Ios to Rafina Ferry

By Dave Briggs

Useful Resources for Your Greek Island Trip

The last known sailing on this route was on 20 September 2026.

No timetable beyond that date has been published yet. Greek operators often release the next season’s schedules only a few months ahead, so this can be a seasonal pause rather than the end of the route. Check whether it is currently available to book through Ferryscanner.

Historically, this route ran about 0.9 sailings a day in August 2025, about 0.4 sailings a day in September 2025, about 0.8 sailings a day in June 2026, about 1 sailings a day in July 2026, about 1.2 sailings a day in August 2026, about 0.8 sailings a day in September 2026.

This is one of the longer domestic crossings in the Cyclades, running the length of the Aegean from Ios in the southern group up to Rafina on the Attic coast. It's a route built for people connecting the party-and-beach island of Ios with Athens without routing through Piraeus, and for anyone based near Rafina or Athens airport who wants a straight shot south into the islands rather than the busier Piraeus terminals.

At just over five hours, this is not a hop -- it's a proper sea journey, and worth planning your day around rather than squeezing in either side of other commitments. Golden Star Ferries runs the boat, and since no other company competes on this pairing, there's a single timetable to check rather than several to compare. Ios's port sits below the hillside town, a short bus or taxi ride from Chora and the beaches most visitors come for, while Rafina's harbour is a compact, easy-to-navigate affair on Attica's east coast, closer to the airport than central Athens and a far calmer place to arrive or depart than Piraeus at the height of summer.

Because there's normally just the one sailing a day rather than a run of options to choose between, it pays to build your travel day around the departure time rather than assume you can shift it. Check the schedule box above for the current confirmed sailing day and time each season, since operators file their timetables in stages and the details firm up as summer approaches.

Map of the Cyclades showing the ferry route north-west from Ormos on Ios to Rafina, on the Attica coast.

Useful Resources for Your Greek Island Trip

Exploring Athens?

If you have time before or after your ferry, there is plenty to see near the capital. Browse our complete guide to the best day trips from Athens – from ancient ruins and mountain villages to coastal escapes and island hops.

Last published timetable

Shown as history: these sailings are no longer bookable, but they are how the route ran when it was last scheduled.

DepartsArrivesDaysValidOperatorVessel
15:1520:20Dailyuntil 20 Sep 2026Golden Star FerriesGolden Princess