Ferries to Chalki

Chalki's ferry port is called Nimborio, also spelled Emborio, and it is at the same time the island's only settlement; it sits on the east coast, facing its large neighbour Rhodes. For one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese, Chalki is remarkably well connected: from here you can reach 14 destinations. The crossing to Nisyros takes 1.25 hours, to Rhodes and to Diafani on Karpathos 1.75 hours each, to Kos 2.25 and to Karpathos itself 2.5 hours. Then come the long lines: Kalymnos in three hours, Kasos in 4.5, Sitia on Crete in seven, Anafi in 9.25, Heraklion in ten, Thira in 10.75 and Piraeus in up to 17.75 hours. Together the connections add up to as many as 27 departures a day, the shortest crossing takes 30 minutes, and two connections run in season only. The port is served by Blue Star Ferries, Dodekanisos Seaways and SAOS Ferries.

Getting there and the terminal

Port and main village are one and the same here: the quays line the waterfront with its cafés, tavernas and shops, and everything is within walking distance. The old Chorio inland, below the medieval castle, has stood abandoned since the 19th century; its inhabitants moved down to the harbour back then. What matters in practice is the short link to Rhodes: it does not start in Rhodes Town but at Kamiros Skala on the west coast of the neighbouring island, and the crossing from there takes less than an hour. So if you arrive via Rhodes airport, you do not head for the old town but across the island to the west coast.