos and Kea, check which of the four ferry companies mentioned above offers the best schedule and price.
Zante Ferries operates once or twice a week a ferry between Piraeus and Kythnos, while Aegean Sea Lines operates a weekly ferry connection between Piraeus and Kythnos during the high summer season only.
Magic Sea Ferries runs a daily ferry service between Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, and Milos.
Ferry connections to and from Serifos
There are multiple daily ferry services to Livadi, the main port of Serifos, from both Piraeus and Lavrio on the Greek mainland.
If you want to sail from Piraeus to Serifos, you have the choice out of two different ferry companies.
Ferry connections to and from Sifnos
If you to get from the Greek mainland to Kamares, the main port of the island of Sifnos, you can choose from multiple daily sailings from Piraeus with Aegean Sea Lines and Seajets, as well as a daily departure from Lavrio with Magic Sea Ferries.
Both Aegean Sea Lines and Seajets call at Serifos on their route between Piraeus and Sifnos.
Additionally, during the high summer season, one of Aegean Sea Lines’ seven weekly services also makes a stop at Kythnos along the way.
Zante Ferries operates three or four times a week a service between Piraeus and Sifnos, which can also be used to travel from Sifnos to Kythnos, Serifos, Kimolos, and Milos, or vice versa.
The Magic Sea Lines Ferries service between Lavrio and Sifnos makes intermediate stops at the islands of Kythnos and Serifos, and on some days on Kea as well.
If you want to travel further south in the Western Cyclades to Milos, you can choose from daily departures with Aegean Sea Lines, Seajets, or Magic Sea Ferries.
On some of the sailings of Aegean Sea Lines between Sifnos and Milos, the ferry also stops at Kimolos.
Alternatively, Blue Star Ferries links Sifnos with Serifos, Kimolos and Milos, although this service typically operates three times a week in each direction.
Ferry connections to and from Kimolos
The best way to reach Kimolos from the Greek mainland is by taking the Aegean Sea Lines ferry from Piraeus.
This ferry, which makes stops en route at islands such as Kythnos, Serifos, and Sifnos, operates only three or four times a week.
After stopping at the port of Psathi on Kimolos, the Aegean Sea Lines ferry continues to Milos, where it turns around and follows the same route in the reverse direction.
An alternative is Zante Ferries, which calls at Kimolos three or four times a week on its route between Piraeus and Milos.
Zante Ferries is also an option if you want to travel between Kimolos and Sifnos, Serifos, or Kythnos.
Blue Star Ferries also operates a service from Lavrio to Kimolos, although given that it’s a roundabout route lasting more than 14 hours I wouldn’t recommend it when originating on the Greek mainland.
However, Blue Star Ferries is a good option if you need to travel between Kimolos and Milos, or between Kimolos and Sifnos or Serifos, with three sailings per week in each direction.
Ferry connections to and from Milos
Adamantas, the main port on the island of Milos, can be reached from both Piraeus and Lavrio on the Greek mainland.
From Piraeus, there are multiple departures daily with Aegean Sea Lines and Seajets, with all ferries calling at Serifos and Sifnos en route, and some services also stopping at Kythnos or Kimolos.
Alternatively, some Minoan Lines ferries operating between Piraeus and Heraklion on Crete stop at Milos, although sailings on this route are not daily.
Zante Ferries is also an option for traveling between Piraeus or one of the other Western Cyclades islands and Milos, although sailings on this route are not daily.
Magic Sea Ferries operates a daily service to Milos from the mainland port of Lavrio, making stops en route at Kythnos, Serifos, and Sifnos.
On some of their weekly sailings between Lavrio and Milos, Magic Sea Ferries also calls at Kea.
If you want to travel north from Milos to Kimolos, Sifnos, or Serifos, Blue Star Ferries typically operates a sailing three times a week.
Other islands in the Western Cyclades
Although there are other islands in the Western Cyclades, such as Antimilos and Polyaigos, these are uninhabited and therefore lack scheduled ferry connections.
Beyond the Western Cyclades
It is possible to reach other island destinations from the Western Cyclades, with ferry connections available to the Southern and Eastern Cyclades, as well as to Crete.
However, many of these connections are seasonal, particularly those linking the Western Cyclades to more touristy destinations like Mykonos and Santorini.
This may come as a surprise to overseas visitors, but there is almost no local demand for inter-island ferries from the Western Cyclades to Mykonos and Santorini, as these routes are primarily operated for foreign tourists during the high season.
On the other hand, islands such as Syros – the administrative capital of the Cyclades – have local year-round demand, and it is these destinations on which ferry routes and schedules are typically based.
With this in mind, here are the main ferry routes linking the islands of the Western Cyclades with destinations beyond:
– Piraeus – Milos – Heraklion (Crete), operated by Minoan Lines in both directions, not daily, seasonal.
