How to Get from Athens to Poros: Your 2024 Travel Guide

It is easy to get from Athens to Poros. This gorgeous little island is situated in the beating heart of the Saronic Gulf.

The Saronic is one of the most underrated Greek island groups. Here, Proos right besides Agistri and Aegina, and just a stone’s throw away from charming Hydra. 

Poros, like the islands that surround it, is a popular weekend getaway destination for Athenians. It combines pristine nature and beaches, with a cosmopolitan town and port area filled with excellent restaurants, coffee shops and bars. 

The landscape here is unique. There is just a small body of water that separates Poros from Galatas and the mainland Peloponnese

For just a few euros you can board a little wooden fishing boat across to the other side and dine at the various tavernas that await you there. The island is also a good jumping-off point for Methana.

Poros Highlights 

How to get from Athens to Poros
How to get from Athens to Poros

Poros has a little something for everyone. Whether you are hoping to spend your time relaxing on the island’s various beaches, or trekking through olive groves and pine forests, you are sure to be captivated by its charm. Some of the island’s highlights are detailed below. 

  • Explore the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon

  • Sink your toes into the sand at Love Bay, and the island’s other beaches

  • Admire the architecture of the town’s ornate 1927 clocktower

  • Take a sunset stroll along the marina

  • Eat traditional Greek food at charming seafront tavernas

  • Hike up to the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi and admire the views from the top

  • Browse the exhibits and locally-excavated artefacts at the Archaeological Museum

  • Check out the former Russian naval station

  • Follow the various footpaths around the island and its various lemon groves 

How to Get from Athens to Poros 

You have several options available to you for getting to Poros. This is on account of the island’s proximity to the mainland and the Peloponnese. The most popular way of reaching little Poros is to board a ferry from Piraeus port. 

However, you also have the option to drive. If you are renting a car in Greece, you can travel along the Greek National Road that connects Athens with Corinth. From the Corinth canal, follow the directions for Epidaurus and then, Galatas. 

It is not possible to take your car across to Poros on the small boats that connect the island with Galatas. As such, you will need to leave your car on the Galatas side. 

The Poros to Athens Ferry 

The most popular and arguably the most convenient way to get from Athens to Poros is to take the ferry. There are several ferry ports within the Athens vicinity. However, it is the Piraeus port that you need to use when travelling to the Saronic islands. 

Getting to Piraeus Port 

Bus and metro links conveniently link Piraeus with downtown Athens and Eleftherios Venizelos airport. The X96 bus runs all the way from the airport to Piraeus via Syntagma Square. You can find the X96 schedule here

Alternatively, you can consider travelling to Piraeus by metro. You will need to take Line 3 (the Green line) all the way to its final stop (Piraeus). The metro leaves you just a short distance from the port. 

If you prefer to travel with more comfort, you can also organize a private transfer or a taxi. If you are travelling from the airport to Piraeus, the day rate is €54, and the night rate is €70.

Athens private airport transfers do not typically cost much more and you have the assurance of knowing that someone is going to be waiting for you in Arrivals. Transfer to Piraeus port is made via a luxury air-conditioned vehicle, with complimentary water provided. Click here for a quotation.

If you are already in central Athens, you should expect to pay no more than €35 – €40 for a cab to Piraeus port. Order your cab via the taxi BEAT app rather than hailing one at random from the street. That way, you can see the price that you need to pay before getting in the vehicle and there is no risk of someone taking you on a long, roundabout route.

Athens to Poros Ferry Options 

There are three different ferry options available to you when you take the ferry from Athens to Poros. Namely, they are the Flying Dolphin, the Flying Cat, and the Car Ferry. 

Each boat travels at different speeds and thus, gets you to Poros in varying amounts of time. The Flying Dolphin is the fastest option, travelling at a speed of 35 knots. 

The Flying Cat 6 is also fairly speedy, travelling at 28 knots. It isn’t really advisable to travel to Poros by car ferry unless you are travelling with a vehicle.

The travel time on this boat is double that of the others. If you are renting a car in Greece and plan on driving around Poros, do double-check if this is permitted. Some Greek rental companies do not allow their vehicles to be taken onto ferries.

The Flying Dolphin from Athens to Poros

The speedy Flying Dolphin is operated by Hellenic Seaways and runs several times per day during the peak spring and summer months. This boat is relatively small and the seating is airline style. 

There are no outdoor seats on the Flying Dolphin. There are toilets on board but there is no snack bar/refreshments service. 

The Flying Dolphin is not excessively fast. However, the journey can be a little bumpy and rough on windy days. If you are prone to seasickness, you may prefer travelling aboard the Flying Cat 6 which is only marginally slower. 

The Flying Cat 6 from Athens to Poros

The Flying Cat 6 is not quite a ferry. However, it is a notably larger boat with outdoor seating and decking.

This is arguably one of the most comfortable ways to get from Athens to Poros. The boat is large enough that the journey always feels relatively smooth. The onboard snack bar serves an array of coffees, snacks, and beverages. 

