Iraklia To Schinoussa Ferry

There are regular ferries sailing between the Greek islands of Iraklia and Schinoussa, and the travel time is barely 5 minutes.

Iraklia – Schinoussa by ferry

In June of 2024, Vanessa and myself visited Iraklia in the Cyclades islands of Greece for the second time.

We’d booked three weeks in Iraklia, and the idea was we would also take one or two day trips to Schinoussa. Here’s Vanessa in the photo below (she’s the one on the right!).

While there are some local tours available, we wanted the flexibility of seeing Schinoussa on our own terms, and so decided to use the Greek ferry system.

As it turned out, you can visit Schinoussa from Iraklia on the regular Greek ferries three days a week, which allows for about 7 hours on Schinoussa.

As usual, we booked the ferries using: Ferryhopper

Note: You can travel from Iraklia to Schinoussa almost every day of the week, it’s just that it’s not possible to make a meaningful day trip every day.

So, if you are looking to simply island hop from Iraklia to Schinoussa you can do so easily. In 2024, you could use Blue Star Ferries, Small Cyclades Lines, and even I think Saos Ferries!

Iraklia to Schinoussa Blue Star Ferries

For our day trip from Iraklia to Schonoussa, we found that Blue Star Ferries offered the best option. They had services on a Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday which left Iraklia at 13.25, and arrives at Schinoussa at 13.30.

Importantly, there was a return journey leaving Schinoussa at 20.40 and arriving back to Iraklia at 20.45. This meant we had about 7 hours on Schinoussa to chceck out a few beaches and grab a dinner.

I highly recommend eating at To Pertrino by the way!

Passenger ticket prices for the Iraklia to Schinoussa crossing were 3.50 Euros each way, and a car cost 9.00 Euros.

Now, I can’t say that the ferry timetables will be the same every year, or even every month. However, there does generally seem to be the possibility of putting together this DIY Iraklia to Schinoussa day trip all through the summer months using the regular ferry services like we did.

You can check the latest ferry timetables and schedules for crossings between Iraklia and Schinoussa at: Ferryhopper

Tips for taking the ferry from Iraklia to Schinoussa

Both of these Greek islands are tiny, and their ferry ports the same. You don’t need to get down to the port at Iraklia super early – even 10 minutes before will be fine. 

There’s a small covered waiting area at Iraklia port, and you can clearly see the ferry boat arriving.

Boarding will be very quick as the ferry will only be in port for a few minutes. 

Once on the ferry, you’ll have to go upstairs in the passenger waiting area, even though you’ll only be there a few minutes.

Curiously, if you are traveling by vehicle, which we did when taking the Iraklia to Schinoussa ferry, you can wait in the car below decks. This is something that rarely happens on Greek ferries!

On arrival at Schinoussa, you’ll again be in a very small port. If you are a foot passenger, it will be a bit of an uphill walk into the main village.

For anyone who is not traveling as a day trip, but will be staying on Schinoussa, hotel owners normally pick up new arrivals at the port.

Looking for things to do in Iraklia and Schinoussa? Check out our guidebook available on Kindle:

Travel Guide to Schinoussa and Iraklia in Greece

• Find out everything you need to know about planning a vacation in Iraklia and Schinoussa
• What to do, where to stay, and best places to eat
• An essential travel guide to two of the smallest Greek islands in the Cyclades!

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