Best things to do & places to stay:
Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
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Quietly glamorous and blissfully tranquil, Hydra is the only Greek island where cars and motorbikes are banned. So the only way to access the cobbled lanes, rugged hills and rocky coves is by foot, truculent donkey or boat.
Swanky yachts and colourful fishing boats sway in the harbour, surrounded by stone mansions built by wealthy mariners centuries ago. Well-heeled Athenians sip iced coffee at the harbour cafés, while aspiring artists spend their summers at the Fine Art School.
Art is everywhere in this bohemian sanctuary – even the local naval academy and slaughterhouse are converted into galleries during the summer.
Hydra’s main town extends up the steep hills surrounding the harbour. This is where most hotels, shops, museums, and travel agencies are located.
To the east is the small bay of Mandraki, with a sandy beach, hotel, and watersports.
To the west is Kamini, a fishing port with a few tavernas. Beyond are the remote beaches of Vlichos, Bisti and Ayios Nikolaos.
The rugged interior is scarcely populated apart from a handful of shepherds and monasteries.
Hydra is a very barren and waterless island that does not produce anything and there is no local meat or fishing – food is delicious, but ingredients come from the Peloponnese or Athens.
Amygdalota (almond cookies flavoured with rose water and dusted with icing sugar) are a local speciality. Buy them from the Tsangaris bakery, opposite the food market near the port.
Also see our round-up of traditional Greek foods to try in Greece for some culinary delights you will no doubt come across while you’re there.
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest
Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
Tucked away behind the harbour, it serves divine home-made pistachio and strawberry ice cream. Flora grows her own fruit and nuts on the nearby islet of Dokos.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
Hike up to the dramatic, remote monastery of Profitis Ilias, for phenomenal views of the harbour and the Peloponnese.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2+ hours
Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
A 3-day festival on the last weekend of June, commemorating local heroics during Greece’s 1821 revolution – cue boat races, music, and fireworks galore. In the grand finale, a replica of a Turkish frigate is set alight in the harbour.
Best for ages: 8+ | Free | 1 weekend
Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
Near Leonard Cohen’s old house is the former home of the late painter Panayiotis Tetsis – an evocative trove of tender portraits and luminous landscapes of Hydra. Downstairs, the general store run by his grandparents has been preserved as they left it, with dusty bottles of cherry brandy and hand-dipped beeswax candles.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay in this destination
Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
A handsome sea captain’s mansion built in 1810, Miranda is a peaceful guesthouse that epitomises the old-fashioned charm of Hydra’s cultural heritage.
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Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
Romantic hideaway with a hidden pool and excellent restaurant, just moments from all the fashionable portside action.
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Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
A rare (and remote) seafront hotel on the rocky island of Hydra, with seven calm and elegant suites in a converted stone mansion.
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Hydra, Greek Islands, Greece
The only five-star resort on Hydra, with beautifully breezy (and pricey) suites and a lively beach bar, enjoys a covetable location on sandy Mandraki bay. The hotel is adults-only.
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Springtime is perfect for exploring Hydra’s glorious, craggy walking trails. June and September are blissfully calm and warm.
August is the busiest month, and the island heaves with high-class Athenians every weekend throughout the summer.
It’s cold and bleak between November and March, when most hotels and restaurants are closed.
There’s no airport on Hydra. High-speed catamarans and ‘flying dolphins’ (2hrs) depart from Piraeus, the main port for Athens. To book tickets, contact Hellenic Seaways.
Cars and motorbikes are banned on Hydra. The only way to get around is on foot, by boat or on a donkey (useful for carrying heavy luggage).
Water taxis, which ferry passengers to and from the island’s beaches, are lined up along the eastern side of the harbour.
From old-time tavernas hidden in the back alleys to upscale Italian and modern Greek eateries, Hydra caters for its well-heeled and well-travelled devotees. There is only one town in Hydra, and the eating places are all concentrated on and behind the waterfront.
For a classic beach taverna though, try the taverna at Vlychos beach (see experience recommendations).
The waterfront is awash with chic boutiques selling chic sandals, baskets, and beachwear. But do venture into the backstreets for more recherche souvenirs.
If you can’t afford the pieces on show at the annual Hydra School Projects exhibition, pick up statement jewellery by local designer Elena Votsi, who has a shop on the harbourfront.
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