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Ferry RouteKOU to SXI

Ferry from Koufonisia to Schinoussa.

Koufonisia to Schinoussa. Compare the operators, a real sailing day and dated fares, then search live times for your date.

Fastest crossing
30 minSmall Cyclades Lines · checked 29 May 2026
Lowest adult fare
€4.50sampled 12 Aug 2026
Ferry operators
3Small Cyclades Lines, Blue Star Ferries, Seajets
Sailings on the sample day
1sampled 12 Aug 2026

Dated numbers: a Ferryhopper check or a one-day timetable sample, never live. The search shows live times and prices.

Compare operators

By George K. · Updated

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Koufonisia to Schinoussa: live times, seats and prices for your date.

Passengers
2 passengers

Lowest adult fare in our 12 August 2026 timetable sample: €4.50.

Live availability and booking via Ferryhopper, our ferry booking partner.

KoufonisiaSchinoussa
Map of the ferry route from Koufonisia to Schinoussa. Coastlines © OpenStreetMap contributors, Natural Earth

How do you get from Koufonisia to Schinoussa by ferry?

Koufonisia to Schinoussa is one of the shortest hops in the Small Cyclades. On 12 August 2026, the day we sampled on Ferryhopper, the only sailing was Small Cyclades Lines' Express Skopelitis, leaving at 09:30 and arriving 30 minutes later, from €4.50. Our route data also lists Blue Star Ferries and Seajets, but we have no dated times for them, so check your date on the booking page.

Source: Ferryhopper route page and timetable sample · as of

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01Operators compared

Koufonisia to Schinoussa ferry operators compared.

Who sails this route, on what kind of boat, how long it takes and the lowest adult fare we found.

Ferry companies on the Koufonisia to Schinoussa route
OperatorVessel typeCrossing timeVehiclesAdult fare fromSailings, 12 Aug 2026
Small Cyclades LinesExpress SkopelitisConventional ferryabout 30 minNot confirmed€4.501
Blue Star FerriesConventional ferrynot confirmed: our route data shows about 2 hrNot confirmedSee live fares0
SeajetsHigh-speed ferrynot confirmedNot confirmedSee live fares0

Source: Ferryhopper route page, checked by our editors · as of

  • Small Cyclades LinesOn 12 August 2026 the Express Skopelitis left Koufonisia at 09:30 and reached Schinoussa at 10:00, from €4.50.
  • Blue Star FerriesListed in our route data but not in our 12 August 2026 sample. Check the booking page for its days and times.
  • SeajetsListed in our route data but not in our 12 August 2026 sample. Check whether it sails on your date.

Seajets ferry status today. Search Seajets on the live tracker for today’s sailings and delays. A missing AIS position is not a cancellation. Ferry alerts.

02Timetable sample

Koufonisia to Schinoussa ferry timetable 2026.

Every direct sailing on one real day, 12 August 2026, as Ferryhopper listed it. It shows the pattern, not a live timetable: times and fares change by date.

Sailings from Koufonisia to Schinoussa on 12 August 2026 (one-day sample)
DepartArriveOperatorVesselDurationFromSearch
09:30FastestLowest fare10:00Small Cyclades LinesExpress Skopelitis30 min€4.50Book a sailing like the 09:30 one

Source: Ferryhopper timetable sample, one sailing day · sailing day

Retrieved
Check live times for your date

03Schedule by season

Koufonisia to Schinoussa ferry schedule by season.

We can only speak with confidence about one day. In our Ferryhopper timetable sample for 12 August 2026 there was a single sailing from Koufonisia to Schinoussa, at 09:30, on Small Cyclades Lines. Our own route data lists sailings in every month of the year, on more days a week from April to October than in winter, but it is not tied to a dated timetable. Outside the peak summer weeks, services in the Small Cyclades can be sparse, so search your exact date on the booking page before you fix where you will sleep.

The Journey

The Koufonisia to Schinoussa crossing.

Koufonisia and Schinoussa belong to the Small Cyclades, the cluster of little islands between Naxos and Amorgos where days revolve around beaches, walking and long lunches. Koufonisia is the livelier of the two, with its famously clear water and a busy little village in summer. Schinoussa is quieter still, a handful of hamlets and coves where the evening entertainment is a taverna table and the stars. Going from one to the other is a natural way to slow your trip down even further.

