Santorini is one of the most romantic Greek islands and a travel destination for those looking for gorgeous sunrises and incredible volcano views. But if you visit the island right during the high season you’ll soon realize that you could use a break and head to one of the not-so-crowded islands near-by.

And what better way to do that than on a ferry. Ferries in Greece have always been a great way to do some island hopping on a low budget. Of course, you can always choose a domestic flight but that surely takes away from the charm of island hopping in a ferry full with fellow budget travelers and locals.

Santorini is connected to the following ports:

Anafi

This small island can be reached by ferry from Santorini in about 1h 30 min. There are connections between the two islands on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. A ticket (one way) costs €8, per person if you choose the seat on deck or the airplane type of seat.

Anafi is often ignored by holidaymakers but it’s a great place to relax and do some walking. You can visit the ruins of an old citadel, several churches or even go snorkeling.

Chalki

There’s a regular ferry connecting the islands which departs Santorini each Monday and Saturday. The journey takes about 11h 30 min and a deck seat costs €26 per person (one way), while an airplane type of seat costs €30 (one way).

Chalki (Halki) is a tiny Dodecanese Island located west of Rhodes . Tourism is the most important industry although the island is still not very crowded. The beaches are among the highlights.

Folegandros

The ferry between the two islands takes between 2 and 3 h and there are daily connections available. On the 2 h ferry, a seat on deck costs €8 one way.

Heraklio (Crete)

The high speed ferry linking Santorini to Crete takes only 1 h 40 min, but the regular ferries take up to 5 h. There are connections daily between the two ports.An economy seat on the high speed ferry costs €49.50 per person (one way).

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

Ios

There are daily departures between the two islands and the journey takes between 35 min and 1 h 45 min depending on the type of ferry you are taking. A seat on deck or an airplane type of seat costs €8 per person, one way. Prices depend on the company.

Ios is part of the Cyclades and is one of the Greek party islands. It’s also a lovely place to play water sports or just enjoy the beaches.

>>more information about Ferries from Santorini to Ios (and return)

Kalymnos

Part of the Dodecanese, Kalymnos is linked by ferry to Santorini on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The travel time is 5 h and an economy class ticket costs €33 one way.

Karpathos

There are ferries connecting Santorini to Karpathos and Diafani on Mondays and Saturdays. The journey time is little more than 14 h. A deck seat costs €24 per person, one way,while an airplane type of seat is €28 one way.

Karpathos is the second largest island of the Dodecanese mostly popular for the natural sponges. There are plenty of incredible beaches, as well as interesting Greek villages to visit.

>> more information on Ferries from Santorini to Karpathos

Kasos

The islands are connected by ferries on Mondays and Saturday. The journey takes about 12 h. A deck seat costs € 24 per person (one way), while an airplane type of seat costs €28.

Kasos is located between Crete and Karpathos and is an island of rocky terrain. There are beaches to enjoy and countless churches to visit.

Kos

There are ferries between the two islands on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The journey takes between 5 h and 7 h. An economy ticket costs €33 per person (one way).

Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese and is located very close to Turkey. It is also the birthplace of Hippocrates. Make sure to visit of the Castles of the Knights of the Order of St. John (the remains still exist in the mountains).

>>more information on Ferries from Santorini to Kos (and return)

Milos

There is a daily ferry linking the two islands . The journey takes about 2 h. An economy non smoking ticket costs €39.60 per person, one way.

Milos is popular for the beautiful beaches but also offers interesting caves to check out and picturesque villages.

>>read more information on Ferries from Santorini to Milos (and return)

Mykonos

The high speed journey between the two islands takes 2 h 35 min and there are daily connections between the two islands. A ticket (one way) costs €52.40 per person if you choose the economy seat.

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

Naxos

The journey between the two islands takes between 2 h and 5 h, depending on what ferry you are choosing. There are several ferries departing each day (during the high season) and a seat on deck on the slow ferry costs €14 per person, one way. An economy ticket on the fast ferry costs €18 one way.

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

Paros

There are daily connections between the two islands and the journey takes 1 h 45 min on the fast ferry. An economy ticket costs €44.50 per person (one way).

Paros is located close to Naxos and is the third in popularity after Mykonos and Santorini. Hence, it can get crowded during the high season. Don’t miss visiting the old town of Parikia and of course, make sure to check out the beaches.

>>more information on Ferries from Santorini to Paros

Piraeus (Athens)

The journey between Athens and Santorini takes between 4 h 20 min and 10 h depending on what ferry you choose. There are several connections each day and a ticket costs €64.50 per person (one way) on a high speed ferry if you choose the economy class. A deck seat on the regular ferry costs €33 one way.

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

Rodos (Rhodes)

There are connections from Santorini to Rhodes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The fastest ferry takes only 7 h 20 min to complete the journey. An economy ticket on the regular ferry (11 h) costs €35 one way.

Rhodes is by far one of the most visited Greek islands thanks to the Medieval castle, the beaches and the architectural sites.

>>read more about Ferries from Santorini to Rhodes

Sifnos

Sifnos is also part of the Cyclades and is linked to Santorini by ferry on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The journey time is about 5h. A deck seat costs €18 one way.

Syros

The islands are connected by ferry each Wednesday and Saturday. The journey takes 8 h 20 m and an economy ticket costs €21,70 per person (one way).

The islands are connected by ferry each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The journey takes between 5 h and 10 h, depending on the type of ferry. An economy ticket on a regular ferry costs €21 per person (one way).

>>more information about Ferries from Santorini to Syros

Note: the article was first published in May 2009 and the schedules and prices have been updated as of July 2012.