Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The two real options
Fly. Athens to Kefalonia (EFL) takes about an hour, and in summer the island also has direct charters from northern Europe. This is what most people should do, and it is often no more expensive than the alternative once fuel and a night are counted.
Drive and cross. West and south to Kyllini on the Peloponnese coast, about three hours from Athens, then the ferry to Poros on Kefalonia’s south-east coast, roughly an hour and a half. Cars go on the boat.
The other crossings, all seasonal and worth checking rather than assuming: Patras to Sami, and Astakos to Sami on the mainland side.
Which to choose
Fly if you are going for a week to one place and will hire a car on arrival.
Drive if you want your own car, you are combining Kefalonia with Zakynthos or the Peloponnese, or you are travelling as a family with a lot of luggage.
The drive-and-cross option has a hidden bonus: Chlemoutsi, the best-preserved Frankish castle in Greece, sits on the hill above Kyllini and is worth the hour before your boat.
Where the boat puts you
Poros is a small east-coast port with not much in it. The island’s centres are elsewhere: Argostoli the capital, Fiskardo the pretty northern harbour, Sami for the caves and the Ithaca boats.
Kefalonia is big and mountainous, and the driving times across it are longer than the map suggests. Whichever way you arrive, you want a car.
Onward
Ithaca is a short crossing from Sami, and the two islands pair naturally. Lefkada is reachable in season and by road via the mainland.
Last checked August 2026. Ionian ferry routes are strongly seasonal - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Is there a ferry from Athens to Kefalonia?
Not directly. Piraeus is on the Aegean side of the country. You cross to Kefalonia from western ports, principally Kyllini, having driven there first.
How long is the ferry from Kyllini to Kefalonia?
Roughly an hour and a half to Poros on the island’s south-east coast, and it carries cars.
How long is the flight from Athens to Kefalonia?
About an hour, with additional direct summer charters from northern Europe.
Should you fly or drive to Kefalonia?
Fly if you are staying in one place and will hire a car there. Drive if you want your own car or are combining the island with Zakynthos or the Peloponnese.
Do you need a car on Kefalonia?
Yes. The island is large and mountainous, the ferry ports are not the main towns, and driving times are longer than distances suggest.