Crete and Rhodes are joined by one ferry line and by a short flight, and for most travellers the flight wins: about an hour, direct in summer, while outside the season a connection through Athens may be the only option. These are the two biggest islands in the south-east Aegean, and connecting them is harder than their size suggests.
The sea route is the awkward one. A line runs east from Sitia and Agios Nikolaos in eastern Crete, through Kasos and Karpathos, and on to Rhodes, taking most of a day with the calls. It is seasonal and infrequent, running a small number of times a week rather than daily, and it leaves from eastern Crete rather than Heraklion or Chania, which for most visitors means a long drive first: Sitia is around three hours from Heraklion. Take the boat if you actually want Karpathos or Kasos, which are not easy to reach any other way.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The sea route
There is a ferry line running east from Sitia and Agios Nikolaos in eastern Crete, through Kasos and Karpathos, and on to Rhodes.
Three things to know about it:
- It takes most of a day, with the calls.
- It is seasonal and infrequent, running a small number of times a week rather than daily.
- It leaves from eastern Crete, not Heraklion or Chania, which for most visitors means a long drive first.
Check the current timetable rather than assuming a sailing exists on your date. This is the least reliable major connection in the Greek network.
The flight
About an hour, and this is what most people do. In summer there are direct services; outside summer a connection through Athens may be the only option, which is slower than it sounds.
When the boat is the better answer
If you actually want Karpathos or Kasos, the line stops being a chore and becomes the trip.
Karpathos is long, mountainous and windswept, with Olympos in the north, a village that kept its dialect and dress into living memory, and some of the best wind-surfing in Europe on its southern bay. Kasos is tiny and almost untouched.
Neither is easy to reach any other way, and this line is how you do it.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
Practical notes
- The eastern Crete ports are a long way from the airports. Sitia is around three hours from Heraklion.
- Sea state matters. This is open water and the crossing is exposed.
- Do not connect tightly to an onward flight from Rhodes.
Last checked August 2026. This line is seasonal and changes yearly - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Is there a ferry from Crete to Rhodes?
Yes, a seasonal line from eastern Crete through Kasos and Karpathos, running a few times a week rather than daily and taking most of a day.
Which Crete port do Rhodes ferries leave from?
Sitia and Agios Nikolaos in eastern Crete, not Heraklion or Chania, which means a long drive from the main airports.
How long is the flight from Crete to Rhodes?
About an hour direct in summer. Outside the season the only option may be a connection through Athens.
Should you fly or take the ferry from Crete to Rhodes?
Fly, unless you want to stop at Karpathos or Kasos. The ferry exists mainly to serve those islands.
What is Karpathos like?
Long, mountainous and windy, with the remote village of Olympos in the north and world-class windsurfing on its southern bay.