The single most useful fact about Greek ferries: islands connect within their group far better than between groups. Cyclades to Cyclades is easy. Cyclades to Dodecanese often means going back through Athens.

The groups

  • Cyclades — Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Milos, Ios. The best-connected group and the obvious first trip.
  • Dodecanese — Rhodes, Kos, Symi, Patmos. Strung along the Turkish coast, connected north to south.
  • Ionian — Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos. Reached from the west coast of the mainland, not Athens.
  • Sporades — Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisos. Compact, green, from Volos or Agios Konstantinos.
  • Crete — its own destination, with onward links to Santorini and the Cyclades.

Pick one group. Mixing groups on a two-week trip usually means a night in Athens you did not plan.

A high-speed ferry pulling into a small Cycladic harbour with passengers waiting
Fast boats halve the time and double the price — and cancel more often in wind.

Fast versus conventional

High-speed catamarans cut journey times roughly in half at about double the price. They also cancel more readily in the meltemi wind of July and August, and they have no outside deck worth using. Conventional ferries are slower, cheaper, more stable and far more pleasant.

If you get seasick, take the conventional boat and sit low and central.

Booking

Schedules for the summer season are typically published in stages from February to April. For July and August, book vehicle spaces and popular routes well ahead; foot passengers usually find space, but not always on the day.

Keep at least three hours between a ferry arrival and a flight, and never plan a same-day ferry-to-flight connection in high summer.

A route that works

Athens (Piraeus) → Milos (three nights) → Naxos (four nights) → Santorini (three nights) → fly home from Santorini. All Cycladic, all well connected, and each island genuinely different.

For Santorini specifically, see Santorini in the shoulder season.