An easy guide for how to get to Kalymnos by Ferry, schedules and prices for the Ferry to/from Kalymnos and recommendations for public transportation and services. Explore the website and find all necessary details for the Ferry to Kalymnos; Connected Routes with departures and frequency, Accommodation options with real-time Availability and helpful tips for transfer opportunities in Kalymnos!
We have prepared a small user guide that will help passengers to get to Kalymnos as easily and pleasantly as possible.
Find useful information on how to get to Kalymnos by ferry, local public transportation options to reach your overnight hotel in Kalymnos, port addresses and embarkation offices, ferry schedules and prices, and real-time departures and arrivals.
There are some good options available if you choose to reach to Kalymnos by ferry.
- From Athens (Piraeus): Ferries run almost daily and last 9 to 12 hours, depending on stops and the weather conditions.
- From Kos and Rhodes: Daily departures from Kos and/or Rhodes to Pothia port with modern regular and Catamaran ferries (45 min.).
- From other islands: Leros, Patmos, Lipsi, Samos, Tilos and Astypalea
Getting to Kalymnos by ferry is the best option you have and it can be a very nice and exciting experience and especially if you are doing some island-hopping too. Greek islanders are seasoned ferry experts and they prefer to travel by ferry because of the convenience and flexibility it affords!
Cars are allowed on most ferries for an additional fee and children usually travel for half price!
- There is a choice of Conventional and High-speed catamaran ferries running frequently to Kalymnos with stops along the way.
Give a departure port and a date and find all possible ferry destinations!
Notice: Each year and depending on the period, there may be more or fewer connections. The biggest shipping companies (carriers) announce the new ferry schedules by the end of December and the rest of them by January-March each year!
Public transportation services in Kalymnos
Kalymnos ports
- Pothia is the main town on the island and it is there you will arrive/depart with the ferry.
The road network on Kalymnos
- There are two main roads on Kalymnos that run along the south coast through Pothia and north-west from Pothia to the west coast villages. Another small road runs from Vathi (east coast village) to Stimenia.
Public Bus Services on Kalymnos
- The Municipal Bus Service runs 3 buses and 2 small ones to everywhere on the island.
- Buses from Pothia harbour serving Myrties, Masouri and Armeos (1,50 Euro), Emporio (2,00 Euro) and Vathis (2,00 Euro). Buy tickets before you get on the bus.
- Timetables
Taxis on Kalymnos
The taxi stand (known locally as 'Taxi Plateias') is in Pothia port, a few blocks north of the harbour, front at the end of the main shopping street.
Taxi phones
- Radio Taxi Kalymnos: +30 2243022000
- Taxi stand: +30 2243050300
- Mr. Giorgos Tezaris: +30 6942844597
Note: All above information for Kalymnos was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice.
Ferry to Kalymnos - Schedules, prices and availability
Book your ferry tickets with any ferry company that suits you better and enjoy your journey in Greece! The “Easy-Way” booking system of go-Ferry.com, allows the most reliable online ferry reservations and offers cheaper, faster and better services.
With go-Ferry.com you are able to connect online with the reservation systems of the most Greek shipping companies, to compare prices, to find information about routes and vessels, to look for alternative routes and to print instantly your ferry confirmation.
Ferry timetables may change by season, so take an optical canvassing via our search engine to receive the latest cull of dates, schedules, prices and availability. With so many accommodation options to cull from, you can be sure to find the best deal at a price that fits your budget.
Complete the under bellow fields and click on SHOW to compare the prices of all operators that run to and from Kalymnos!
Book in advance your ferry ticket
Arrange your ferry journey in advance
It is very important that you have organized your ferry ride in advance, having arranged all the details. You don't want something to go wrong, and you can achieve perfect holidays with a great organization. In addition to hotel accommodation and air-tickets, when you book the boat tickets you know that everything is under control even before leaving home.
There are many reasons why you should arrange to book in advance your ferry tickets. Here are some of the most important:
Pay for Hotel in Kalymnos without using it!
During the high season in Greece, and especially in July and August, it is likely that you won't find ferry tickets to popular destinations, if you don't book them in advance. So, don't make the mistake to book your hotel on Kalymnos without having booked the ferry pass. The last thing you want is to get to the port and not find an available ferry to your destination!
Save time in Kalymnos!
Although we charge a commission for acquiring ferry bookings, this allows you not only to secure your ferry tickets but also to save time; besides receiving a service and attention of first.
Have a bigger choice of Ferry Tickets!
Buying in advance gives you a better chance of getting the ferry tickets, on the ferry you prefer and at the schedule you want. It does not make sense that your trip to Kalymnos is interrupted by not finding available ferry departures, but it is possible.
Find more Ferry routes!
If you want to organize your vacations, it is wise to check all the possible routes and timelines in order to make the right combinations between Kalymnos and other destinations as well as between the air and the ferry tickets. Online, you can have an overview of all the routes going to or from Kalymnos.
Get the best deal !
Ferry tickets to your destination can be expensive, so it’s natural to want to get the best deal on them. It has become a regular practice for ferries to announce special rates and deep discounts for booking ferry tickets up to 3-6 months in advance.
Feeling Great having your ferry ticket in your pocket!
You will feel a great feeling when having the ferry confirmation in your hands. The reservation with us will allow you to secure your ferry tickets, you will be relieved to have the confirmation in your hands or on your smartphone!
Available accommodation options
Find out about the ferry types, choose the ideal accommodation option on the ferry to Kalymnos and get fresh and relaxed at your destination. Comfortable armchairs, business class comfort seats, outside and inside cabins or economy deck chairs. There is a range of accommodation options to choose for a day or night ferry.
