Visiting Kastellorizo, Greece on a Day Trip From Turkey

This post was last updated on 2025 October 27

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Did you know that Greece is only a 30-minute boat ride from Turkey?

Until I looked at a map, I had no idea that there were Greek islands that close to continental Asia. Nor had I heard of Kastellorizo, Greece’s eastern-most island (and one of its smallest!).

But as soon as I realized that I could hop on a ferry from Kas to Kastellorizo and travel to Greece (just one mile away!) in a half hour, I knew I had to allot one day of my Turkey itinerary for this day trip. And honestly, no regrets – it was one of the best days of my entire 3-week Turkey trip!

Here’s everything you need to know about taking the ferry from Kas to Kastellorizo and back in one day (it’s easier than you might think!):

The Kas-Kastellorizo Ferry

You could research and buy your Kas-Kastellorizo ferry tickets online, but the best and easiest thing to do is to stop by one of the ferry ticket booths by the Kas waterfront – just look for any signs that include ‘Kastellorizo’ or ‘Meis’ (the Turkish name for Kastellorizo).

In general, there is at least one boat every day that departs Kas around 9am (arriving in Kastellorizo at 9:30am), and departs Kastellorizo around 4pm (arriving in Kas at 4:30pm). If two ferries are running, they’ll likely be spaced 30 minutes apart around those times. In summer, there also might be a later ferry departing Kastellorizo around 11pm on certain days.

There are a few ferry companies to choose from; I went with Meis Ferry Lines and paid 28€ for a return trip in September 2025. I also paid a few euros extra for the port fee (I believe you can pay this on the day of the ferry trip as well, but it is much easier to pay in advance with your ticket purchase so you don’t have to worry about it later). The whole ferry ticket purchase process was quick and easy, and I was in and out of their office in about 5 minutes.

Tip: Bring your passport when you go to buy your Kas-Kastellorizo ferry tickets! The ferry company will need to enter your details into their system for immigration. You will also need to bring your passport on the ferry with you when you take your day trip to Kastellorizo, Greece.

The day of your ferry to Kastellorizo, head to the Kas waterfront and walk south past ALL of the day trip boats. At the end, you’ll see an “official”-looking archway for immigration (location approximately here). 

At the first booth, they will check your ticket and let you into immigration; at the second booth, they will check your passport and stamp you out of Turkey. Then you board the boat. Unlike airport immigration, this experience is pretty quick and stress-free. I arrived 30 minutes before departure time and that was more than enough (to be honest, I probably could have arrived 10-15 minutes beforehand and been fine).

Taken ~4pm, with the sun in front of the buildings.

Taken ~9:30am, with the sun behind the buildings.

I highly recommend having your camera ready when you get close to arriving in Kastellorizo – the port is very colorful and photogenic! Note that the light will be better for photos when you head back to Kas in the afternoon.

When you get off the ferry in Kastellorizo, you will enter a tiny building for immigration where they will stamp your passport and you will officially enter Greece. The whole thing is so casual that I didn’t even bother throwing a shirt on over my bikini top when I went through immigration later on to board the boat back to Turkey (seriously, where else in the world could you get away with that?!).

How To Spend A Day In Kastellorizo, Greece

By the time you account for immigration and the ferry waiting times, you’ll have closer to a half day in Kastellorizo (like 5 hours or so). But don’t worry: it’s a small island and it’s enough time to get a feel of the place.

If you’re only doing a day trip to Kastellorizo, Greece, I recommend doing exactly three things on this delightful little Greek island:

Blue Cave (Blue Grotto)

After you disembark and pass through immigration, you’ll be at Kastellorizo’s colorful port. All around the port, you’ll see several different operators offering boat trips to the blue cave (or blue grotto).

I don’t have any specific vendors to recommend, but I do strongly advise shopping around until you find a boat to Kastellorizo blue cave that’s leaving ASAP. I made the mistake of buying a ticket with the first vendor I came across and the boat wasn’t leaving for another 45 minutes… which ended up stretching to well over an hour before they finally just passed me off to another boat that was about to leave because I didn’t want to wait any longer.

