Kastellorizo lies about 2 km off the Turkish coast, so the boat from Kas crosses in 15 to 20 minutes and leaves about five hours on the island before the 16:00 or 16:30 return. Five GetYourGuide listings cover the trip, and passport control stands on both shores.
The Blue Cave opens only to boats in calm weather, and the island has no sandy swimming beach. Kastellorizo is one island among many on our list, and the Greece Tours homepage groups the others by region.
What is a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
It is a return sea crossing from the Turkish town of Kaş to the Greek island of Kastellorizo. The trip starts and ends in Kaş on the same day. It joins two countries and two harbours in one outing.
A Kastellorizo day trip from Kas crosses the border between Turkey and Greece. Wikipedia says the island lies about 2 km from Kaş. It also calls Kastellorizo the easternmost Greek island, apart from the islet of Strongyli.
Wikipedia describes Kaş as a small town known for fishing, diving, yachting and tourism. It is a district of Antalya Province, covers 1,750 km² and counts 63,957 residents. Wikivoyage says it draws British, German and Russian visitors. Greek speakers know the town as Andifli. The Kastellorizo day trip from Kas starts here.
The island is on a different scale. Wikipedia gives its municipality 11.98 km² and 594 residents, all of them in the town of Megisti. Wikivoyage calls that village the port itself. The island is one of the 15 larger Dodecanese islands and belongs to the Rhodes regional unit.
Turks call the island Meis. Wikipedia says the name comes from the island’s official Greek name, Megisti. A second Turkish name, Kızılhisar, means Red Castle. The ticket booths on the Kaş waterfront carry signs with Kastellorizo or Meis, says one travel blog.
Wikipedia says tourists go to Kastellorizo to find an isolated place in the Dodecanese. The Kastellorizo day trip from Kas sells that island visit as one day from the Turkish coast.
Travel bloggers treat the Kastellorizo day trip from Kas as an add-on to a Turkey itinerary. One calls it one of the easiest day trips from Kaş. The same blog sets it against the usual sunken-city boat tours as a change. Another gave it one day of a three-week Turkey trip.
Why does a Kastellorizo day trip start in Kas?
Kaş sits about 2 km from Kastellorizo. Rhodes, the nearest place in the rest of Greece, is 125 km away. Wikipedia adds that a Turkish ferry serves the island daily from Kaş, with a same-day return on offer.
That gap is why a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas is the short way into Greece from the Turkish coast. Wikipedia places the island more or less halfway between Rhodes and Antalya.
The island is in sight of the town. Wikivoyage’s page on Kaş shows Kastellorizo in a photo taken from the ancient theatre of Antiphellos. The same page calls Kaş small and easy to walk around. It puts the ferry pier in the town’s marina, at its southern end.
The ties between the two shores are old and practical. One boat-tour site says islanders cross to Kaş every Friday to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at the weekly market. Wikivoyage confirms a Friday street market in Kaş.
Visitors and boats already fill Kaş. The district earns its main income from tourism, says Wikipedia. Wikivoyage counts over a dozen boat-trip operators working from the harbour.
Guests who stay in Kalkan do not need a different departure town. One boat-tour site collects them there and drives them to Kaş Harbour. Another listing names Kalkan in its title. A Kastellorizo day trip from Kas also works from a coastal town nearby.
One travel blog lists six other Turkey-to-Greece sea links. None of them reaches Kastellorizo.
- Ayvalık to Lesvos
- Çeşme to Chios
- Kuşadası to Samos
- Bodrum to Kos
- Marmaris to Rhodes
- Fethiye to Rhodes
The blog gives each link between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours. Wikivoyage gives the Kaş crossing as 20 minutes.
Wikivoyage adds one limit. The reverse day trip, from the island to Kaş, is not possible. A one-day Kastellorizo day trip from Kas therefore starts on the Turkish side.
Ferries from Rhodes, flights and the road to Kaş have their own guide on Kastellorizo transfers. This page stays with the day return from the Turkish town.
Which Kastellorizo day trip from Kas listings can you book?
Five GetYourGuide listings sell a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. Four sell the crossing, at five, six, eight to nine and nine hours. The fifth sells a two-hour boat tour around the island.
The five-hour listing is the shortest crossing. Its title says 20 minutes each way. The text is written for guests already staying in Kaş. The summary names the Red Castle and the Blue Cave, which it calls one of the largest in Europe. It carries a skip-the-line tag and 11 reviews at 4 stars out of 5.
The six-hour listing sells a ferry ticket online. Its summary says the trip starts on board and you walk around the island. It carries the same skip-the-line tag and bars guests aged 11 and younger. It holds 11 reviews at 3.1 stars.
