Yannis Divramis 
Deciding where to stay in Hydra matters more than on most Greek islands, because Hydra is completely car-free. Where to stay in Hydra. And how steps you must climb to reach your hotel, shapes your whole visit. Most accommodation is in and around Hydra Town, the beautiful harbour capital, in converted stone mansions and homely … Read more
To get to Hydra you travel by sea, as the island has no airport and, being completely car-free, no road access either. The main way to get to Hydra is by fast ferry from the port of Piraeus in Athens. A scenic crossing of roughly one and a half to two hours across the Saronic … Read more
Hydra Town, known to Greeks as Chora, is the island’s capital and only real town, and one of the most beautiful island ports in the whole of Greece. Rising in a stone amphitheatre around a perfect horseshoe harbour, it is a place of grand captains’ mansions, marble-paved lanes, cafes and galleries, and it is entirely … Read more
Hydra beaches are unlike those of most Greek islands: instead of long sandy shores. The car-free island offers rocky swim platforms, pebble coves and crystal-clear water reached on foot or by water taxi. Right beside the town, sunbathers dive off concrete ledges at Spilia and Hydronetta, while a coastal walk leads to the pebble beaches … Read more
The best things to do in Hydra revolve around one rare quality: this is a Greek island with no cars. No scooters and no bicycles, where donkeys, water taxis and your own feet are the only way to get around. Just a short ferry from Athens in the Saronic Gulf, Hydra keeps a timeless, elegant … Read more
Lefkada in winter is a completely different island from the busy summer resort, quiet, authentic and far cheaper, with a slow local rhythm in place of the crowds. From about November to March the temperatures stay mild, usually between around 10 and 19 degrees, with occasional rain and wind but bright, sunny days too. Hotels … Read more
Lefkada food is a rich, traditional Ionian cuisine built on fresh seafood, mountain produce, good olive oil and a lasting Venetian influence. Because the island joins the sea to a green, farmed interior, its cooking ranges from fish soups and cuttlefish in ink to lentils grown high on the plateau, cured salami and homemade pies. … Read more
Avali beach is a secluded, sheltered cove on the west coast of Lefkada, a postcard-perfect crescent of crystalline water, white pebbly sand and golden-green cliffs. Its name comes from the Lefkadian dialect and means shelter, which fits perfectly: tucked beneath the cliffs near the village of Kalamitsi. Avali beach has a protected cove and unusually … Read more
Kavalikefta beach is one of the most dramatic and photogenic beaches on the west coast of Lefkada, a small, wild cove of clear turquoise water framed by towering white cliffs. What sets it apart are the giant pale boulders scattered across its sand and pebbles, which create shaded nooks and a striking, sculptural landscape found … Read more
Gialos beach is one of the wide, wild and blissfully uncrowded shores of the west coast of Lefkada, a long sweep of sand and smooth white pebbles beneath green mountains. Lying about 35 kilometres south-west of Lefkada Town and just north of the famous Egremni. Gialos beach shares the west coast’s clear blue water and … Read more
Kalamos and Kastos are two small, unspoiled Ionian islands lying south-east of Lefkada, among the least-known and most peaceful in the whole sea. Green, quiet and almost untouched by mass tourism, they make a notable day trip and a favourite sailing destination reached by boat from Lefkada. Kalamos is the larger and wilder of the … Read more
Lygia is a traditional fishing village on the sheltered east coast of Lefkada, only about five kilometres south of Lefkada Town. Also spelled Ligia, it keeps the calm, unpretentious character of a working harbour, with a fishing fleet. Fish tavernas and boat rentals along the waterfront and a narrow, shady pebble beach with crystal-clear, calm … Read more