Santorini (Thira) – Athens (Rafina)
Ferries to Athens
Santorini (Thira) – Athens (Rafina)
Ferries to Athens
The Thira Rafina ferry route connects Cyclades Islands to Athens and is currently operated by 2 ferry companies. The SeaJets service runs up to 6 times per week with a sailing duration of around 5 hours while the Golden Star Ferries service runs up to 7 times per week with a duration from 6 hours 5 minutes.
So that’s a combined 13 ferries from Thira to Athens each week, with up to 2 sailings per day. Compare now and get the best fare at the time that you want to travel.
More routes than anyone else.
Compare fares, times & routes in one place.
Change plans easily with flexi tickets.
Book e-tickets & manage trips in-app.
Live ship tracking & real-time updates.
Top-rated customer support when you need it.
Located in the southern Aegean Sea is the Greek island of Santorini and lies around 200 km to the south east of the Greek mainland. It forms part of the Cycladic group of islands and is the only location in Europe to have a hot desert climate. A popular pastime for visitors to Santorini is to take a cruise to the island's three islets, which were created in ancient times during a volcanic eruption. The islets are called Nea Kammeni, Palea Kammeni and Thirassia and provide an excellent vantage point for visitors to see the volcano, being located to the west of the island. The island's capital is Fira and is full of typical Cycladic houses with whitewashed walls, blue domed churches and stepped streets full of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars.
The island of Santorini has two ports. The main port is Athinios, where all the ferry and commercial boats arrive. There is also the Old Port which is mostly used for cruise ships. From the main port, ferries can be taken to Piraeus, Rafina and to the other islands in the Cyclades. Both conventional and high speed ferries operate on these routes.
The Greek town of Rafina lies on the east coast of the Attica region of mainland Greece, on the shores of the Aegean Sea. The town is close to the town's of Artemida and Nea Makri and also to the Greek capital, Athens, which is around 25 km to the west. because of its proximity to Athens Rafina is popular with many Athenians who visit to enjoy the town's many fish restaurants that can be found lining the harbour. It is not uncommon to see the day's catch lying on beds of ice outside each restaurant.
In ancient times Rafina was named Arafinidon Alon but its history dates back to prehistoric times, but more specifically to pre-Hellenic times. In Askitario, to the south of Rafina, archaeologists have found a unique vase with a dog painted on it which has been dated back to 2,800 BC. Another significant find was near the town's port where a bronze foundry was discovered and is thought to be one of the oldest in Europe, and dates back to 1800 BC.
After the Port of Piraeus, Rafina's port is the second largest in Attica. Ferry services operating from the port depart to the southern part of Euboea and to the Cyclades islands.
