Passengers who choose to take the ferry to Antikythera arrive at a really small island in the south of Peloponnese, ideal for releasing holidays by the sea!
The Greek island, lying on the edge of the Aegean Sea, is just 20 square meters with almost 40 permanent residents. During the winter months life is not easy as almost all the supplies such as gas and food have to be transferred by boats which sometimes cannot arrive due to bad weather conditions. On the contrary the island is a paradise for summer vacations as people from all over the world who come from the area are gathering again to spend some days with the locals and gain new experiences.
The earliest known inhabitants of Antikythera, between the 5th and the 4th century BC, were seasonal hunters of birds and since then the population changed several times. The island is one of the few ones which was never conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Ruled by the Venetians as part of the Ionian islands until 1800, in 1815 became a British protectorate and in 1864 the Antikythera ceded to Greece under the Treaty of London. During the Second World War the island was at first under Italian rule known as Cerigotto and then under German rule.
Antikythera island is also known from the shipwreck dating between 76 BC and 60 BC and the ancient Greek mechanism or else Antikythera computer which was found later by fishermen south of Peloponnese, between Kythera and Crete. Dr. Tony Freeth, a founding member of the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, has made important progress with great results regarding the highly sophisticated ancient Greek astronomical calculating Antikythera machine described as the oldest example of an analogue computer.
If you desire to enjoy some days of summer vacation on a special island far from the bustle of the cosmopolitan ones, Antikythera is the ideal place. Our updated booking engine can provide you with all the information you need, such as schedules and prices in order to book a ferry to your destination.
Ferry routes to Antikythera
Ferry routes to Antikythera are available all year round with daily departures, but in case of bad weather conditions there might be delays or cancellations. In order to plan your trip, you can make your booking in advance through our reservation system.
The most popular routes are the following :
- From Gythio to Antikythera with a weekly sailing with a duration of 4 hours
- From Kissamos (Crete) to Antikythera with 2 sailings per week with a trip duration of 2 hours
- From Kythira to Antikythera with 4 sailings a week with a 1h and 50min journey
Antikythera ferry port
Antikythera's ferry port is Potamos, the capital and the biggest village of the island. Most of the residents live in Potamos where the visitors can find a few shops, a mini market and 1 or two taverns with local fresh fish and other traditional delicacies. Also there are some rooms and houses for rent but not organized hotels.
Things to do in Antikythera
Beaches in Antikythera
As Antikythera is a dry and rocky island of 20 square meters but owns some great beaches, such as:
- Xiropotamos pebbled beach is about 2 km from the port close to the ruins of ancient Agila.There are no facilities at the beach
- Chalara is located in the port of the island
- Kamarela, one of the most beautiful places of the island, surrounded by cliffs and blue green water, is a paradise for the lovers of wild nature and natural beauties. To reach Kamarela you need to walk 30 minutes from the port of Potamos
Things to do in Antikythera
Apart from the beaches and the seaside activities there are some other interesting things to do in order to get to know all the hidden beauties of the island:
- In the north part of the island, over the bay of Xiropotamos, you can find the Castle, the ancient city of the Hellenistic era and the most important archaeological site of the island. There you will have the opportunity to see the ancient city and some parts of the walls. In the small bay, there are also the remains of the port of the medieval city as well as the Sanctuary of Apollo
- There are many hiking trails on Antikythera which lead to the churches and also to the Lighthouse of Apolytara, built in 1926, being one of the most historical Greek lighthouses. After a 90 minutes of walking, you will be impressed with the wonderful sea view and the wild landscape of the southern part of Antikythera
