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Santorini to Naxos Ferries: All Options Explained | Santorini Secrets

Santorini to Naxos Ferries: All Options Explained

Santorini to Naxos Ferries: All Options Explained

You have two ways to get from Santorini to Naxos: by the slow ferry or the fast ferry. It's a ... Read more

Published: June 1, 2024•Updated: July 10, 2025•By Pavlos Inglesis•11 min read•

GreeceNaxosSantorini

santorini to naxos ferries — Naxos is very well connected to Santorini by many ferries per day

You have two ways to get from Santorini to Naxos: by the slow ferry or the fast ferry. It’s a very straightforward route, but not necessarily practical for a day trip.

Santorini to Naxos ferries take less than 3 hours to reach Naxos, and this route is usually part of the typical long ferry routes from Piraeus that go through many Cyclades islands (such as Ios, Paros, Tinos, Sifnos, etc.).

Suppose you cannot find any available route from Santorini to Naxos on Ferryhopper.In that case, it is because usually the ferry operators announce the available routes and timetables around 4-6 months in advance only every year, so you should better check closer to your dates.

Here are the ferry options you have, basically:

	How Long Does It Take	Cost*
Ferry (slow) (from Santorini Athinios port)	2 hours & 45 minutes	31 euros
Ferry (fast) (from Santorini Athinios port)	1 hour & 30 minutes	60 euros

*Obviously, the cost fluctuates a lot and may differ; always check Ferryhopper

There is an airport on Naxos island, but no flights are available between the two islands. Usually, the airports on Greek islands operate flights between Athens and the island.

You can always search directly from here for the available ferries from Santorini to Naxos:

naxos port island greece — Naxos port can get quite busy during the summer months (May-October)

There are several ferries per day from Santorini to Naxos, which take from 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 45 minutes (depending on which ferry you choose). It’s a relatively quick and easy way to travel between the two islands.

Ferryhopper is the largest and safest website in Greece for booking ferry tickets from Santorini to Naxos. You can also use it to check timetables and prices between all Greek islands.

READ ALSO:

It’s obvious that what I explain in this post also applies to the return trip from Naxos toSantorini.

santorini bus athinios port — Local Buses in Santorini waiting at Athinios Port.

Keep reading…

If you are wondering what it is like inside a ferry to the Greek islands, here is my complete tour of the Highspeed 4 Ferry (interior and exterior).

Best way To get From Santorini to Naxos: By slow Ferry (1 hour and 15 minutes) Blue Star because it’s simply so much cheaper (half the price)than the fast one and it’s really not worth it in my opinion since the islands are pretty close anyways; even a daytrip between the 2 islands is definitely doable. However, if money is not an issue obviously book the faster Seajets Ferry.

SANTORINI TO NAXOS TIPS:

You have two options for getting from Santorini to Naxos: by slow ferry or by fast ferry.
The best way to get from Santorini to Naxos: By slow Ferry(1 hour and 15 minutes), Blue Star, because it’s much cheaper (half the price)than the fast one. It’s really not worth it, in my opinion, since the islands are pretty close anyway; even a day trip between the 2 islands is definitely doable. However, if money is not an issue, obviously book the faster Seajets Ferry.
Best Website for Ferry Prices & Timetables: Ferryhopper
Santorini to Naxos Ferries depart from Athinios port in Santorini.
Between April and October, there can be more than four ferries a day from Santorini to Naxos; there are far fewer ferry options in the winter (November-March)
How long is the ferry ride from Santorini to Naxos? It varies from 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 45 minutes, depending on the ferry operator; the same applies to the ferry from Naxos to Santorini.
How much does it cost to take a ferry from Santorini to Naxos? It changes every year, but in general, it can cost from 31 euros (slow ferry) to around 60 euros per person (fast ferry)
You must book your ferry online, and you can then enter the ferry with the barcode in the email sent to you. This will be written in the email you will receive from Ferryhopper, and it is now the system that most ferry companies use. Still, some smaller companies may ask you to get a printout from a kiosk outside the ferry, and this printout will allow you to enter the ferry. As a rule of thumb, if your ticket, which you got through email from Ferryhopper, has a barcode, you can enter the ferry directly.
Strikes in Greece: Strikes can happen anytime in Greece and for any means of public transportation at short notice. They usually occur on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. Yes, they may mess up your trip, but they are necessary for the hard-working people of Greece so that they can have decent salaries and benefits. So, get over it and try to find alternatives for your trip.
Strong Winds – Ferries Cancellations: in case there are strong winds (which can be pretty common in August in Greece), then the Greek Port Authorities may stop all ferries from departing, so bear in mind this is also a possibility that can mess up your trip; as an average there might be 4-5 days during the summer months that this can happen so it’s good to have that in mind
Business Seats on Ferries in Greece: In my opinion, they are not worth the extra money, as you only get a bit more space and a slightly quieter area to sit, but even the standard seats are very spacious
The Ferry Schedule for all Greek islands is announced only 4-6 months before the actual trips, so if you cannot find any scheduled ferries for your trip 3 years from now, please check again 3 months before your actual trip. Ferry tickets to Greek islands never sell out; you will always find a ticket.

Santorini to Naxos Ferry Schedule

seajets ferry greece — The SEAJETS Ferries are usually the fastest from and to any Greek island.

