Kea, also known as Tzia, is the closest of the Cyclades to Athens, a hilly, green island of terraced valleys and old paths that most visitors reach from Lavrio on the Attica coast. Syros lies to the south-east, in the middle of the group, with Ermoupoli, the grand neoclassical port town that is also the administrative capital of the Cyclades. Pairing them gives you two islands that feel very Greek and far less touristy than the famous names, which is exactly why people look for this crossing.
Here is the honest picture. Ferryhopper, the booking engine we use, had no Kea to Syros route page in either direction when we checked on 24 September 2026, and we have no sampled timetable for it. Ferryhopper does mention Syros among the islands you can reach by ferry from Kea, so a direct call may appear on some days of some weeks, but we cannot tell you which. Older listings on our own site could not be matched to any dated timetable, so we do not repeat their times and prices here.
What does work is going back through Lavrio. Boats leave Korissia for Lavrio every day of the year, run by Blue Star Ferries, Goutos Lines, Karystia Travel and Triton Ferries, and Blue Star Ferries sails from Lavrio to Syros on 2 to 3 days a week all year. On a day the Syros ship sails, you may be able to make both legs without leaving the port, if the times line up.
So start with the Lavrio to Syros sailing days, then fit your last night on Kea around them. Search your date for a direct boat first, just in case one appears, and book early in summer, when Kea is busy with Athenians at weekends.
