Travelling to Kalymnos can be done in a handful of ways, either by boat or plane. The easiest and fastest options of getting to the island are listed below:
Travelling to Kalymnos by plane
There is a small airport on the island which serves domestic flights, so you can fly to Kalymnos from places like Athens, Leros, Kos or Rhodes. Go to the website of Sky Express to find your flight tickets: https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/
Once you arrive at Kalymnos National Airport, all you do is take a taxi to your desired destination. The airport is located a few kilometers from Pothia (the capital of Kalymnos) and if you drive to Pothia, you have the option of renting a car (or a scooter) at one of the many rental shops. That will ensure you an easy and convenient vacation.
Travelling to Kalymnos by boat
If you have the option of flying to the island of Kos, we recommend that you take a boat from Kos to Kalymnos. Of course, you can sail from another island close by, but leaving from Kos is the quickest and most popular way. The boats sail a handful of times a day – and more often in the summertime.
There are many direct flights to Kos departing from various European cities, but if you can’t find a direct route from your location, you simply change flights. Use Momondo, Norwegian or Skyscanner to help you find cheap flight tickets.
After arriving in Kos airport, you can take a taxi to Mastichari. The port is no more than 10 minutes away by car and the ride will cost you around 15 Euros.
The slow ferry or the fast ferry
Two different boats/ferries leave from Mastichari to Kalymnos – the slow ferry and the fast ferry. The slow ferry is bigger and has room for cars, so if you’re on a road trip and need to bring your car with you, you need to pick this ferry. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes and you can find the time table here: https://www.anemferries.gr/en/δρομολόγια/
The fast boat departs more often, and the trip takes 20-25 minutes. The time table can be found here www.anekalymnou.gr/en/δρομολόγια-κρατήσεις/δρομολόγια.html. When you reach the website, click on the link underneath the “Mastichari route”.
Tickets for both ferries can be purchased at the kiosk by the pier on the day of departure. In June 2019, the price was around 7 € per person.