Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The village
Kalamos town is the harbour on the east side, houses stacked on the slope above a small quay, with a handful of tavernas along the waterfront and a road that runs out of the village and does not go very far.
There is a second small settlement, Episkopi, on the north coast, and a scatter of abandoned houses inland from emigration in the twentieth century.
The anchorage
Kalamos is a name in Greek sailing. The harbour is a well-sheltered stop on the flotilla and bareboat circuit out of Lefkada, and in summer evenings the quay fills with yachts stern-to.
That traffic supports the tavernas and is basically the island economy. In the shoulder season it is very quiet.
The land
Steep, wooded and hot, with pine reaching the water on most of the coast. There are footpaths, some of them old mule tracks, and walking is the main activity if you are not on a boat.
Beaches are small and mostly pebble, reached on foot or by boat. Agios Ioannis on the west side is the usual swim.
Getting there
By ferry from Mytikas on the mainland, a short crossing several times a day in summer, or by boat. Mytikas is about four and a half hours from Athens by road.
The neighbouring island of Kastos, smaller still, is served on the same route.
How long
Two nights if you want the quiet, or an afternoon on the way through. It suits people who want almost nothing to happen.
Last checked August 2026. Small-island ferry schedules change often - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Where is Kalamos?
In the Ionian off the Acarnanian coast of western mainland Greece, reached by ferry from Mytikas, near Lefkada.
How do you get to Kalamos?
By a short ferry from Mytikas on the mainland, running several times a day in summer. The same route serves Kastos.
Is there anything to do on Kalamos?
Walking the old paths through the pine, swimming from small pebble beaches, and eating on the quay. It is a very quiet island.
Why do sailors know Kalamos?
The harbour is a sheltered, well-known anchorage on the Ionian sailing circuit out of Lefkada, and yachts fill the quay on summer evenings.
How big is Kalamos?
Small in area but high, rising to about 750 metres, and covered in pine forest.