The crossing is short, just 30 minutes on the sailing we sampled, and on the island-hopping boats of this area it feels more like taking a bus than a voyage. On 12 August 2026 the one departure in our Ferryhopper timetable sample was the Express Skopelitis of Small Cyclades Lines, the local boat that links these small islands with Naxos and Amorgos. Its fare started at just €4.50.

Our older route data also lists Blue Star Ferries and Seajets on this crossing, with fares from €20 and sailings in every month. We have not been able to match those listings to a dated timetable, and the journey time they give, about 2 hours, is much longer than the 30-minute sailing in our sample, so treat them as a rough guide only.

What that means in practice: this is a thinly served link, and the day of the week matters. Search your exact date on the booking page, book your onward trip from Schinoussa at the same time, and keep a day of slack in your plans. Small islands reward flexible travellers.

How long the crossing takes

The one sailing we can confirm took 30 minutes: on 12 August 2026 the Express Skopelitis of Small Cyclades Lines left Koufonisia at 09:30 and arrived in Schinoussa at 10:00. Our older route data gives a figure of about 2 hours, which does not fit that sample and may reflect a larger ship on a longer itinerary. We cannot confirm it, so rely on the duration shown for your specific sailing on the booking page. Whatever the boat, remember that small-island ferries often run a little late when they are working through a chain of stops.

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04The ports

Where the Koufonisia to Schinoussa ferry docks.

Departure port

Koufonisia

KOU · 36.9333° N 25.6000° E

Boats leave from the port of Ano Koufonisi, the inhabited island of Koufonisia, which sits right beside Chora, the island's only village. It is a small quay, and if you are staying in the village you can simply walk down with your bags. Check the vessel name on your ticket and be at the quay ahead of time, since small-island boats do not wait long at each stop. If you are staying further out, ask your host how best to get to the port for an early sailing.

Arrival port

Schinoussa

SXI · 36.8667° N 25.5167° E

On Schinoussa you arrive at Mersini, the island's small harbour, a short way below the main village. Schinoussa is tiny and very quiet, with scattered hamlets and beaches linked by country roads and footpaths. Ask your accommodation before you travel how best to get from the port to your room, and do not assume transport will be waiting at the quay. Travel light if you can: on an island this size, a backpack or a small case makes the walk from the quay much easier.

05On Board

On board the Koufonisia to Schinoussa ferry.

On the Express Skopelitis, the local boat in our sample, the trip is short and informal. It is a local ship, smaller than the big ferries on the Athens routes, so the ride can feel livelier when the wind is up. In calm weather, the half hour between the islands is a pleasant, scenic interlude. Keep your bags with you and be ready to disembark quickly, as calls at these small harbours are brief. There is no need to bring more than a bottle of water for a crossing of half an hour.

06Weather and cancellations

Wind, weather and cancellations on the Koufonisia to Schinoussa route.

The Small Cyclades sit in open water between Naxos and Amorgos, and the meltemi, the strong north wind of July and August, can kick up a rough sea here. The small local boat that serves this hop is the kind most likely to be delayed or kept in port on the windiest days, and the port authority has the final say. If your sailing is cancelled, the operator will rebook or refund you. Because there are few alternatives on this crossing, a cancellation can mean a day's wait, so avoid scheduling it right before a connection to Athens or a flight.

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07Travel Tips

Koufonisia to Schinoussa ferry travel tips.

  1. Check your exact date on the booking page: our timetable data covers one summer day, and Small Cyclades services change with the season.

  2. Book your onward boat from Schinoussa at the same time, as departures from the island are limited.

  3. The one sailing in our sample, the local Small Cyclades Lines boat, cost from just €4.50.

  4. Ask your accommodation on Schinoussa how to get from Mersini to your room, especially if you arrive with luggage.

  5. Keep a spare day in your plans in July and August, when the meltemi can disrupt small boats.

08Alternatives

Other ways between Koufonisia and Schinoussa.

For the reverse trip, see our Schinoussa to Koufonisia page. Neither island has an airport; the nearest is on Naxos (JNX). If there is no direct sailing on your date, Koufonisia has boats to Naxos and Iraklia, and both of those islands have connections to Schinoussa, so you can route through one of them. Schinoussa also has direct ferries from Athens (Piraeus) and Paros.

The return crossingSchinoussa → Koufonisia
Change boat in Naxos
  1. Leg 1: Koufonisia → Naxos
  2. Leg 2: Naxos → Schinoussa1h 50m · from €7
Change boat in Paros (Parikia)
  1. Leg 1: Koufonisia → Paros (Parikia)
  2. Leg 2: Paros (Parikia) → Schinoussa
Change boat in Iraklia
  1. Leg 1: Koufonisia → Iraklia
  2. Leg 2: Iraklia → Schinoussa10 min · from €4.50

Other ferries to Schinoussa

Times and fares on these links come from one-day timetable samples, not live data.

