Syros and Kea make a rewarding pair for travellers who like their islands lived-in rather than staged. Ermoupoli, the port and capital of Syros, is the administrative centre of the Cyclades, a neoclassical town that runs all year. Kea, also called Tzia, is the island closest to Athens: green, terraced and hilly, crossed by old footpaths, and much loved by Athenians at weekends. Heading from one to the other is a natural way to work back towards the mainland at the end of a trip.
The catch is the direct crossing. Ferryhopper, the booking engine behind our search, had no Syros to Kea route page in either direction when we checked on 24 September 2026, and we have no sampled timetable showing a direct boat. Ferryhopper does list Syros among the islands linked to Kea, so a ship may call at both on some days, but we cannot tell you which. Older listings on our own site gave a time, a fare and two operators that we could not match to any dated timetable, so we no longer quote them.
What we can document is the route through Lavrio, the port south-east of Athens that serves Kea and the western islands. Blue Star Ferries sails from Syros to Lavrio on about 2 days a week, all year, on a conventional ship that takes cars. From Lavrio, four companies run to Korissia, the port of Kea, every day of the year, with Ferryhopper showing the first boat usually at 07:00 and the last at 22:00.
So plan this leg around the Syros to Lavrio sailing days, then pick a Lavrio to Kea boat that leaves after your ship docks, or spend a night on the coast and cross in the morning. Search your date for a direct sailing too, in case one appears, and book early for summer weekends, when Kea fills up with visitors from Athens.
