Karlovassi – Kalymnos
Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
Karlovassi – Kalymnos
Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
You can easily find cheap ferry tickets with our Deal Finder. We recommend booking in advance to get the best possible prices and availability. You can also check out our Special Offers page for the latest deals on Karlovassi ferries.
Yes, Direct Ferries offers a wide range of discounts all year around. When searching for ferries, senior discounts will be automatically applied if they are available. Just select your age range from the passenger options.
Students and graduates can get a 5% discount on ferry tickets. To take advantage of the discount, you need to register with our partner Student Beans and confirm your student or graduate status. You will then receive a discount code which can be entered during the payment process.
Resident discounts are available on a variety of Spanish and Italian ferry routes. Just click on the "Residents" option when this is displayed in our Deal Finder. The discount is automatically applied to the price. Bear in mind that proof of registration or an identity card with the correct address must be shown at check-in.
Travel requirements can vary depending on the route, so it's important to check what documents you'll need before sailing. In most cases, a valid passport is required when traveling from Karlovassi to Kalymnos, along with any necessary visas or national ID cards. Requirements may differ based on your nationality and the destination country’s regulations. To avoid delays at check-in, you can find helpful information for your journey in our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide and in our blog post on tips and tricks for international travel.
Book your ferry tickets online with Direct Ferries using our Deal Finder. Just enter your departure and arrival ports and the date you’d like to travel to see all available options and prices. You’ll also be able to view alternative routes and times, so you can find the best deal to suit you.
Look out for early booking discounts or special ticket options such as upgrades or flexi-tickets that allow you to change or cancel your booking. To make your sailing as smooth as possible, make sure you enter all the required information correctly, such as number of passengers and vehicle specifications.
Once you’ve finalised your booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email. It depends on the ferry operator you book with as to how your boarding pass is issued and collected.
Whilst some ferry operators issue the boarding pass as soon as your booking is confirmed, others may ask you to check in at the port. There’s also the option for online check-in, which can be easily done via the Direct Ferries app, if available.
The ticket desks are usually located near the ferry terminals. To avoid any delays at the port, we’d recommend allowing some extra time to collect your tickets and to check-in.
During check-in, you must show your email confirmation, as well as an official photo ID, such as a passport or identity card. You might also be asked to provide documentation for your pet (vaccines, pet insurance etc.) or proof of residence, if you have booked your ticket with a resident discount.
There could be various reasons why there are no departures from Karlovassi to Kalymnos for the date you’ve requested. For example, a temporary timetable change, limited availability or seasonal changes in the timetable.
We recommend checking for alternative dates. Our Deal Finder automatically compares the desired route with alternative routes and dates, offering up-to-date real time options, all in one place.
The best time to book ferries from Karlovassi to Kalymnos is usually as early as possible. By booking in advance, you’ll not only get your tickets at the best available prices, but you’ll also get a better choice of departure times and cabin/seating options.
We’d recommend making your booking at least a few weeks in advance to benefit from the best offers. Bear in mind that prices may vary depending on the season and availability.
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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.