Purchasing Athens to Poros Ferry Tickets

You can opt to purchase your Athens to Poros ferry tickets online or in person at the port ticket office. A ticket from Athens to Poros costs €26.50 each way.

You are typically fine to purchase them on your intended day of travel. However, it is prudent to buy them a day or two in advance if you are travelling during July/August and need to board a specific boat.

If you buy your tickets online, you can either get an electronic ticket with a QR code that will be scanned on your phone. Alternatively, you may collect a paper ticket from the port before travel.

Be sure to carry your passport/ID with you when you travel. It is not typical to be asked for this but you never know, so do take it with you just in case.

You can purchase your tickets through Ferryscanner. Schedules vary depending on the season so you can also check the latest routes, timetables, and prices there too.

Luggage Storage at Piraeus Port

There is luggage storage available at Piraeus port. This is suitable for both the short and medium-term.

If you arrive at the port area several hours before your ferry is due to depart, the ticket office staff are usually happy for you to leave your suitcase behind the counter. They will keep it safe while you explore or grab a Greek coffee.

If you plan on staying in Poros overnight and you don’t want to travel with all of your bags, there are storage lockers available for a fee. Similarly, if you stayed at a Piraeus hotel prior to taking the ferry to Poros, many hotels will store your luggage for a day or so at no extra cost.

Boarding the Ferry at Piraeus

The Flying Dolphin and the Flying Cat both depart from gate E9 for Poros. This is the same gate as for the majority of the Saronic islands (Aegina, Agistri, Spetses, etc).

Gate E9 is clearly marked and hard to miss. That said, if you are unsure of where to go, the majority of the port staff all speak English and can point you in the right direction.

Try and arrive at the ferry port at least an hour before your scheduled departure time. Do note that Piraeus port can get extremely crowded during the summer months, with lines of people waiting to board ferries to various different Greek island groups. It is imperative to double-check where your boat departs from with someone at the port, to avoid missing your ferry and waiting in the wrong line.

Organised tours to Poros

If you are short on time, or you don’t want the stress of using ferries independently and worrying about how to get from A to B, there are several Poros and Saronic Gulf tours that depart from Athens. These tours typically include pick-up and drop-off from your hotel in Athens or Piraeus so you don’t have to worry about getting to Piraeus yourself.

They take you to 2-3 islands in a day and include a sumptuous traditional Greek lunch. You will usually stop by Hydra, Aegina and Poros, or any combination of other islands in the Saronic.

Better still? The onboard multilingual staff and guides are locals so you have experts on hand to ask for recommendations on the best places to eat, drink and hang out on the islands and back in Athens.

You will be given a couple of hours on each island to explore independently. While this isn’t a huge amount of time to gain an in-depth look at each one, it is a nice first introduction. If you enjoy your time in the Saronic, you can always come back for longer the next time you are in Greece!

Recommended Poros tours

A number of reputable Poros and Saronic islands tours are detailed below for your consideration. It is a good idea to reserve your place online, in advance to avoid disappointment!

How to get from Poros to Athens

It is easy to make the ferry journey in reverse and return from Poros to Athens. It is still a good idea to purchase your ferry tickets online in advance where possible, or in-person at the ticket office a day or two before your intended departure.

Tickets from Poros to Athens are also €26.50 each way. Unless you are uncertain of your travel schedule, it may be worth purchasing a return ticket in the first instance. That way you know that you are booked on a particular service and are not likely to get “trapped” on the island.

The port area at Poros is small and it is not difficult to see where you need to go to board the ferry. The Hellenic Seaways ticket office is directly in front of the pier and clearly signposted. You can both purchase and collect tickets here.

The Greek summer months see everywhere become very crowded. If you want to spend more time exploring the Saronic archipelago, you can also purchase onwards tickets towards Hydra, Spetses, etc.

Parting Words 

Do you have any additional questions about travelling from Athens to Poros or planning a trip to Greece in general? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me using the contact form below. 

I have lived in Greece since 2017. I am always happy to help and I will get back to you ASAP. 

Safe travels! Geia sou, Melissa xo


highheelsandabackpack

Alice Cooper is a British Travel Writer and Blogger based in Athens, Greece. She writes for numerous high profile travel publications across the globe - including Forbes Travel Guide, Matador Network, The Times of Israel and The Huffington Post.

One Comment

  1. Hello Melissa,
    Thank you for the detailed description of traveling to Poros. My husband and I are traveling to Poros from Piraeus early on a Friday in August and plan to explore on the island for about 5 hours before catching a ferry to Hydra. We are staying in Hydra for 2 nights. I have two questions that Google hasn’t been able to answer for me.
    -Are there short term luggage storage options in Poros? We don’t want to leave a bag at Piraeus as our Hydra apartment has our first washing machine of the trip. Plus, we will travel with only one bag each.
    -Your article said there were paths around the island to lemon groves but the information I found says that they are all on the mainland, necessitating the boat/ferry ride across. Can you give me some guidance on how to find the on island groves? We visited the Amalfi coast a few years ago and loved strolling through the groves.
    Thank you, Kim

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