The Ferry Schedule from Santorini to Naxos is only announced a few months before the actual trip dates, which means that the times for the busy summer months of May, June, July, August, and September are only announced around January or February of the same year. However, there are usually not many changes, as there are traditionally ferries that depart sometime in the morning and pass through several Cyclades islands.

Here is an Example of a Ferry Schedule from Santorini to Naxos in July from Ferryhopper:

santorini to naxos ferries — This is a typical Ferry Schedule from Santorini to Naxos in the summer months (May, June, July, August, and September); there are ferries between the two islands all day.

This is just an example of a ferry schedule! For the latest Ferry schedule, always check on Ferryhopper. The winter ferry schedule is less frequent, probably 1-2 ferries daily.

ferry ticket Greek islands blue star ferry highspeed — If you book your ticket through Ferryhopper you are going to get a link through email where you can download the tickets with the barcode that looks like this (it will open up in your browser, and you can just screenshot it); this ticket will have your seat number as well, and it is individual for every passenger, so kids and vehicles will have their own barcodes and separate tickets.

highspeed ferry greece — Highspeed and Seajet are usually the fastest ferries to the Greek islands.

ferry Greek islands inside — This is the Economy Class (or regular seats) on the Highspeed ferry.

economy class space seat greece — I am not the tallest guy in the world (5’10”- 1.79m),but I had plenty of space in the economy seats of Highspeed 4.

business class seats ferry greece — The business class seats were almost similar to the economy class, but this may differ slightly from ferry to ferry; in my opinion, they are not worth it on any ferry.

seat nuimber ferry greece — It might be tricky to locate the exact seat number that is on your ticket, but you can always ask the crew of the ferry.

food ferry Greek islands — Unfortunately, there are no restaurants on any of the ferries, but there are plenty of options for nibbles, sandwiches, and Greek pasties in the small shops called Everest, which are pretty much on every ferry.

luggage space ferry Greek islands — There is always plenty of luggage space on board any ferry, but you must be careful as these are unattended.

ferry greece outside space highspeed — There is always an open space on any ferry (smoking is strongly prohibited everywhere), but its size depends on the ferry itself; usually, the slowest ferries (Blue Star) have the largest outdoor spaces, and the fastest ones (catamaran-style Highspeed and Seajets) have more limited outdoor spaces.

seajet ferry inside interior greece — This is inside the Seajet Ferry, which connects many Greek islands.

seajet ferry seats inside greece — I had less space inside the Seajet Ferry than I had in the Highspeed ferry, but it was still comfortable.

BLUE STAR FERRIES

Blue Star Ferries are the largest but slowest ferries from Santorini to Naxos and the cheapest.

Bluestar Ferries are the biggest you can take to Naxos from Santorini. They are the most stable but also the slowest (they arrive in 2 hours and 45 minutes). No matter how bumpy or windy it is, you won’t feel much on Bluestar Ferries.

However, in case of strong winds, the Greek Port Authorities may not allow any ferries to depart for safety reasons. The best way to check for the available Blue Star Ferry schedule is to visit the Ferryhopper website.

Where can you book Blue Star ferry tickets from Santorini to Naxos?

I highly recommend you book your ferry tickets online through Ferryhopper before you even land in Greece. It is the easiest and safest way to guarantee you will get a seat.

In fact, for July, August, and September, I recommend you book the ferry tickets online at least 1 month in advance. To be honest, you will always find a seat on a ferry, but if you plan to get your vehicle on the ferry, you must book very well in advance, as there are limited spaces for cars and motorbikes in their garages.

BE CAREFUL THOUGH:

As long as the email you receive from Ferryhopper has a barcode, you will be fine with entering the ferry with this. However, the email you will receive from them will be very clear.

Otherwise, you will get instructions on how to get the printout ticket, as some smaller ferry companies don’t have a barcode system on their tickets (very old-fashioned indeed…). This is not a problem, however, and all you have to do is go to a kiosk outside of the ferry itself, and people there will print out the ticket for you. Ferryhopper will give you instructions on where to go exactly.

How much does a Blue Star Ferry ticket cost?

For the latest prices, always check theFerryhopperwebsite.

Read Also:Mykonos to Naxos Ferry Options

SEAJET FERRIES

seajet ferries greece — Seajet Ferries are usually the fastest ferries to and from any Greek island, but they are also the least stable and by far the most expensive.

SEAJET Ferries are the fastest way to go from Santorini to Naxos, but they are also the least stable and the most expensive. The best way to check the available SEAJET Ferry times schedule is to visit the Ferryhopper website.

In my opinion, paying double the price only to be 1 hour faster to Naxos does not make a lot of sense. I would rather take the slow Blue Star ferry between these two islands, but if money is not an issue, just take the fastest option available.

Where can you book SEAJET ferry tickets from Santorini to Naxos?

I highly recommend you book your ferry tickets online through Ferryhopper.

seajet ferry seats numbers — You are always getting a numbered seat on the Seajet Ferries.

FLIGHTS TO NAXOS

Naxos has an airport, but it’s only used for domestic flights between Athens and Naxos.

CONCLUSION

You basically have 2 options for the Santorini to Naxos ferries: the slow and the fast. My honest recommendation is to take the slow one instead of the fast one because it’s much cheaper, and it’s not worth it.

For the last few years, Ferryhopper has been the best way to check timetables and even book ferry tickets online. I highly recommend it to everyone looking to get a ferry from Santorini to Naxos.

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