Crete is a very beautiful and exciting Greek island. Many come here for the excellent beaches. But Crete is also an excellent destination for those want to explore nature or spend a romantic vacation.

One of the most romantic ways to get to Crete is by ferry. When you look for ferries between islands, you actually look for connections between ports. And since Crete is a large island, it is served by many ports: Heraklio , Chania , Rethymnon , Paleohora , Sfakia and Sitia.

Crete is connected to the following ports

From Herklio to:

Ios

The island is part of the Cyclades and is blessed with some of the best beaches in Europe. Online schedules list ferries between Heraklio and Ios operating only between Sept 10 and Sept 30 , daily except on Wed. The travel time is 2 h 50 min and you cannot buy tickets online. In fact Hellenic Seaways doesn’t even list the route so your best bet is to ask in the port.

Karpathos

The island is famous for the sponges and beautiful scenery. There is one ferry operating on Sat until Oct 27 and the travel time is about 7 ½ h. A single deck seat is €15.

Kasos

Also spelled as “Kassos”, this island is part of the Dodecanese group. It is on the route to Karpathos so the same three ferries link the two islands. The travel time is 6 and a single deck ticket is €15.

Milos

The island is part of the Cyclades and is famous for its beaches.

There aren’t any ferries between Crete and Milos anymore.

Mykonos

There’s only one ferry connecting Crete and Mykonos and operates daily, except on Wed , until Sep 9. The travel time is about 5 h and the single business non smoking ticket is €96.50.

>>read more about Ferries from Mykonos to Crete (and return)

Paros

This is another popular island in the Cyclades group. It is actually considered one of the most beautiful islands in the group and is popular for the beaches. There’s only one ferry connecting the two islands and it operates daily, except on Wed, until Sept 9. The travel time is 4 h and the single business non smoking ticket is €95.50.

Piraeus (Athens )

There are two daily ferries between Athens and Crete; both operate until Oct 31. The travel time is between 6 ½ h and 9 ½ h. On the slow night ferry, a single deck seat is €36.

>>read more about Ferries from Athens to Crete (and return)

Rodos (Rhodes )

The Sun Island is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Greece and combines , in a lovely way, romance, history and fun. There’s only one ferry operating between Rodos and Crete, leaving on Wed at 9:10 a.m. until Oct 31. The travel time is 13 h and the single deck ticket is €26.

Sitia

It is a city in Crete and is popular for its laid-back style during summer. It is probably the least developed city in Crete. The ferry takes 3 h and the single deck ticket is €14.

Thira (Santorini)

The island of Santorini is one of the most popular Greek islands. The superb views along with the excellent cuisine make it a very romantic destination. There are two ferries between the two islands, running daily (combined); one of them operates until Sept 30 and takes 2 ½ h. A single non smoking economy ticket is €49.50.

>>read more about Ferries from Santorini to Crete (and return)

From Chania to:

Piraeus (Athens)

There are two ferries between the mainland and Crete, running on Fri and Sun, until Aug 12. The travel time is between 8 and 9 h. On the ferry operated by Anek Lines, a single deck ticket is €35.

>>read more about Ferries from Athens to Crete (and return)

From Paleochora and Sfakia to:

Gavdos

Gavdos is the southernmost Greek island and the southernmost point in Europe. It is an excellent place for a day trip from Crete. Ferries to Gavdos depart from Paleochora and Sfakia. The shortest trip (little over 1 hour) is from Sfakia. There are 3 ferries available: at 11:30 a.m., on Sun, at 11:30 a.m. (July & August only) and at 6:30 p.m., on Mon & Wed.

>>read more about Ferries from Crete to Gavdos

Notes:
This is not a complete list of ferries connecting Crete to other islands. Unfortunately some routes aren’t yet available in the official timetable and some routes cannot be booked online.
The article was first published in May 2010 and updated (prices and schedule, except “From Paleochora and Sfakia to:”) in August 2012.

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