# Kastellorizo (Meis), day trip from Kaş

> Kastellorizo — Meis in Turkish — is a Greek island 2 km off the Turkish coast, facing Kaş. The ferry takes 20–30 minutes and costs roughly €17–30 one way, about €28–40 for a same-day return. In season boats run daily, out in the morning and back mid-afternoon. It’s Greece and Schengen: bring your passport. Plan 4–5 hours on the island.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kastellorizo

- City: [Kaş](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas), Turkey
- YesGo score: 31/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 4 h
- Entry: Ferry ≈ €28–40 return
- Opening hours: Ferries usually leave Kaş in the morning (around 9:00–10:00) and return mid-afternoon (around 16:00); the timetable changes with the season
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Documents: Passport; Schengen entry rules apply (EU citizens can use an ID card)
- Ferry, one way: ≈ €17–30, varies by operator and seller
- Same-day return: ≈ €28–40 plus a small port fee
- Crossing: 20–30 min, less on the fast boats
- Departures: Morning from Kaş port, back around 16:00
- Operators: Meis Express and Meis Ferry Lines
- Currency: Euro — the Blue Cave boat is cash only
- Time needed: 4–5 hours on the island; a full day overall
- Blue Cave boat: ≈ €15 from the harbour, calm seas only
- Coordinates: 36.14889, 29.59361
- Facts checked: 30.10.2026

## Key facts

- **≈ 2 km** — off the Turkish coast; Kaş harbour to Kastellorizo harbour is 6–7 km, 20–30 minutes by ferry (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Ferryhopper)
- **Greece** — EU and Schengen — you leave Turkey and pass passport control on both sides (source: English Wikipedia; Ferryhopper; To Vima (express visa for Turkish citizens only))
- **Easternmost** — island of Greece — only the tiny islet of Strongyli lies further east (source: English Wikipedia; Exploring Greece)
- **Megisti** — the official Greek name, meaning “the biggest” of its little archipelago; Meis is the Turkish form (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **14th century** — castle of the Knights Hospitaller, who took the island in 1306; “red castle” gave Kastellorizo its name (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **4th century BC** — Lycian rock-cut tomb with a Doric façade below the castle — the only one of its kind in Greece (source: Exploring Greece; English Wikipedia)
- **1991** — Gabriele Salvatores’ Oscar-winning film Mediterraneo was shot here (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **1947–1948** — the island became part of Greece with the rest of the Dodecanese (source: English Wikipedia (7 March 1948); Russian Wikipedia (1947 Paris peace treaty))
- **110–125 km** — to Rhodes — Turkey is many times closer (source: Russian Wikipedia (110 km); English Wikipedia (125 km))
- **Blue Cave** — the sea cave of Fokiali (Parasta) — larger than Capri’s, with an entrance so low you lie down in the boat (source: English Wikipedia; Travel.gr)

## Kastellorizo day trip from Kaş: ferry times and prices

The easy way over is the **ferry from Kaş port**: 20–30 minutes, daily in season. The usual pattern is out at around 9 or 10 in the morning and back at about 16:00, which gives you 4–5 hours on the island. On some summer days there is also a late return.

Two companies run the crossing — **Meis Express** and **Meis Ferry Lines**. Buy online or at the booths on the Kaş waterfront signed “Meis” or “Kastellorizo”; you’ll need your passport, because the details go to immigration. Fares vary by seller: roughly €17–30 one way, and travellers report €28–40 for a same-day return plus a few euros in port fees.

An agency tour usually costs more than going on your own, and once there you walk around by yourself anyway — there is one harbour and nowhere to get lost. Book a tour only if you want someone else to handle tickets and the border queue.

> **You are leaving Turkey: check your visa** Kastellorizo is Greece — EU and Schengen. You get an exit stamp in Kaş and an entry stamp on the island. EU and many visa-free nationalities (UK, US, Australia and others) just need a passport. If you need a Schengen visa, you need it here too: the express visa issued at the island’s port is for Turkish citizens only. Also make sure you can re-enter Turkey on your visa or e-Visa.

## Do you need a passport or visa for Kastellorizo?

Yes, a **passport** — the crossing is an international border. EU and Greek citizens may use a national ID card. Visa rules are the normal Schengen ones: if you can enter Greece visa-free, you can step off the ferry visa-free.

Since 2024 Greece has run an **express visa scheme** at twelve island ports, Kastellorizo among them, for stays of up to seven days. It is only for Turkish citizens, and it only covers the island you arrive on — it is not a shortcut for other nationalities.