The listing for Kaş and Kalkan runs eight to nine hours. It offers pickup and lists English and Turkish. Its summary pitches a quick boat trip as an escape from daily bustle to the calm of the open sea. Seven reviews give it 3.9 stars.
The nine-hour listing for a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas sits under Antalya, 168 km east of Kaş. Its title still says it starts from Kaş. The summary sells a swim in the Blue Grotto and time in the island’s streets. It is wheelchair accessible, in English, with 3.1 stars from 4 reviews.
The fifth listing is not a crossing. It is a private or small-group boat tour around Kastellorizo, filed under the island’s own name as a day trip. The summary promises bays, remote beaches and a flexible route with no rigid schedule. It lasts two hours, runs in English and Greek and holds one 5-star review.
Search for Meis as well as Kastellorizo. Two of the five titles use the Turkish name, and the six-hour listing writes both names side by side.
Ticket bands differ from listing to listing. The five-hour crossing counts children aged 0 to 3 apart from guests aged 4 and over. The Kaş and Kalkan crossing splits adults from 12, children from 6 to 11 and infants up to 5.
The nine-hour crossing and the boat tour use one band for ages 0 to 99. Check these bands before you plan a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas with children.
Every listing carries free cancellation. The four crossings close for booking 10 hours before departure, and the boat tour closes 1 hour before. None of the summaries names a meeting point, so open the full listing first.
A Kastellorizo day trip from Kas needs one crossing listing. The boat tour sells a different service, so it does not replace the ferry. The two crossings with the highest review count, 11 each, are the five-hour and six-hour listings.
What happens hour by hour on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Pages put the Kaş departure of a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas between 08:45 and 10:00. The return from the island leaves at 16:00 or 16:30. Passport control sits on both shores, and the sea crossing is the shortest step.
The clock of a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas starts at the port, before any boat moves. One travel blog says to arrive 30 minutes early for passport control. A hotel blog in Kaş recommends one hour before departure.
A third blogger turned up 30 minutes ahead and found that more than enough. The same blogger says the ticket office asks for your passport when you buy, so your details reach immigration.
One blogger bought tickets at an office on the main square in Kaş, near the statue of Atatürk. The hotel blog adds that a booking made online can still need a paper ticket collected at the port.
On the Turkish side, you walk to an archway at the end of the waterfront. Two booths stand there. One looks at your ticket. The other takes your passport and marks your exit from Turkey. Then you board.
Boarding is easy, says one blogger. The boat has drinks but no snacks, so eat before you leave the quay.
The crossing of a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas is short. One blog gives 15 to 20 minutes, and the hotel blog gives 7 to 20 minutes, depending on the vessel. An operator page lists a Kaş departure between 08:45 and 09:00 and a landing around 09:20.
Another blog says at least one boat a day leaves Kaş around 09:00 and lands at 09:30. The return leaves the island around 16:00 and docks in Kaş at 16:30. Where two ferries run, that blog expects them about 30 minutes apart.
The first travel blog gives a later start. Its ferries leave Kaş around 09:30 or 10:00 and come back by 16:00 or 16:30. It adds that the operator decides which of those times you get on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas.
Once the boat docks, a small building near the quay stamps your passport, and you are in Greece. From there the day is free until the return boat.
How much time do you spend ashore on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Pages give five hours on the island for a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. One hotel blog gives five to six. The return boat sets the limit. Sources put it at 16:00 or 16:30, and a passport stop comes before you board.
An operator page lists up to five hours ashore. A travel blog counts immigration and ferry waiting first. It leaves closer to half a day, about five hours. The hotel blog says a comfortable five to six hours.
The return boat is the fixed point of the day. Sources put it at 16:00, and one blog gives 16:30, depending on the operator. Work back from that time when you plan the hours ashore on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas.
Border checks run on both ends, says one blog. A second blog calls the Turkish check quick and stress-free. It calls the island check before the boat home casual.
Waiting eats hours on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas too. One blogger’s boat docked late because a ferry from Rhodes held up the port. Greek passport control also had a problem. The group reached the island about 90 minutes behind plan. That blogger’s own return was set for 11 pm, so the loss did not cut the day much.
Boat rides from the harbour use the clock as well. One blogger waited 45 minutes for a Blue Cave boat to leave, and the wait ran past an hour. The hotel blog gives 45 minutes for the whole cave trip, with about 15 inside.
One blog says there can be a later ferry home, around 11 pm, on certain summer days. Another blogger sailed out at 11:30 and came home at 11 pm. Ask the ticket office whether your Kastellorizo day trip from Kas can use that late boat.
