Donoussa – Iraklia
Ferries to Cyclades Islands
Donoussa – Iraklia
Ferries to Cyclades Islands
The Donoussa Iraklia ferry route connects Cyclades Islands with Cyclades Islands. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Small Cyclades Lines. The crossing operates up to 3 times each week with sailing durations from around 2 hours 5 minutes.
Donoussa Iraklia sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
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The Greek island of Donoussa is one of the small smattering of landmasses that make up the Lesser Cyclades archipelago to the south of the Aegean Sea. As one of the smaller isles in the region, it has remained largely untouched by the blossoming tourism trade. Instead the island is a haven of tranquil beauty. Along the cliff-side coast are golden beaches hemmed by the cerulean shallows of the sea, while further inland lay rippling hills coloured by the verdant shades of Mediterranean shrubs. The main town of the island (also called Donoussa,) is comprised of narrow, twisting lanes and white-washed homes that speckle a steep rise on the western coast. The port here is found at the edge of the warm-watered bay that cuts a curve into the town’s central shoreline. It’s nothing more than an L-shaped pier featuring a private marina on one side and a ferry docking area on the other, meaning that food, drink and other refreshments can only be purchased from the town just a short walk away. Donoussa is no further than 6-miles away from any other point on the island, meaning that travelling to and from the port is easy. Just one road connects the town to the three others that line the southern edge of the region, a route that ends at the village of Kalotaritissa on the opposite coast. One ferry company currently operates at the port, offering trips to a variety of destinations along the Greek swathe of the Aegean Sea. Blue Star Ferries lines leave Donoussa a number of times throughout the week sailing the short distance to the island towns of Astypalea and Aegiali in the south and Naxos and Paros in the north. Another service makes the longer voyage to the major district of Piraeus on the coast of mainland Greece.
Sandwiched between the party isles of Ios and Naxos in the Cyclades archipelago is the tiny Greek island of Iraklia, a destination oft-forgotten in the shadow of its larger neighbours. While the other islands fight for the spotlight, the few inhabitants of Iraklia have gone about their usual business; a business that hasn’t changed for decades. It comes as no surprise, then, that the island has retained its tranquil, rural charm. The isle’s landscape is shaped by rugged, shrub-covered hills that tumble towards the rocky coastline edging the sapphire surf of the Aegean Sea. Only a few, sparsely populated villages nestle between these untouched slopes; all flaunting the traditional white-walled stylings of Cycladic architecture. The port in Iraklia is found along the shores of a bay in the village of Agios Georgios, a small settlement by the island’s north-eastern corner. There are no passenger facilities here. Instead the port consists of just a single pier that extends from the edge of the village promenade and into the shallows of the bay. Those looking to buy food or drink before departure will find one or two cafes and stores between the twist of village streets that scale the surrounding hillsides. Due to the island’s largely remote nature and its lack of public transport, travelling to and from the port can prove difficult. Only the eastern half of the island is inhabited and just a few narrow, country roads connect the region’s three villages. Most of Iraklia can only be reached on foot, though settlements are no more than 2-miles away from each other. A number of short-distance ferry routes currently operate from the port throughout the week. Services hosted by Blue Star Ferries hop over the Aegean to destinations scattered across the neighbouring islands; including Schinoussa, Koufonissi, Naxos, Katapola and Paros. Another, longer route heads north to the Greek mainland and the city port of Piraeus near the capital of Athens.