On the way back you pass Turkish immigration again. A single-entry Turkish e-Visa is used up when you leave, so check that yours allows a second entry.

## How to get to the Kastellorizo ferry from Republic Square

1. Arriving by intercity bus? Walk down from Kaş otogar on the hill to Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı) and the harbour — about 10 minutes.
2. From the square, walk south along the waterfront past the day-trip boats to the passenger port — a few minutes.
3. Buy your ticket at the Meis Express or Meis Ferry Lines booth if you haven’t booked online — passport in hand.
4. Arrive early: operators advise an hour before departure, and summer queues at the border can be long.
5. Go through the immigration arch: the first window checks your ticket, the second stamps you out of Turkey.
6. 20–30 minutes later you’re in Megisti harbour; Greek passport control is in the small building by the quay. Everything else is on foot.
7. The return ferry leaves around 16:00 — be back at the quay early, with checks on both sides again.

## Things to do on Kastellorizo

- **Megisti harbour** — a ring of pastel neoclassical mansions, waterside tavernas and fishing boats. The island’s signature view, best in late-afternoon light.
- **The Blue Cave** (Fokiali, or Parasta) — a sea cave on the south coast, reached only by boat. The entrance is so low you lie back in the boat to get in, and most captains give you about ten minutes to swim.
- **The Knights’ castle** — 14th-century red-stone ruins above the harbour with a view across the strait to Kaş.
- **The Lycian tomb** — a 4th-century BC rock-cut tomb in the cliff below the castle, the only one in Greece and a cousin of the [Kaş rock tombs](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-rock-tombs).
- **St George of the Mountain monastery** — about 400 steps and half an hour up, with the whole island below. Cover your shoulders for the church.
- **Paleokastro** — the ancient acropolis on the hill west of town, roughly a 45-minute walk.
- **A swim** — ladders into the sea on the far side of the harbour, or the beach at St George’s where the Blue Cave boat drops you.

> **The Blue Cave depends on the sea** Boats only go in when the sea is calm and the water low enough — in a swell they don’t run. If the cave matters most to you, take the first boat after the ferry lands, before the afternoon wind picks up. It is paid in cash in euros; ATMs in Kaş dispense euros as well as lira.

## Is Kastellorizo worth it?

Yes, if your passport and visa allow it and you have a spare day. It is small, quiet and beautiful, and the trip is shorter than most city commutes — a rare chance to hop into another country between breakfast and dinner. For YesGo it is **one of the best days out** from Kaş.

Skip it if you only have one day in Kaş, if you need a visa you don’t have, or if you want a sandy beach with loungers: on the island you swim off rocks and ladders. The alternative is a boat to [Kekova](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-kekova) — you’ll see Kastellorizo from the water anyway.

## What is Kastellorizo?

Its official name is **Megisti**, “the biggest”, because it is the largest of a tiny cluster of islets. The Turks call it Meis; the Italians called it Castelrosso, the “red castle”, which became Kastellorizo. It is Greece’s easternmost island — over a hundred kilometres from Rhodes and two from Turkey.

Life is almost all in **one harbour**: houses in every colour, tavernas on the quay, barely any cars. The population shrank sharply in the 20th century, which leaves the town feeling like a stage set — fitting, since the Oscar-winning Mediterraneo was filmed here.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] Passport, plus a Schengen visa if your nationality needs one
- [ ] Turkish visa or e-Visa that allows re-entry
- [ ] Return ferry ticket — departure time noted
- [ ] Euros in cash for the Blue Cave boat and small tavernas
- [ ] Swimsuit and towel — cave, ladders and beach
- [ ] Shoes for the steps up to the castle and monastery
- [ ] Water and a hat — there is little shade

## Kastellorizo, Kekova or a day in Kaş?

|  | Kastellorizo | Kekova boat trip | Kaş old town |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Day trip to a Greek island | Day boat with swim stops | Walk around the centre |
| Documents | Passport, Schengen rules | None | None |
| Cost | Ferry ≈ €28–40 return | Paid, sold at the quay | Free |
| Time | Full day | Full day | 1.5 hours or an evening |
| Swimming | Ladders, Blue Cave, St George’s beach | Several bay stops | Town beach |

If your papers allow it, pick Kastellorizo — there is no other day like it on this coast. If not, go to Kekova. Kaş old town fits into the evening after either.

## Kaş by the water: compare and choose

Waterside places in and around Kaş rated by YesGo.