09Island Hopping

Island hopping from Schinoussa.

All direct ferry routes

10Route matrix

All ferry routes from Koufonisia.

Every direct route from Koufonisia with a page on Discover Cyclades, with the fastest crossing and lowest fare from its one-day timetable sample. The route you are reading is marked.

Direct ferry routes from Koufonisia: fastest sampled crossing, lowest sampled adult fare and sailings on the sampled day
RouteFastestLowest fareSailings that dayOperators
Koufonisia → Amorgos (Katapola)25 min€73Seajets, Small Cyclades Lines
Koufonisia → Donousa1h 10m€71Small Cyclades Lines
Koufonisia → IrakliaBlue Star Ferries, Seajets
Koufonisia → Milos (Adamas)Seajets
Koufonisia → MykonosSeajets
Koufonisia → NaxosBlue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, Seajets, Small Cyclades Lines
Koufonisia → Paros (Parikia)Blue Star Ferries, Seajets
Koufonisia → PiraeusBlue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, Seajets
Koufonisia → Santorini (Athinios)Blue Star Ferries, Seajets
Koufonisia → SchinoussaYou are here30 min€4.501Small Cyclades Lines, Blue Star Ferries, Seajets

Source: Ferryhopper timetable samples, one sailing day per route, sampled between 12 August 2026 and 15 August 2026

Questions

Koufonisia to Schinoussa ferry: frequently asked questions.

  • About 30 minutes on the sailing we can confirm: on 12 August 2026 the Small Cyclades Lines Express Skopelitis left Koufonisia at 09:30 and arrived at 10:00. Our older route data mentions about 2 hours, possibly on a longer itinerary, but we cannot confirm it, so check the duration of your sailing.

  • On our 12 August 2026 Ferryhopper sample, the Small Cyclades Lines boat started at €4.50. Our older route data lists fares from €20, but it is not tied to a dated check. The booking page shows the current fare for your date.

  • On the day we sampled, 12 August 2026, there was one, at 09:30. That is a single summer day, not a guaranteed pattern. Our route data shows sailings in every month, with more days a week from April to October, but you should check your exact date on the booking page.

  • Small Cyclades Lines, with the Express Skopelitis, sailed on our 12 August 2026 sample. Our route data also lists Blue Star Ferries and Seajets on this crossing, but they did not appear in that sample, so check the booking page for their days and times.

  • It is the local boat of Small Cyclades Lines, which links the small islands between Naxos and Amorgos. On this crossing it was the only sailing in our 12 August 2026 sample, taking 30 minutes for a fare from €4.50. It is a small ship, so expect a livelier ride in windy weather.

  • We have no vehicle information for this crossing. Both islands are small, and many visitors manage without a car. If you must travel with a vehicle, check the booking page for a sailing that accepts cars before you plan around it.

  • Only if a boat back to Koufonisia runs later the same day. On our 12 August 2026 sample, the boat left Koufonisia at 09:30, which would give you a full day on Schinoussa, but we do not have the return times. Check the Schinoussa to Koufonisia timetable for your date before relying on it.

  • It is sensible in July and August, when the small boats fill up with island hoppers, and it lets you confirm the boat is actually running on your day. Book your way off Schinoussa at the same time, since the island has limited connections.

  • From the port of Ano Koufonisi, right beside Chora, the island's only village. If you are staying in the village you can walk to the quay. Check the vessel name on your ticket and be there ahead of time, as the local boat does not wait long.

  • At Mersini, the small harbour of Schinoussa, below the main village. Ask your accommodation in advance how to get from the port to your room, as you should not assume transport will be waiting. The island is small, but the hamlets are spread out.

  • Small boats in the Small Cyclades are the most likely to be held in port when the meltemi blows in July and August. The operator will rebook or refund you. With few alternatives on this hop, keep a spare day in your plans, and consider routing via Naxos or Iraklia if the direct boat is off for a while.

  • Boats also run in the other direction; see our Schinoussa to Koufonisia page and check your date on the booking page, since the small-island timetable changes by season and day of the week. Book it together with this trip if you plan to return.

Island Guides

Plan your stay in Schinoussa.

KOUtoSXI

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