Athens (Piraeus) Iraklia Ferry

The Athens (Piraeus) Iraklia ferry route connects Athens with Cyclades Islands. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Blue Star Ferries. The crossing operates up to 2 times each week with sailing durations from around 8 hours 30 minutes.

Athens (Piraeus) 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.

For more information, please visit our Ferries from Athens to Cyclades Islands page.

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Athens (Piraeus) Guide

The port city of Piraeus in Greece lies on the Saronic Gulf in the Attica region of the country and forms part of the Athens urban area, with the centre of Athens located some 12 km from the port. The centre of Piraeus is generally congested with traffic and tends not to be place where tourists would go. The area has many of the facilities you would expect of a non-tourist town: banks, public buildings, pedestrian areas, shopping streets and the like. The area around Zea Marina and Mikrolimano Harbour are perhaps the most attractive part of Piraeus and have a good selection of restaurants, cafes and bars.

Piraeus is Greece's main port and the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world. Unsurprisingly, it is the hub of Greece's maritime industries and the base for its merchant navy. Having recently undergone a refurbishment, facilities at the port have improved and include ATM's, bureau de change, restaurants, cafes, bars and a number of travel agencies selling ferry tickets. destinations served by the port include the island of Crete, the Cyclades Islands, the Dodecanese Islands, the eastern parts of Greece and parts of the northern and eastern Aegean Sea.

Iraklia Guide

The small Greek island of Iraklia is located at the western edge of the Small Eastern Cyclades group of islands and only has around 100 inhabitants. The island is characterised by hills, thick vegetation, clear waters with the od shipwreck on the sea floor, and scenic bays which all combine to make it one of the most unspoilt islands of the Cyclades. For nature lovers the island is home to the Mediterranean seal and the marine turtle, Caretta Caretta. The island only has two villages. Ayios Georgios, which is home to the island's harbour, and Panayia.

Perhaps because the island is so small its history remains largely unknown with speculation that is may have been a Minoan settlement in the 2nd century BC, as there is an similar city in Crete. Under Venetian and Ottoman rule, the island paid taxes but it seems that it was the only obligation the Iraklians had.

From the island's port there are ferries available that depart to the Port of Piraeus with a crossing time of between 8 and 10 hours, depending on itinerary. There are also ferry services to the other islands of the Small Cyclades and to Naxos and Amorgos.