Crete · Greece
Sitia
Crete has three ferry doors, and this is the one nobody counts. Chania opens the west, Heraklion opens the Cyclades, and Sitia — at the far eastern end of the island — is the only Cretan port from which you can sail on into the Dodecanese. That single fact is worth more to an itinerary than everything else on this page.
Getting to Sitia by ferry
Direct crossings serving Sitia — open one for its full timetable.
Sitia to Heraklion
- Fastest crossing
- 2h 15m
- Operators
- 1 operator
See schedule
Sitia to Piraeus
- Fastest crossing
- 11h 30m
- Operators
- 1 operator
See schedule
Sitia ferry crossings at a glance
| Route | Crossing | Sailings | Operators | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitia → Heraklion | 2h 15m | 2 / wk | 1 | Greece |
| Sitia → Piraeus | 11h 30m | 2 / wk | 1 | Greece |
The eastern line
Sitia sits on the Blue Star route that runs Piraeus – Santorini – Anafi – Heraklion – Sitia – Kasos – Karpathos – Diafani – Chalki – Rhodes. Nine ports are reachable from here by sea.
The useful numbers: Kasos is about 2 hours, Karpathos roughly 3 h 35 m with six sailings a week, and Piraeus is a long 12 to 14 hours. Our own timetable holds two sailings each on the Kasos and Heraklion links.
Why the three-door choice matters
Set the Cretan ports side by side and they are not alternatives, they are different networks:
- Chania (Souda) — western Crete, and nothing beyond Crete.
- Heraklion — the Cyclades: Santorini, Milos, Naxos.
- Sitia — the Dodecanese: Kasos, Karpathos, Chalki and on to Rhodes.
If your trip ends in Rhodes or the Dodecanese, leaving Crete through Sitia removes an entire backtrack to Athens. Almost nobody plans it this way, because almost nobody knows the sailing exists.
Sitia to Heraklion by sea, and why you probably will not
The Sitia–Heraklion sailing takes about 2 h 15 m, which sounds attractive until you notice the road does it in around three hours with no timetable to obey.
The boat is worth it if you are already carrying a ferry ticket onward, or if you want the coastal view. For a straight transfer, drive.
The far end of Crete
Sitia is a small town with a long waterfront, a Venetian fort above it, and an airport that takes a handful of domestic flights. Beyond it lies the part of Crete that mass tourism has not reached: the palm forest and beach at Vai, the Minoan site at Zakros at the bottom of a gorge, and the monastery of Toplou in the dry hills.
It is three hours' drive from Heraklion, which is exactly why it is quiet.
⚠ This is a thin timetable, not a hub
Two sailings here, two there. The eastern line runs a handful of times a week, not several times a day, and a missed connection is a day rather than an hour.
Check the specific sailing dates before building a plan around Sitia, and treat it as a scheduled link to be reserved rather than a service to be turned up for. That is the trade for the route existing at all.
Kasos and Karpathos
The two islands immediately east are the reason to use this port. Kasos is tiny, arid and almost untouristed. Karpathos is long, mountainous and holds villages — Olympos above all — where traditional dress and dialect survived because the roads did not arrive until recently.
Neither is easy to reach from anywhere else. From Sitia they are a morning.
Season
The eastern Blue Star line is at its fullest from late spring to early autumn and thins sharply outside it. The Piraeus sailing runs year round but slowly.
June and September are the practical window: the Dodecanese connections are running, eastern Crete is bearable in temperature, and Vai is not full.
Sitia ferry & travel FAQ
Why sail from Sitia rather than Heraklion?
Because Sitia is the only Cretan port with connections east into the Dodecanese — Kasos, Karpathos, Chalki and on to Rhodes. Heraklion opens the Cyclades; Chania opens nothing beyond Crete.
How long is the ferry from Sitia to Karpathos?
About 3 hours 35 minutes, with roughly six sailings a week on the Blue Star eastern line. Kasos is nearer, at around two hours.
How long is the ferry from Sitia to Athens?
Twelve to fourteen hours to Piraeus. It runs year round but slowly, and it is the long way to do the journey.
Should I take the boat or drive from Sitia to Heraklion?
Drive, unless you are already holding an onward ferry ticket. The sailing is about 2 hours 15 minutes but the road does it in roughly three with no timetable to obey.
How often do ferries run from Sitia?
Not often. The eastern line runs a handful of times a week rather than several times a day, so check the specific dates and reserve rather than turning up.
What is worth seeing near Sitia?
The palm forest and beach at Vai, the Minoan palace at Zakros at the bottom of a gorge, and the Toplou monastery. This is the part of Crete mass tourism has not reached.
Is Sitia a good base for eastern Crete?
Yes — it is three hours from Heraklion, which is exactly why it stays quiet, and it has a small airport with a few domestic flights.
When do the Sitia ferries run?
The eastern Blue Star line is fullest from late spring to early autumn. June and September are the practical window, when the Dodecanese connections run and eastern Crete is bearable.
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Reviewed by Serhat Özçelik, Founder & Editor of Ferry Schedule Hub · Last updated August 8, 2026.