- [Kaş Old Town and Harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-old-town) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Lycian Way](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-lycian-way) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free, no tickets
- [Kastellorizo (Meis) Island](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kastellorizo) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Ferry ≈ €28–40 return
- [Limanağzı Coves](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/limanagzi) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free entry; boat and sunbed paid
- [Kaputaş Beach](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-kaputas-beach) — YesGo score 25/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ 60 TL in season, sunbeds extra
- [Kekova Sunken City and Simena](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-kekova) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Boat priced by operators, castle €4

## Kastellorizo by day, Kaş by night

Morning ferry to the island, back in the afternoon, then the harbour, the Lion Tomb and sunset at the ancient theatre. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks.

1. [Kastellorizo (Meis) Island](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kastellorizo) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Ferry ≈ €28–40 return
2. [Kaş Old Town and Harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-old-town) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free
3. [Lion Tomb](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/kas-lion-tomb) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free, no ticket
4. [Antiphellos Theatre](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/antiphellos-theatre) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free

## Good to know

Kastellorizo, Kastelorizo, Megisti and Meis are all the same island, and timetables use every spelling. Ferries from Kastellorizo to Rhodes and Piraeus are Greek domestic routes and have nothing to do with the day trip from Kaş.

## Tips

- Buy a same-day return straight away — there is usually just one afternoon boat back, around 16:00.
- Do the Blue Cave first while the sea is calm; the harbour will wait until later.
- Have lunch on the Megisti waterfront — fresh fish and Greek food, priced in euros.
- Avoid the midday heat for the castle and monastery climbs — lots of steps, little shade.
- The best view of the harbour is from the deck on the way back, with the houses lit from the sea side.
- Back in Kaş, look across at the island from the [Antiphellos Theatre](https://yesgo.io/turkey/kas/antiphellos-theatre) at sunset.

## Questions

### How do you get from Kaş to Kastellorizo?

By ferry from Kaş port: 20–30 minutes, daily in season with Meis Express or Meis Ferry Lines. The port is a few minutes’ walk south of Republic Square.

### Do I need a passport to go to Kastellorizo from Kaş?

Yes. It’s an international border into Greece. EU citizens may use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport.

### Do I need a visa for Kastellorizo?

Only if you need a Schengen visa for Greece. The island’s express visa is for Turkish citizens only. Check that your Turkish visa allows re-entry.

### How much is the ferry from Kaş to Kastellorizo?

Roughly €17–30 one way depending on the operator and seller; travellers report €28–40 for a same-day return plus port fees. There is no single official fare.

### How long is the ferry from Kaş to Kastellorizo?

20–30 minutes on the regular boats; the fast boats are quicker. The island is only 2 km off the Turkish coast.

### What time does the Kastellorizo ferry leave Kaş?

Usually in the morning, around 9:00–10:00, with the return around 16:00. The timetable changes by season, and some summer days have a late boat.

### What is there to do on Kastellorizo?

Walk the harbour, take a boat to the Blue Cave, climb to the Knights’ castle and the Lycian tomb, hike to St George’s monastery or Paleokastro, and swim off the ladders.

### Is Kastellorizo worth a day trip?

Yes, if your papers allow it. It is one of the prettiest harbours in the Dodecanese and quiet even in summer. If you only have one day in Kaş, stay on the Turkish side.

### What currency is used on Kastellorizo?

The euro. Bring cash for the Blue Cave boat and small tavernas — Kaş ATMs dispense euros.

## How we checked

Neither operator publishes an official timetable and a single fare: Ferryhopper shows from €17.49 one way, other sellers €25–30, travellers report €28–40 for a same-day return — so we give a range and mark it “verifying”. Crossing times in sources range from 7 to 30 minutes. Sources disagree on the island’s area (about 9 or 12 km²), so we leave it out. The distance to Rhodes is 110 or 125 km — we show both. Union with Greece is dated 1947 (treaty) or 1948 (formal transfer). Population changes, so we don’t give it.

## Sources

- English Wikipedia: Kastellorizo — distances, castle, history, Mediterraneo
- Russian Wikipedia: Кастелоризо — names, distances, union with Greece
- Wikidata Q212096
- Exploring Greece (Greek National Tourism Organisation): ten suggestions for Kastellorizo — the Lycian tomb
- To Vima, 2026: express visa for Turkish citizens on Greek islands extended
- Ferryhopper: Kaş–Kastellorizo ferry — operators, crossing time, passport, check-in
- Frugal Frolicker: Kastellorizo day trip from Turkey — border process, Blue Cave boat, sights

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