The Athens to Hydra ferry is the only way to reach the beautiful car-free island of Hydra, a quick and scenic high-speed crossing from the port of Piraeus. Because Hydra has no airport and lies just off the coast in the Saronic Gulf, every visitor arrives by boat. Fast passenger ferries make the trip in … Read more
Shopping on Hydra is a real pleasure, with an appealing range of shops tucked into the traditional stone houses along the whitewashed lanes of the town. Far from mass-produced tourist tat, the island offers quality jewellery, art galleries, ceramics, stylish boutiques and genuine local crafts, reflecting Hydra’s long artistic heritage and its cosmopolitan, sophisticated character. … Read more
The Hydra cats are one of the most beloved and photographed features of this beautiful car-free island. A large community of friendly felines who greet visitors along the harbour and doze in the sun in the stone lanes. With no cars, motorbikes or bicycles to threaten them, the cats of Hydra are famously relaxed and … Read more
Spilia is Hydra’s most famous swimming spot. A set of rock and concrete bathing platforms right beside the harbour where swimmers dive straight into the deep, clear blue of the Aegean. Named after a small sea cave below the beach bar, it is the closest place to swim to the town. Reached in minutes on … Read more
Mandraki beach is the only real sandy beach on Hydra, a sheltered bay a short way east of the main town where soft sand slopes gently into shallow, crystal-clear water. Unlike the island’s many pebble coves, Mandraki offers easy, comfortable swimming on sand, along with full facilities. Water sports and a luxury beach resort, making … Read more
Agios Nikolaos beach is the largest and best-organised of all Hydra’s remote beaches, a beautiful Blue Flag pebble cove on the island’s south-western coast. Set in a sheltered bay with clear, calm water, backed by pines and served by sunbeds, umbrellas and a snack bar. It offers a comfortable, full day at the beach in … Read more
Bisti Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on Hydra, a pine-fringed pebble cove tucked into a sheltered bay at the wild south-western tip of the island. Backed by fragrant pines that run almost to the water and lapped by a crystal-clear, gently shelving sea. It is a favourite for swimming, snorkelling and a … Read more
The Hydra artists gave this small and rocky Greek island a cultural fame far beyond its size. Turning it into one of the most celebrated bohemian havens of the twentieth century. Drawn by the clear light, the stark beauty, the cheap living and the deep calm of a car-free island. A colony of writers and … Read more
The Hydra mansions are the island’s most striking landmark. A set of grand stone houses that rise in a natural amphitheatre around the harbour and give the town its unmistakable character. Known as archontika, these three and four-storey mansions were built by the wealthy sea captains and merchants of the 18th and 19th centuries, when … Read more
The Hydra museums pack a surprising amount of history and culture into a small island. Reflecting its glorious past as a wealthy seafaring power and its leading role in the Greek War of Independence. The two most important are the Historical Archives Museum on the harbour and the Ecclesiastical and Byzantine Museum by the cathedral. … Read more