Athens (Rafina) – Iraklia
Ferries to Cyclades Islands
Athens (Rafina) – Iraklia
Ferries to Cyclades Islands
At Direct Ferries you can compare Athens to Cyclades Islands ferries on the Athens (Rafina) Iraklia ferry route with our quick and easy live availability and best price search.
View timetables and prices of all Athens (Rafina) to Iraklia ferries ensuring you get the best price available for your ferry crossing. If there is an alternative route available that may enable you to save more then we’ll give you the price for that too.
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Rafina is located on the Aegean sea coast about 30 km east of the centre of Athens in Attica, Greece. Though further away from Athens than neighbouring Piraeus, Rafina port is actually closer to the airport which makes it popular with international travellers passing through on their way to the Greek Islands. Rafina is the 2nd largest port in this region after Piraeus (Lavrio being the 3rd) and serves ferries to the southern part of Euboea as well as providing connections to most of the islands in the Cyclades group. With a huge number of ferry crossings in operation, services are offered by the largest of the Greek ferry companies.
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.
