Ferry RouteRET to JTR
Rethymno (Crete) to Santorini (Thira). Compare the operators, a real sailing day and dated fares, then search live times for your date.
Dated numbers: a Ferryhopper check or a one-day timetable sample, never live. The search shows live times and prices.
By George K. · Updated
Rethymno to Santorini is a summer-only Seajets service. The high-speed boat takes about 2 hr 20 min and, in last year's data, sailed from May to October on 2 days a week (once a week in August). One adult started at €104.70 when we checked Ferryhopper on 24 September 2026. There is no sailing from November to April, when Heraklion is the port to use.
Source: Ferryhopper route page and timetable sample · as of
Live AIS
Ferries sailing between Rethymno and Santorini (Athinios) right now.
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01Operators compared
Who sails this route, on what kind of boat, how long it takes and the lowest adult fare we found.
| Operator | Vessel type | Crossing time | Vehicles | Adult fare from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Seajets | High-speed ferry | about 2 hr 20 min | Cars and motorbikes | €104.70 |
Source: Ferryhopper route page, checked by our editors · as of
02Fares
The lowest fares Ferryhopper showed for each party when we checked on 24 September 2026. Each row can come from a different sailing.
| Passengers | Rethymno → Santorini (Athinios) | Santorini (Athinios) → Rethymno |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | €104.70 | €104.70 |
| 2 adults | €209.40 | €209.40 |
| 2 adults and a car | €299.10 | €309.10 |
| 2 adults, 2 children and a car | €508.90 | not shown |
Source: Ferryhopper route page · checked
Lowest fares shown on Ferryhopper when we checked on 2026-09-24. Fares change with the date, vessel and demand; the booking page shows the current price for your date. "Outbound" means Rethymno to Santorini. Each figure is the lowest seen for that party. Ferryhopper also quoted cars from about €89 and motorbikes from about €39 on this route.
03Schedule by season
This route is seasonal. Ferryhopper lists Rethymno to Santorini from May to October, on 2 days a week. Its monthly table, which reflects last year's data, shows Seajets on 2 days a week in May, June, July, September and October, and once a week in August. From November to April there were no sailings at all. We do not have a sampled timetable for this direction, so we cannot give departure times: search your date on the booking page to see the days and times on offer, and check them before you fix your Crete accommodation.
| Month | Frequency |
|---|---|
| January | No sailings |
| February | No sailings |
| March | No sailings |
| April | No sailings |
| May | Seajets, 2 days a week |
| June | Seajets, 2 days a week |
| July | Seajets, 2 days a week |
| August | Seajets, once a week |
| September | Seajets, 2 days a week |
| October | Seajets, 2 days a week |
| November | No sailings |
| December | No sailings |
The Journey
If you are staying in western or central Crete, the boat from Rethymno saves you the drive east to Heraklion before heading to Santorini. Rethymno is one of Crete's most attractive towns, with a Venetian castle above the sea and an old town of narrow lanes, and the ferry leaves only a short walk from all of it.
The service is simple: one company, Seajets, running a high-speed boat about twice a week between May and October. It makes the 76-nautical-mile crossing in about 2 hr 20 min and lands at Athinios, Santorini's main port. Outside those months there is nothing from Rethymno, and even in season the sailings are few, so the day of the week will shape your plans.
It is not a cheap crossing. One adult was listed from €104.70 and two adults from €209.40, and the monthly figures from last year sit at €104.70 to €109.70 a head. If price matters more than convenience, compare this with the Heraklion boats, where Blue Star Ferries runs a much cheaper conventional service all year.
Before you book, check whether the Seajets sailing falls on a day that works for you, and plan how you will get from Athinios to your hotel, since the port road is busy in summer. If you need a return, the same boat runs back to Rethymno on the same limited pattern.
Every sailing on this route is listed at about 2 hr 20 min, which is both the shortest and the normal duration Ferryhopper gives for Rethymno to Santorini. That figure did not change across any month of last year's data. The distance between Rethymno port and Athinios is about 76 nautical miles (122 km), a long run in open sea for a high-speed craft, so in strong wind the boat may slow down and arrive late. There is no conventional ferry on this route, so no slower, cheaper alternative from Rethymno itself.
04The ports
Departure port
RET · 35.3650° N 24.4820° E
Seajets leaves from the eastern side of Rethymno's port, a walk of about 5 to 10 minutes from the Old Town and the Venetian fortress, so if you are staying in the centre you can go on foot. The town's bus station is about 8 minutes' walk from the port, and there is parking nearby for anyone driving. The quayside has cafés and shops if you are early. Plan to be there at least an hour before departure in summer, when the port gets busy.
Arrival port
JTR · 36.3932° N 25.4615° E
The boat arrives at Athinios, Santorini's main port on the south-west coast, below the caldera. From there it is about 8 km to Fira and about 20 km to Oia. You can leave by KTEL bus, taxi or your own vehicle, but everything funnels up one winding road, and in high season the arrivals area gets crowded when several ships dock at once. Book a transfer or confirm your bus before you sail, especially if you land in the afternoon rush.
05On Board
This is a high-speed crossing, so think airline cabin rather than cruise ship. There are air-conditioned lounges with numbered seats, and you can upgrade to business (club class) or VIP (platinum) seating. Snack bars, a kids' area and facilities for passengers with reduced mobility are on board, and Wi-Fi packages can be bought. There are no cabins. Bags go in the luggage area without a formal check-in; keeping them under about 50 kg avoids hold-ups. Pets travel free if added to your booking.
06Weather and cancellations
This is two and a half hours of open Aegean with nothing in between, and it is served only by high-speed craft, which are the most sensitive to wind and swell. The summer meltemi, usually at its strongest in July and August, can slow the boat, cause delays or lead the port authority to keep it in port. If your sailing is cancelled, the operator will rebook or refund you. With only one or two Rethymno departures a week, the realistic fallback is often a ferry from Heraklion, so keep that option in mind and leave slack before any flight.
07Travel Tips
Check the sailing days first: in last year's data there were only 2 boats a week, and just 1 a week in August.
Travelling between November and April? There is no Rethymno service, so use the Heraklion to Santorini ferries.
On a budget, compare fares with the Blue Star Ferries conventional ships from Heraklion, which cost far less.
Arrive at Rethymno port at least an hour early in summer.
Book your Athinios transfer in advance; Oia is about 20 km from the port.
08Alternatives
For the return, see our Santorini to Rethymno page. If the Rethymno sailing does not fit, the Heraklion to Santorini route runs all year with Seajets and Blue Star Ferries and far more departures. Rethymno has no airport of its own; Crete's airports include Heraklion (HER), and Santorini has its own (JTR). We have no data on direct flights to Santorini, so check airline schedules yourself.
Times and fares on these links come from one-day timetable samples, not live data.
09Island Hopping
Questions
Island Guides
Ferryhopper · live
Real-time sailings from Ferryhopper. Prices are per adult passenger.
| Operator | Departs | Duration | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Operators AvailableView on Ferryhopper | 07:30 | ~5h (estimated) | €45 | Book |
