Hellenic Seaways

Who they are

Hellenic Seaways is the Greek ferry operator most closely associated with the Saronic Gulf islands — the cluster of islands lying just south of Athens that are reachable from Piraeus in under two hours. The company traces its origins to the original Minoan Flying Dolphins hydrofoil service, which brought the distinctive yellow-and-white Flying Dolphin craft to the Saronic and Cyclades in the 1980s.

Today Hellenic Seaways is part of Attica Group and operates a mixed fleet of high-speed vessels and conventional ferries. For Athenians and visitors based in the capital, Hellenic Seaways is often the first choice for a weekend island escape or a day trip to Aegina.

Network and main routes

The Saronic Gulf is Hellenic Seaways' heartland. Piraeus to Aegina is the highest-frequency route — Flying Dolphin services depart several times daily year-round, making Aegina a practical day trip from Athens. Hydra, Poros and Spetses extend the Saronic network southward; Hydra in particular, with its car-free streets and picturesque harbour, draws visitors on both day-trip and overnight itineraries.

Beyond the Saronic, Hellenic Seaways operates conventional and high-speed routes into the Cyclades from Piraeus, including connections to Syros (Hermoupolis), Tinos, Mykonos and further south. In the north, the company serves the Sporades — Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonnisos — from Volos and Agios Konstantinos on the mainland.

Fleet and on board

Hellenic Seaways runs two distinct vessel types. The Flying Dolphin high-speed catamarans and hydrofoils are the company's signature product: fast, limited-capacity vessels with assigned indoor seating, suited to the short Saronic crossings. There is no outdoor deck access during a Flying Dolphin journey; the experience is closer to a bus or aircraft than a traditional ferry.

The conventional ferries (Hellenic Highspeed and similar vessels) operate on longer routes to the Cyclades and Sporades. These offer open deck space, a snack bar and more comfortable seating for journeys that run two to four hours. Vehicles can be carried on the larger conventional vessels, though Hellenic Seaways has less vehicle capacity than a Blue Star or ANEK ship.

Booking and tips

Saronic routes have frequent departures throughout the day, which means last-minute booking is more viable than on the big overnight Crete or Adriatic crossings. Even so, summer weekends on the Piraeus–Hydra and Piraeus–Spetses routes fill up fast as Athenians head out for the weekend — book a day or two in advance rather than turning up at the dock.

For Cyclades connections, Hellenic Seaways competes with SeaJets and Blue Star Ferries on many of the same routes. The Flying Dolphin and conventional Hellenic vessels sit in the middle of the speed-cost spectrum — faster than Blue Star, slightly slower or comparable to SeaJets, with broadly similar fares.

The Sporades routes (Volos or Agios Konstantinos to Skiathos) have limited competition: Hellenic Seaways is the main operator, so there is less room to shop around. Check Hellenic Seaways' own site for the most complete timetable on these northern routes.