About Kalymnos
This is the fourth largest island of Dodecanese complex, extends over a surface of 111 km2, its coastline is 96 km and counts 17,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of a broader municipality, under which come Leros, Leipsoi, Patmos, Astypalaia, Arkoi and Agathonisi islands. It is known as the «sponge-divers island» due to the great growth of sponge-fishing, during 19th century. After the WWII, Kalymnos remained the only Greek sponge-fishing force, exporting to Greece and abroad, thus gaining its famous nomination as the ‘island of sponge-divers’.
Mythology has it that Kalymnos got its name from the Titan Kalydnos, who was the son of Gaea ("Earth") and Uranus ("Heaven"). Supposedly, you can see his legs from above: the two plains by the mountains.
The first inhabitants probably came in the beginning of the 2nd Millennium BC. They were probably Carians. Kalymnos participated in the Trojan war. The Achaeans made a settlement here after the Trojan War.
What followed is the common history for almost all the Aegean islands: In the 5th century it belonged to the Athenian League against the Persians, then the Macedonians, and in the 2nd century BC the Romans came. In 535 AD happened an earthquake that separated Kalymnos and Telendos.
During Byzantine years the island suffered many pirate attacks. In the 13th century the Venetians took over, and in 1306 it belonged to the Knights of Rhodes, who taxed the island very heavily.
The Turks ruled from the 16th century (when the sponge fishing started) until 1912. The island then fell under Italian rule, and in 1943 Kalymnos was occupied by the Germans for two years until it finally was given back to Greece like the rest of the Dodecanese in 1948.
What to see in Kalymnos
In the island's capital Pothia (Kalymnos) you'll find a nice museum about the island. There is also a beautiful church here dedicated to Christ. There is also a nunnery, Ag Savas, which is open to the public and is well worth a visit. Don't forget to wear a long skirt and to cover your shoulders if you are a woman, and to wear long trousers if you are a man. There are also several sponge factories you can visit.
Chorio is the old capital, and here you can visit the castle of Golden Hand (Kasto Chrysocheiras) where the Knights of St. John resided. There is also a citadel from the 9th cent. AD, Pera Kastro, and the remains of a church from the 5th century: "Jesus of Jerusalem". Over the hill to the east of the port a huge cross dominates over the town of Pothia. The tourist resorts of Kalymnos are Vathy to the east hide within a deep cove and almost invisible if you are passing with the boat . Vathy is the most green area of Kalymnos, it is only a few years ago, before the tourism development, that Vathy was a small village of farmers and fishermen.
Masouri located next to Myrties in the north west of Kalymnos. It is the most developed holiday resort of Kalymnos with quite a few hotels and other accommodations. Myrties located at the north part of the island very close to the small island of Telendos that use to be thousands of years before connected with the rest of the island. From Myrties there is a boat that daily goes to Leros at 13.00 at the small southernmost port of Leros Xirokampos.
There have been some plans about connecting Kalymnos with Leros with a bridge at the most narrow straights of the two islands in the north. That can be not as difficult as it looks because there are some small islands in the straights the Glaronisia and Leriko nisi who can be used as connections to that bridge.
The small island of Telentos is a few minutes away by boat from Myrties, there are some nice taverns and is worth visiting.
Another remote village of Kalymnos is Agios Petros to the north east of the island. The small village has only a few inhabitants and a small tavern. Very resent there has been a road that connects Agios Petros with Kalymnos capital Pothia. The village has a small beach and is an ideal place for fishing and diving.
Pserimos is a small island between Kalymnos and Kos, there are some nice beaches and taverns on that small island. There are daily excurtions to Pserimos from Pothia and is a good idea for a day trip.
The Caves (Kalymnos)
THE CAVES, which have evidence of human habitation in primitive times, are located on the slopes of the Kastani and Tsingoura hills. Traces of smoke can be detected on the ceiling. The caves become more numerous in the direction of the small chapel of Agios Ioannis. Access to them is difficult.
Daskalio Cave
DASKALIO CAVE has prehistoric findings - Neolithic tools, spindles and ceramic items dating from the Middle and Late Minoan Period (2000-1400 BC). The cave, located at the entrance to the port, was used by the inhabitants of the island for defense purposes. Access to them is difficult.
Kefala Cave
KEFALA CAVE, located NW, is of considerable archaeological and speleological interest. The passageway, overhung with massive stalactites, measures 103 m in length. It was explored in 1961 by oceanolographer Anastasios Christomanos. Scientists found also signs of worship of Olympian Zeus. Visitors can access the cave by boat from Pothia or Myrties.
Activities in Kalymnos
In 1986 Italian Andrea Di Bari discovered the great climbing importance of the island. Climbing. Over the last few years, Kalymnos turned into one of the most important climbing destinations in Greece. Today, there are 70 climbing sectors with more then 2000 routes made on this rocks of limestone, and many international climbers are gatherings often organized on the island.
- Diving
- Spear fishing
- Hiking
- Swimming at the following beaches: Gefyra, Therma, Kantouni, Linaria, Rina, Akti and Vlyxadia, the
- Arginontas Bay and Platys Gyalos. You can reach by boat the following beaches: Almyres, Drasonta,
- Pezonta, Palionisou, Sikati and Petronta.
- Thermal Spas: The Thermes spring (spring with 37C temperature) , 1 km S from Pothia; this is an ideal thermal treatment against rheumatism, arthritis and gynecological problems.
Useful Information
Municipality: 22430 59147 & 22430 59140
Police: 22430 22100
Medical Assistance: 22430 28851 & 29683
Port Authority: 22430 24444
Airport: 22430 59370
Taxi center: 22430 50300
Bus station: 22430 51760
Post office: 22430 28340
Public information desk: 22430 29767
Fire Assistance: 22430 22222
