During the tourist season, there is one weekly Santorini to Kea ferry operated by SeaJets. There are other options to travel Santorni Kea though, which I'll show you in this guide.
Kea island in Greece
The island of Kea is the closest Cycladic island to Athens. As such, it's not generally a natural first choice of an island to visit after Santorini.
Still, if you've found this Greek travel blog post, I guess that's what you want to do!
In this guide I've given three possible options of traveling from Santorini to Kea during the summer. If you plan to travel to Kea from Santorini in the winter, might I suggest you simply fly from Santorini to Athens, and then take a ferry to Kea from Lavrio port.
How to get from Santorini to Kea
There's no airport on the island of Kea, so the only way to take the journey from Santorini to Kea is to take a ferry.
During the the months of July, August, and September, you can expect up to 1 ferry per week from Santorini to Kea. These ferries to Kea from Santorini are operated by SeaJets.
It must be said, this doesn't leave a great deal of flexibility in your travel planning. If you're determined to visit Kea directly after Santorini, you have three other options.
The first option, is to fly from Santorini to Athens. From there, you would then take a ferry from Athens to Kea.
The second option is to take a ferry from Santorini to Athens. From there, you would then take another ferry back out to Kea island.
Finally the third option would be to sail from Santorini to another Greek island such as Syros. From there, take another ferry from Syros to Kea.
Direct Ferries to Kea from Santorini
The ferry boat sailing to Kea from Santorini island takes around 8 hours and 5 minutes. This is on a SeaJets ferry, and may only operate during the busier tourist season.
As mentioned previously, it might be just as easy to get a ferry from Santorini to Athens, and then take another ferry from Athens to Kea. It is not any quicker in actual time taken, but would mean you could travel on any day of the week.
The simplest place to look at schedules for Greek ferries on the Santorini Kea route is at the Ferryhopper website
Kea Island Travel Tips
A few travel tips for visiting the island of Kea:
- Booking have a nice selection of hotels and accommodation in Kea Greece to choose from.
- Start planning your Greek island hopping adventures on the Ferryhopper website. I find this the easiest way to book ferry tickets between the Greek islands.
- If you would like to receive travel tips and free guides to Greece, please sign up for my newsletter.
- If you prefer a pre-booked taxi to take you from your hotel in Santorini down to the port for you ferry departure, I suggest you use Welcome taxis.
What to see in Kea Greece
Some of the activities and things to do in Kea include:
- Visiting the Panagia Kastriani Monastery
- Explore Ioulis / Ioulida, the main town of Kea
- Use the hiking trails
- Enjoy a sunset
- Spend time on the beaches
How to travel from Santorini to Kea by ferry FAQ
Questions that people ask about traveling to Kea from Santorini include:
How can we get to Kea from Santorini?
If you want to travel from Santorini to Kea the best way is by ferry. There is 1 ferry per week sailing to Kea island from Santorini during the tourist season.
Where is the nearest airport to Kea island?
The island of Kea does not have its own airport. The closest airport to Kea Island is Athens International Airport.
How long is the ferry from Santorini to Kea?
The ferries to the Greek island of Kea from Santorini take around and 8 hours and 5 minutes on SeaJets. This is a summer service, and may not operate out of the tourist season.
Where can I buy tickets for the ferry to Kea?
The best place to look at Greek ferries leaving for Kea online is Ferryhopper. Although I recommend you book your Santorini to Kea ferry tickets as much in advance as you can, you could also use a local travel agency in Greece when you're in the country.
– Dave Briggs
Dave is a travel writer who's been living in Greece since 2015. He spends his time traveling around Greece and then writing guides such as this one on the best way to get to Kea from Santorini. He hopes to visit al the inhabited Greek islands over the next few years – there's over 200 of them, so it will be a bit of a challenge!
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