A small-boat operator page sets a later clock. Customs and passport control come on arrival, around 09:45 to 10:30. Coves fill the day, and harbour time starts around 16:30. The boat leaves the island around 20:30 and reaches Kaş around 21:00. The day plan on the same page shifts these times by 30 minutes to one hour.
That gives the harbour four hours, against a block of about five hours on the ferry plan. Read the return time of any listing first. It tells you how long the island really is yours.
What happens to a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas when the weather turns?
Wind is the weather risk for the crossing of a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. Wikipedia says the strong north winds of the Aegean can blow at force 7 to 8. It names inter-island ferries among the boats that cannot sail in them.
The strong north winds of the Aegean are called etesians, and meltemi in Greek. Wikipedia says they blow from late spring to mid-September. Its page on Greek climate says late spring to October. It puts the highest frequency in July and August.
The wind page says these winds are at their strongest in the afternoon. They come up in clear weather without warning. Sometimes they last for days without a break. The same page calls the weather under them ordinarily fine and clear.
The return boat of a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas leaves in the afternoon, at 16:00 in the sources above. That page names the Aegean and Cyprus but not the Kaş strait. Treat it as the general risk, and read the day’s forecast before you pay.
Wikipedia gives Kastellorizo a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers. Its page on Kaş gives hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Winters on the island are mild too: average lows do not drop below 12.0 °C.
Sea state also decides the Blue Cave stop on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. The hotel blog says boatmen will not enter the cave when the sea is not right. A boat-tour page says dinghy access depends on water levels and weather, so ask the captain that day.
One blogger arrived by the later ferry and found the tide too high to enter. The blog advice is to take an earlier boat and ask the skippers about conditions on arrival.
A ferry booking help page lists two choices when weather cancels a sailing. You swap the ticket for one of equal value, or you cancel and ask the operator for a full refund. A trip the operator did not cancel gets no refund.
Weather does cancel island sailings. In late November, a ferry line from Rhodes cancelled its approach to Kastellorizo because of bad weather. That notice covers the Rhodes route, not the Kaş crossing.
The operator and tour pages read for this page state no weather refund rule. One boat-tour page lists free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and gives no weather refund rule. Ask the ticket office before you pay.
If the crossing is off, the day does not have to be. The Kas tours page lists other day trips from Kaş, among them Patara and Myra. Keep that list at hand for a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas that the sea cancels.
What can you see on foot on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Start at the quay, then walk east: the old mosque, the Knights’ castle, the Lycian tomb and the cathedral square. All five stand inside the island’s one town. A Kastellorizo day trip from Kas needs only your feet and one loop.
The quay is your base on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. Slender houses face the water, with wooden balconies and windows of the Anatolian type. Ruined houses still stand behind the waterfront. The whole settlement is under a conservation order, so strict rules cover new building and restoration.
Your loop has five stops:
- the quay and Kastellorizo Volunteers’ Square
- the old mosque at the harbour entrance
- the path up to the Castle of the Knights
- the Lycian tomb below the castle
- the steps up to the Horafia square and the cathedral
The square lies at the midpoint of the eastern quay, close to the vessel dock. Across the harbour you can see the western quay, called Pera Meria, and two monasteries, Profitis Ilias and Aghia Triada. The first one is now an army base.
The first stop of your Kastellorizo day trip from Kas is the old mosque. It stands at the harbour entrance on the east side. The ruins of the former Italian government house are close by. The mosque sits on the tip of the small Kavos peninsula, where a church of Saint Paraskevi stood before it.
It is the island’s only mosque, painted beige and red. Built in the 18th century, it stopped serving as a mosque in the early 20th century. Today it is a museum.
From the eastern quay, a path leads up to the Castle of the Knights. The route climbs through stone-paved alleys, and the Archaeological Museum of Kastellorizo sits on the way. From the top you look over the town and the islets around it.
Little of the fortress remains: a wall, part of a square tower and two round towers. A large covered cistern lies inside the tower. The castle is the first climb of your Kastellorizo day trip from Kas.
Below the castle, a Lycian tomb is cut into the rock. It dates to the 4th century BC or the start of the Hellenistic period. Its front is shaped like a temple. You find it on the path that links the lighthouse to Mandraki. One travel blog calls it the only Lycian rock tomb in Greece.
Climb the steps on the east side of town to reach Horafia. Its square holds the Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helena, which dates to the 19th century. The same square holds the Church of Saint George, with a high dome of Byzantine type. From here the quay and the tavernas lie downhill, so the loop ends at the water.