So to maximize what little time you have on the island, aim to get on the first available boat trip to the blue cave when you arrive. No need to pre-book; just walk around the port until you find a boat that’s leaving right away.

And it’s a good idea to have euros in hand to pay for the boat trip in cash (I paid 15€ in September 2025). I recommend looking for an ATM in Kas that dispenses both lira and euros, and withdraw some euros before you board the ferry to Kastellorizo.

Now, blue caves are a common natural feature around this part of the world, so if you’ve seen one in Greece or Italy (or even Malta) before, you might think “seen one, seen them all” and opt to skip Kastellorizo’s blue cave, as I nearly did.

DON’T SKIP THE BLUE CAVE! It’s really cool and well worth the short trip. It only takes about 15 minutes to cruise out there and back to the port. Most captains will stop the boat just outside of the cave and allow 10 minutes or so for you to swim in, around, and out of it.

Our boat had a couple of folks who hadn’t worn their swimsuits and requested that we take the boat inside the cave so they could see it, too. This is only possible when the tide isn’t too high and the water isn’t wavy, as the entrance is pretty low over the waterline.

Our entry into the cave was just a wee bit harrowing. All of us had to lay down on our backs as we entered and exited.

And yes, the water inside the cave really is this electric blue color. Be sure to wear your swimsuit so you can jump off the boat and swim around the cave!

Saint George Beach

After you leave the Blue Grotto, the boat will drop you off at St. George Beach, on the tiny island of Saint George (Agios Georgios). You can tell your captain what time you want to be picked up at and he’ll return later to take you back to the port (which is only a few minutes away from Saint George).

At St. George Beach, you can rent a daybed with an umbrella for €10, order food and drinks from the onsite restaurant, and swim in the crystal clear cove. There’s a picturesque church in the midst of all that. Note that the beds get claimed quickly during summer, so try to arrive on the island as early as possible to snag one!

Though there’s no sand at this beach, the dozens of shades of blue in the water off St. Georges Island are more than enough to make it a picturesque scene. Honestly, this beach was more beautiful than most of the beaches I visited in Turkey.

I spent a couple of blissful hours sitting in the shade beneath the restaurant, gazing out at the water, and admiring the view with the Turkish coast in the distance. 10/10, no notes, best afternoon ever!

Kastellorizo Port

Whether you opt to spend the whole day at the port or just an hour or so before or after your Blue Grotto boat trip, definitely make time to walk around the port at Kastellorizo. It’s lined with colorful buildings all the way around, most of which are either restaurants or shops. You can easily kill some time by browsing for souvenirs or grabbing a coffee or ice cream.

The further you walk away from the ferry wharf, the quieter it gets. There’s not too much to see over on the other side, but it’s good for photos, and there are a few ladders leading into the sea if you want to go for a swim.

If you decide to spend the whole day at the port instead of taking the blue cave boat trip, or if you stay overnight, you might have time to do a little more sightseeing in Kastellorizo:

• Lycian tomb – Glimpse this tomb built into a seaside cliff.
• Archaeological Museum of Kastellorizo – Showcases the island’s history, featuring artifacts from ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Admission is €3 per person. 
• Megisti Puzzle Museum – Google Maps tells me you have to call or message ahead before you stop in, but if the rave reviews are anything to go by, it’s well worth the administrative effort to book a free tour at this puzzle place.
• Holy Monastery of Saint George of the Mountain – Located away from the port and involves a half hour walk up 400 steps, but if you’re up for it, this church boasts pretty mosaics, a crypt, and a fetching view over the island.
• Paleokastro Fortress – A 45-minute walk from the port and offers incredible 360-degree views, small caves, ruins, and chapels to explore.

Other Greek Islands To Visit From Turkey

Besides Kastellorizo, there are several other Greek islands that are a quick boat ride from Turkey:

• Lesvos – from Ayvalik (1-1.5hr)
• Chios – from Çeşme (30m)
• Samos – from Kuşadası (1hr)
• Kos – from Bodrum (30m)
• Rhodes – from Marmaris (1hr) or Fethiye (1.5hr)
• Symi – from Rhodes (1.5hr)