Spetses is the furthest of the Saronic islands from Athens and the most elegant, and there are two quite different ways to reach it.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The two ways
The fast boat from Piraeus, roughly two to two and a half hours, usually calling at Poros and Hydra on the way. High-speed craft only; there is no slow car ferry on this run, and there would be little point in one.
The back door: drive about three hours through the Peloponnese to Kosta, opposite the island, and cross in ten minutes by small ferry or water taxi. Porto Heli is the resort next door.
The road option is what Athenians with houses on Spetses do, and it is faster than it looks on a map. It also lets you leave the car on the mainland, which matters.
The car rule
Spetses restricts private cars. Residents have permits; visitors in general do not bring a car onto the island, and there is no reason to want to.
Transport on the island is water taxis round the coast, buses along the two main roads, bicycles, and, famously, horse-drawn carriages in the old harbour. Scooters and quads are common and are the thing most likely to hurt you.
What you are arriving at
Spetses is pine-covered, prosperous and Venetian-flavoured, with two harbours: the Dapia, the arrival quay, all cafes and shipowners’ mansions, and the Old Harbour, a boatyard where wooden hulls are still built.
It has a famous role in the Greek War of Independence and a famous heroine in Bouboulina, whose house is a museum. It also has one of the best-known private schools in Greece and, from that, a slightly formal, slightly grand air that Hydra does not have.
The beaches are pine-backed and reached by bus, bike or water taxi round the island’s ring road.
Practical notes
- The fast boats stop in wind. The Saronic Gulf blows, and high-speed craft are stood down first.
- Piraeus is huge. Find your numbered gate before you look for the boat.
- Book August ahead. The island is small and Athenian demand is high.
Last checked August 2026. Saronic schedules change seasonally - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
How long is the ferry from Athens to Spetses?
Roughly two to two and a half hours by high-speed craft from Piraeus, usually calling at Poros and Hydra on the way.
Can you drive to Spetses?
Not onto the island, but you can drive to Kosta in the Peloponnese, about three hours from Athens, and cross in ten minutes by small ferry or water taxi.
Are cars allowed on Spetses?
Private cars are restricted. Visitors get around by water taxi, bus, bicycle, scooter and the horse-drawn carriages in the old harbour.
What else is on the Spetses ferry line?
Aegina, Poros and Hydra, which makes a multi-island Saronic trip straightforward without any long open-water crossings.
Is Spetses or Hydra better?
Hydra is smaller, steeper and bans vehicles outright. Spetses is greener, larger and more spread out, with beaches you can actually reach.
Next
Read Spetses, Porto Heli, or the Saronic islands.