Where can you eat and swim on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Eat at the waterfront tavernas and swim from the rocks and platforms around the harbour. The island has no sandy swimming beaches. A Kastellorizo day trip from Kas means diving from stone into clear water.
Rows of mansions, shops, cafes and tavernas fringe the bay. A travel magazine says almost all island life happens on this waterfront. A Kastellorizo day trip from Kas lands you right on it. One travel blog says the colourful buildings around the port hold restaurants and shops.
Start with the fish. The same magazine says restaurants serve fish caught around the island. That is easier and more profitable than importing it. Its list names sea bream, red mullet, stuffed calamari, octopus balls and tiny shrimps.
Ask for island dishes when you eat on your Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. The island’s tourism site names stuffed onions called salantourmasi and chickpea patties. It also names katoumari, a pie of flour and butter sprinkled with sugar, clove and cinnamon. Strava, a group of syrup desserts, finishes the list.
Travel guides add octopus in tomato sauce with shallots, seafood mezes and slipper lobster. One blog lists galaktoboureko, a semolina custard baked in filo, and sautéed garlic prawns.
Swimming on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas starts from stone. The tourism site says rocks and platforms around the coast let you dive into clear water. It names four popular spots:
- Faros, the lighthouse point
- Kavos
- Plakes
- Limani, the harbour itself
The same site says the island has one small beach of sand and pebbles, next to the harbour in Mandraki. It adds that sea turtles play in the clear harbour water. Wikivoyage places Faro near the port, in the rocky area around the castle. It says Plakes is reachable by boat only.
A travel blog says the port gets quieter the further you walk from the ferry wharf. It adds that ladders lead into the sea there.
The islet of Agios Georgios mixes food and swimming. Blogs say a boat drops you there and the captain returns at a time you pick. They list a restaurant, rented daybeds, no sand, and steps and ladders into the sea. Plan one such stop for your Kastellorizo day trip from Kas.
Which sea sights can you add to a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
A boat reaches the Blue Cave and the islets of Ro and Strongyli. Boat tours start at the Kastellorizo harbour, so you add them after you land. They give a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas a sea side as well as a town walk.
The Blue Cave lies on the south-eastern edge of the island. Its Greek name is Galazia Spilia. Locals also call it the Cave of Parastas and Fokiali, after the seals, called fokies, that shelter there.
Only a boat reaches the cave, and only in good weather. The entrance stands about one metre above the sea.
A blog says passengers lie on their backs to pass in. It adds that the tide must not be too high and the water not wavy. A rough day closes the cave to a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas.
Inside, sunlight reflects off the sea and turns the water blue. Colourful stalactites hang from the dome, which rises 25 m in one source. In the second chamber, a gravel bank is a hideaway for the Mediterranean monk seal.
Sources disagree on the size. Wikipedia gives 40 to 50 m long, and a travel magazine gives 75 m. Both say the cave is larger than the Blue Grotto on Capri. They agree on the ideal hour too: early morning, when the sun is low.
Trip length differs by source. A travel blog says the cruise out and back takes about 15 minutes. It says a swim stop outside the cave lasts about 10 minutes. The travel magazine says the trip lasts about an hour.
Ro is the second sea sight on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. It lies near Kastellorizo, in the Levantine Sea. Its Turkish name is Kara Ada, which means Black Island. A Greek border outpost stands on it. The tourism site calls Ro green, with a sandy beach and water as clear as a pool.
Strongyli, also called Ypsili, is the third sea sight. Turkish names for it are Çam Adası, Pine Island, and Fener Adası, Lighthouse Island. The tourism site says its ground is rocky, without trees and covered by bushes. It also says the water is cool and crystal clear. Wikipedia lists one inhabitant in the latest census it cites.
The crossing and a boat tour are two different trips. The ferry joins the two harbours. A boat tour starts from the Kastellorizo harbour and circles the coast. The Blue Cave has no access by land.
One blog says skippers offer rides all along the waterfront. You can take the first boat that leaves on your Kastellorizo day trip from Kas.
If you want the background of these islets, the Kastellorizo island page covers it.
How do time, money and language differ on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
On a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas, time matches in summer, while money and language change at the harbour. Greece and Turkey both show UTC+3 from late March to late October. Turkey pays in lira and speaks Turkish. Kastellorizo pays in euros and speaks Greek.
Wikipedia gives Turkey one time all year, UTC+3. Greece sits on UTC+2 in winter. Greek summer time, UTC+3, begins in the final week of March and ends in the final week of October.
From spring to autumn, then, a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas keeps one clock. In the other months Turkey is an hour ahead, so noon in Kas is eleven on the island.