– Lavrio – Kea – Kythnos – Syros, operated by Blue Star Ferries, weekly in both directions.
– Lavrio – Kea – Kythnos – Syros – Paros – Naxos – Ios – Sikinos – Folegandros – Kimolos – Milos, operated by Blue Star Ferries, weekly, in this direction only.
– Syros – Serifos – Sifnos – Kimolos – Milos, operated by Blue Star Ferries, weekly, in this direction only.
– Syros – Paros – Serifos – Sifnos – Kimolos – Milos, operated by Blue Star Ferries, twice weekly in both directions.
– Milos – Kimolos – Sifnos – Serifos – Syros – Tinos – Andros, operated by Blue Star Ferries, weekly, in this direction only.
– Milos – Kimolos – Folegandros – Sikinos – Ios – Naxos – Paros – Syros, operated by Blue Star Ferries, weekly, in this direction only.
– Piraeus – Sifnos – Folegandros – Sikinos – Ios – Santorini, operated by Zante Ferries, up to three weekly departures, seasonal.
– Piraeus – Serifos – Sifnos – Milos – Folegandros – Santorini – Naxos – Paros – Mykonos, operated by Seajets, three of four weekly departures in each direction.
– Milos – Sifnos – Paros – Naxos – Mykonos, operated by Seajets, three of four weekly departures in each direction, seasonal.
– Milos – Sifnos – Paros – Mykonos – Naxos – Koufonisia – Amorgos – Santorini – Folegandros – Milos, operated by Seajets, three of four weekly departures, seasonal.
As you can see, the ferry schedules for Seajets and Blue Star Ferries can be a bit complicated, as they operate some triangular or roundabout routes.
This means that some sailings can only be made directly in one direction, while travelling in the other direction may require a stop and change of ferry.
Booking Greek ferries
You can book your ferry ticket directly with the ferry company, or use a third-party booking website such as Omio.
Omio can book all the ferries mentioned above, and has the added advantage of allowing you to instantly compare prices and departure times between different operators.
Ferry timetables and other general booking tips
If you are relatively new to island hopping in Greece, it’s important to understand a few key points about timetables, as well as searching and booking a certain ferry connection.
Timetables vary between the busy summer season, when both Greeks and foreign tourists travel in large numbers to the islands, and the low season when demand slows down.
The high season, which typically runs from mid-June to mid-September, sees the highest number of scheduled ferry departures.
Many ferry companies nowadays also operate a shoulder season timetable (typically from mid-April to mid-June and from mid-September to the end of October), which features a reduced schedule compared to the high summer season.
During the low season (from November to the end of March or mid-April), the number of ferry departures is further reduced, with only essential connections for local island residents remaining in operation while seasonal tourist routes are suspended.
Most Greek ferry companies only release their schedules and timetables a couple of months in advance.
In practice, this means that most ferry companies in Greece release their summer ferry timetable in March.
If you are looking to find ferry timetables, let alone trying to book a ferry for your upcoming summer holiday while it’s still only December or January, you are simply too early – just wait until March or April when the high season ferry schedules will be released!
When travelling in peak summer or around big national holidays such as Easter, it’s advisable to book at least a couple of weeks ahead, as ferry departures do sell out!
Outside of those peak times, it’s often easy enough to get your ticket a few days or even hours before departure, especially so as a foot passenger.
If you are taking a car, or want to make sure you have a cabin on an overnight sailing, it’s again advisable to book as soon as possible.
Conclusion
There are multiple ferry routes connecting the islands of Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Kimolos, and Milos in the Western Cyclades.
In this guide, you’ll find all the information you need about ferries in the Western Cyclades, including an overview of the various ferry operators and routes.
The islands in the Western Cyclades such as Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, and Milos, can be easily reached from the ports of Piraeus and Lavrio on the Greek mainland, although there are also connections between the Western Cyclades and other islands in the Aegean Sea, such as Syros and Santorini.
Make sure you understand the basics of Greek ferry timetables and how to search for ferry connections before you start planning and booking your ticket.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Wonderful Greek Island Escape: My Trip to the Cyclades‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. A Misty Morning Walk Around the Old Port of Hamburg
2. Review: EuroCity Train ‘Berliner’ Hamburg to Berlin and Prague
3. Back to Germany: From Prague to Frankfurt by Train
4. From Frankfurt to Athens: A Flight Into the Greek Sun
5. Greek Ferry Guide: How to Reach the Western Cyclades (current chapter)
6. Review: Speedrunner Ferry Piraeus to Serifos and Sifnos
7. Sifnos Travel Guide: Explore the Best Sights and Beaches
8. Review: Simeon Rooms & Apartments, Sifnos
** rest of the chapters to follow soon **
