Karlovassi - Kalymnos
Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
Karlovassi - Kalymnos
Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
See ferry fares and operators from all over the world in one spot, and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking early is usually the surest way to get a good price and plenty of choice.
Discounts are available with Direct Ferries all year round. If a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied for you automatically once the right age bracket is selected in the passenger options.
Students and recent graduates can claim a 5% saving. Register with our partner Student Beans to verify eligibility, then apply your discount code at checkout.
Resident discounts also apply to a number of Spanish and Italian routes — pick the "Residents" option during search and the fare adjusts automatically. Be ready to show proof of address, such as an ID card or residency certificate, at check-in.
Requirements for travel documents change from route to route, so check what's needed ahead of time. A valid passport is usually required for Karlovassi to Kalymnos travel, plus any visa or national ID relevant to your nationality. Since the rules depend on your citizenship and destination, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is the place to check for the latest guidance and avoid delays at check-in.
To book, just add your departure port, arrival port and preferred date, and you'll see every fare and sailing on offer. You can also compare alternative routes and times to find your best match.
Look out for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket options, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that let you make changes down the line. Entering accurate details — passenger count, vehicle specs and so on — keeps the process running smoothly.
As soon as your booking is confirmed, a confirmation email will land in your inbox. What happens next with your boarding pass depends on the operator you've booked.
Some operators issue boarding passes right away, while others need you to check in at the port itself. Where it's supported, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online in advance.
You'll usually find ticket desks close to the ferry terminal. Giving yourself a little extra time before departure means you can collect tickets and check in without any stress.
Bring your confirmation email and valid photo ID, such as a passport or identity card, to check in. Pet owners should have vaccination and insurance documents on hand, and anyone with a resident discount should carry proof of address.
There are a few reasons departures from Karlovassi to Kalymnos might not show for your chosen date — a schedule change, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal lull are the most likely. Try another date or check alternative routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Karlovassi to Kalymnos ferry well ahead of time generally works in your favour — you'll usually find better fares and a wider choice of departures and cabins.
A few weeks ahead is usually enough notice to catch the best offers, though fares can still fluctuate with the season and remaining space.
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| Karlovassi - Kalymnos Ferry Route Prices |
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| Karlovassi - Kalymnos Ferry Route Summary | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Samos |
| Destination | Dodecanese Islands |
| Distance | 0 Nautical Miles |
* Prices subject to change, pricing is taken from last 30 days, last updated 1 August 2026.
Found on the glittering ultramarine coast that kisses the north-western edge of Samos, a roughly oval-shaped island deep in the Greek stretch of the North Aegean Sea, is the charming port-town of Karlovasi. Built in a wedge between a landscape of steep hills, the town is picture-perfect in its guise as an idyllic Mediterranean community. Traditional white-walled apartment blocks rise in anarchic tiers upon slopes coloured deep-green with Mediterranean pines, while a web of narrow lanes snake idly through the suburbs. The waterfront is lined by a sweeping promenade studded with alfresco restaurants and bars and canvas stalls selling local wares. Beyond them, in the warm shallows of the Aegean Sea, yachts and sailboats bob gently on their moorings. The port in Karlovasi is found at the north-eastern edge of town. It is a small site featuring a handful of piers that jut into a section of the sea sheltered by an arcing breakwater. Incoming ferries dock along the edge of the largest pier where facilities are limited to just a check-in booth and a short stay car-park. Travelling to and from the harbour can prove difficult. The island is hewn from rugged mountains that are split by just a few “main” roads, while most of the villages, Karlovasi included, are designed around a cramped network of streets more suited to pedestrians than cars. A few public buses travel between the towns and villages found nestled in the niches between the hills. Most services travel to the synonymous capital of Samos; this quaint, bay-side town sitting at the end of the number 62 highway which curves away from the heart of Karlovasi and traces the island’s rocky northern coastline east. A number of routes currently operate from the port in Karlovasi throughout the week. Services hosted by Hellenic Seaways sail to several of the islands that speckle the Aegean Sea; including Chios, Limnos and the port-city of Mytilene on the isle of Lesbos to the north; and Mykonos, Syros and the town of Evdilos on Ikaria in the west. A couple of other routes head to the city district of Piraeus and the town of Kavala further away on the Greek mainland.
Not many nations across the world can boast to have a moniker as unique (or indeed as strange) as the “Sponge-diving Island”, of Kalymnos. The odd nickname is a throwback to the Greek island’s thriving sponge trade when local divers, armed with just a harpoon and a lungful of air, trawled the bottom of the surrounding Aegean Sea in search of so-called “Kalymnian gold”. Such is the importance of sponges to the island’s culture that an annual Sponge Week celebration is held to honour the bravery of divers through the telling of poems, the singing of songs, and even the showing of tribute films. Nowadays Kalymnos is a millionaires’ playground, teeming with wealthy Greeks who want to while away the hours in the glorious warmth of the Mediterranean sun. The island is shaped by a rough and ragged coastline and a landscape of barren hills; their steep slopes marked by solitary pine trees clinging desperately to the rocks. Yet the desolate backcountry is a stark contrast to the beauty of Kalymnos town, where a pristine promenade hugs the deep-blue waters of a bay and narrow streets play host to white-washed buildings topped with terracotta tiles. The entire town is huddled at the foot of a valley; one side coloured by a rare swathe of deep-green where the lemon and tangerine groves of Pothia grow. The port in Kalymnos covers most of the town’s waterfront and consists largely of small piers and jetties lined with yachts that roll with the gentle swell of the waves. The ferry terminal is found on the largest of these piers at the western edge of the bay, just beside a sharp-angled, S-shaped breakwater. It is a small facility consisting of little more than a car-park and a designated section of the roadside where ferries make anchor. Though the port is located in the heart of Kalymnos’ main urban centre, travelling further afield can prove difficult due to the island’s harsh terrain and largely remote nature. The best way to get around is by following the single, main road that circles around the spine of mountains that cut across the region from the south-east to the north-west. This route – regularly traversed by local buses - leads directly from the ferry terminal, slices through Kalymnos town, and snakes away to the smaller villages of Mirties, Arginonta, and Vathis. A wide range of ferry routes currently operate from the port throughout the week, most hopping to the multitude of neighbouring islands. Services hosted by Dodekanisos Seaways sail to Arki, Fournoi, Agios Kirikos, Pyhagorio, Agathonisis, Lipsi, and Chalki as well as sharing the journey to Symi, Rhodes, Tilos, Patmos, Nisyros, Leros, and Kos with Blue Star Ferries. Blue Star Ferries also travel to Astypalea, Kastelorizo and the city of Piraeus on the Greek mainland.
