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Hydra is one of the most elegant and atmospheric islands in Greece, and one of the very few where cars and scooters are banned: people and goods move on foot, by boat, or on the backs of donkeys and mules. Its horseshoe-shaped harbour is surrounded by an amphitheatre of grey stone mansions, the archontika, built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by wealthy sea captains, whose fleet played a leading role in the Greek War of Independence of 1821. Some of these mansions are now museums, and the Historical Archives Museum on the waterfront tells the story of the island's naval past, celebrated every June during the Miaoulia festival. Hydra has long attracted artists, writers and musicians, including Leonard Cohen, who lived here in the 1960s, and it still hosts exhibitions every summer. There are no sandy beaches near the town; instead, people swim from the rocks at Spilia and Hydronetta, or take water taxis to pebble bays such as Vlychos, Bisti and Agios Nikolaos. A steep path climbs from the town to the Monastery of Profitis Ilias, with wide views. Hydra is about two hours from Piraeus by fast boat, and suits couples, art lovers and those who appreciate peace and style.
Quick facts
LOCATION
Saronic Islands
KNOWN FOR
Car-free harbour & mansions
BEST FOR
No car needed, Romantic, Upscale, History, Couples
Beaches
Vlychos Beach
Mandraki (Hydra) Beach
Bisti Beach
Agios Nikolaos (Hydra) Beach
Spilia (Hydra) Beach
Religious Sites
Monastery of Panagia (Hydra Cathedral)
Monastery of Profitis Ilias (Hydra)
Museums & History
Hydra Cannons (Harbour Bastion)
Historical Archives Museum of Hydra
Lazaros Koundouriotis Mansion
Other
Kamini Village
Transportation
Port of Hydra
By air
Hydra has no airport. Fly to Athens International Airport, with flights from across Europe all year, then take the metro, bus or a taxi to Piraeus, about an hour, for the boat.
By ferry
Fast boats from Piraeus reach Hydra in about one and a half to two hours several times a day, and the island is on the line to Spetses and Poros. Hydra is also just 20 minutes from Metochi on the Peloponnese coast, with parking for cars.
Getting around
Not needed and not allowed: Hydra is car-free, with no cars or scooters for visitors, so walking and water taxis are the only ways to get around.
Saronic Islands
