Hydra Island, sometimes called Idra, despite being a paradise for hikers leaving Athens and a popular tourist complex has a very picturesque harbor, around which the main town, Hydra Harbor, is built on the slopes, with less than 2000 inhabitants. Hydra seems to absorb its tourists well; It is a place that has been well managed over the years. Under these conditions, unsurprisingly, Hydra is also an artist’s paradise.
Cars are not allowed anywhere on the island. Although garbage trucks are allowed, public transportation comes by donkeys, bicycles, and water taxis. Donkeys at the port can carry your bags up the steep slopes to your hotel. Have your camera ready.
Hydra is located in the heart of the Saronic Gulf, near the islands of Spetses and Poros. There are a few other little villages scattered around the island that you could walk to.
Get there
You can take the ferry from the port of Pireus in Athens to Hydra in about 3 hours, at a one-way cost of less than 7 euros (see our transport links below). You can take a round trip with stops in Aegina, Methena or Poros. You can also take the fastest hydrofoils, the Flying Dolphins, which take about an hour and a half. From Hydra, you can take a flying dolphin to the island of Spetses or the town of Nafplion, where there is a large castle. See Ferries Direct for more information.
Things to do in Hydra
Hydra is one of my favorite little ports to visit. Combine it with a trip to other islands in the Saronic Gulf, and you have a nice couple of days vacation.
Hydra Town claims to have 365 churches. You may want to visit the 18th-century Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on the waterfront, which gets much of its charm from its marble building blocks collected from the Temple of Poseidon in nearby Poros.
There are also captain’s mansions. The Tombazi mansion constitutes the School of Fine Arts, one of the 7 annexes of the School of Fine Arts in Athens. The view from the mansion is nice.
I like to choose a dusty tavern in the city center, buy a plate of olives and a glass of retsina, and gaze out at the sea. It’s not that I like retsina so much, but drinking it is one of those rituals that I need to orient myself and convince myself that I am finally in Greece.
Beaches
The only recommended beach near Hydra Town is Mandraki, a 20-minute walk east of town, but there are others if you follow the paths leading out of town to the east or west. A walk up the hill gives you good views of Hydra Town (see the image to the right).
Night life
There is a lot of nightlife in Hydra Town in the summer as Hydra was populated by young Athenians back then.
Where to stay
The top crust of these is the outstanding three-star Hotel Mistral.
If the hotel / guesthouse thing doesn’t work for you, a beach or townhouse might be better for families, romantics, and longer stays. There’s a good selection of Saronic Island vacation rentals on HomeAway.
Hydra Town Photos
See our Hydra image gallery
Greece Pictures
See our Greek photo gallery
