Ferry from Naxos to Ios.

Naxos and Ios lie about 24 nautical miles apart, with Naxos the big, green, self-sufficient island of the central Cyclades and Ios its smaller, livelier neighbour to the south. The hop between them is one of the classic moves of a Cyclades trip: a week of villages, mountain walks and long beaches on Naxos, followed by the party nights and sandy bays of Ios.

The route has two very different price points. Blue Star Ferries runs the conventional ship, which is slower but costs a fraction of the fare, starting at €8.50. Seajets runs the fast boats, which cut the trip to well under an hour but cost from €45.70 in last year's data and €80.20 on our August sample day. For a crossing this short, that is a big premium for saving half an hour.

Timing matters more than on most routes. On our 12 August 2026 sample, both Blue Star sailings were at night, leaving Naxos at 00:45 and at 23:45. That is cheap and fine if you have a room booked and a lift waiting, but less fun if you have to find your way at 2 in the morning. The Seajets boats sail in daylight.

Ios is busy in summer, so book the ferry and your room together, particularly in July and August. From Ios you can carry on south to Santorini, west to Sikinos and Folegandros, or back north to Paros and Piraeus.

The crossing runs south across open water, and in July and August the meltemi, the strong northerly summer wind, can build a steep sea. The Seajets boats are the most exposed and are the first to be slowed, delayed or held in port by the port authority, while the Blue Star ship usually keeps its schedule. If your sailing is cancelled, the operator rebooks or refunds it. With only a handful of departures on most days, the realistic fallback is often the late Blue Star sailing or the next day, so keep some slack before any onward flight from Santorini or Naxos.