A phone on automatic time reads its zone by name. Wikipedia gives Europe/Istanbul for Turkey and Europe/Athens for Greece. Both names show the same hour in summer.
Money changes at the border. Turkey uses the lira, whose ISO code is TRY. Greece uses the euro, whose code is EUR. Wikipedia lists Greece among the eurozone members.
Lira notes in common use run from 5 to 200 lira. Euro notes in common use run from 5 to 100 euros. One writer advises an ATM in Kas that gives both currencies, with a euro withdrawal before boarding.
A second writer paid two port charges on the crossing. The Greek tax came with the booking. The Turkish fee went to a kiosk, in lira, just before passport control.
Turkey’s official language is Turkish, and Greece’s is Greek. A guide to the island says English is common where tourists go. It also lists three Greek words: Yassas means hello and goodbye, Efharisto means thank you, and Parakalo means please. The guide says locals appreciate the effort.
Your phone follows the same split on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. One writer’s Turkish eSIM worked on the island, because the island still picks up Turkish towers. A Turkish line stays alive after the border.
Power does not change on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. Both countries use plug types C and F, Wikipedia says. Type C is the Europlug, ungrounded and rated at 2.5 amps. Type F is the Schuko plug, rated at 16 amps. A camera charger from your Kas room fits an island socket.
What do you carry on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Carry a valid passport, cash in euros, sun cover, swimwear and a towel. Add shoes for stone paths, water, a light layer and a charged phone. Each item solves a problem that travel writers ran into on the day.
Border control stands at both ends, so bring a valid passport, and a Schengen visa if your nationality needs one. A boat operator’s page adds that passports are required for all guests.
A guide for the island lists a small daypack for the essentials. The same pack holds the kit for a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. Here is what goes in it, with the reason each source gives for the item.
- Euros in cash: a guide says card acceptance can be limited in smaller places. One boat skipper on the island took cash only.
- Sun cover: the same guide calls sunscreen, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat crucial under the strong Mediterranean sun. A boat operator’s page lists sun lotion too.
- Shade for the queue: one visitor stood nearly an hour in the summer sun waiting for Greek entry stamps.
- Swimwear and a towel: the guide suggests both for a dip in the Aegean. One visitor regretted leaving her swimsuit at home after passing a cove ideal for a dip.
- A towel as a bed: one writer skipped the paid lounger and spread a towel on an empty patch by the water.
- Walking shoes: the guide calls them indispensable on cobbled streets and steps.
- A water bottle: the guide advises a reusable one to stay hydrated in the warmer months.
- A light layer: the guide says the ferry ride can be windy. It lists a light jacket or shawl for that wind, and for cooler evenings if you stay later.
- A charged phone: booking confirmations and updates arrive by phone and email. One seller says an online booking needs no printed voucher.
Pack all of it the evening before your Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. Border control comes first on the morning of the trip. Water, sun cover and a charged phone matter during that wait.
What questions come up before a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Can you book a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas without a tour?
Yes. The crossing is a plain ferry ticket, and the tour is optional. Ticket offices in Kas sell it, and so do booking sites online. You then plan your own hours ashore.
One writer booked a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas in a ticket office in about five minutes. A hotel guide in Kas advises booking ahead in busy periods and lists booking sites as one online route. One seller says its online booking skips the ticket line.
Can children join a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Yes. One Kas ferry seller lists two ticket groups, children aged 2 to 11 and travellers aged 12 and over. Pick the right group in the booking form. A guide to the island calls its town streets traffic-free.
The same guide calls Megisti, the main town, small and suited to exploring on foot.
Can you stay overnight instead of a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Yes. The island has places to stay, and one writer says to book early because the number is small. Another writer calls six hours a taste of the island and two days more relaxing.
A third writer says a night buys time for more sightseeing than a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas. Kastellorizo is the smallest island of the Dodecanese. Our Dodecanese tours page lists the larger ones for a longer trip.
Staying in Kas the night before is the other option. A hotel guide there says guests can ask about an early breakfast or a packed meal for the morning ferry.
Can you shop duty-free on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Yes. Two guides place duty-free shopping near the ferry terminal on the island. One calls the shop small, and the other lists alcohol, tobacco and perfume as the goods on offer.
A seller of the Kastellorizo day trip from Kas lists tax-free shopping among the island’s draws. The same list names museums and castles.
When is the light good for photos on a Kastellorizo day trip from Kas?
Afternoon. One writer says the light is better for photos of the port when you head back to Kas. Photos near 4 pm had the sun in front of the buildings. Photos near 9:30 am had it behind them.
The same writer advises a camera in hand as the boat nears the island, because the port is very colourful.