We travel to Hydra , an island south of Athens, which has privileged views of the Argolis peninsula, separated from the Peloponnese by the gulf that bears its name. Our journey through the Greek saronic islands leads us to an open island, ideal for those seeking tranquility and relaxation.
The island has become one of the tourist destinations for the upper classes of Greece and a magnet for artists and intellectuals who embrace it as a place to get inspired and relax their minds.
And the fact is that, in addition to having an almost virgin nature, it so happens that here, the traffic problem is reduced to public transport, the inhabitants’ donkeys and the water taxis that allow you to move around the island and communicate with it. the peninsula.
What to see in Hydra: attractions that you cannot miss
What can be seen on this island of barely 3,000 inhabitants ? The most common is to disembark in Puerto Hydra , which is the “capital” city and offers a natural port of extraordinary beauty . In fact, if you look at it from the air, or from one of the high points of the island, it resembles a classical Greek amphitheater.
Like any coastal town , the daily activity looks to the sea; It is here, in the port, where you will find more restaurants, shops, galleries . Now, to immerse yourself in the Greek spirit, it is best to let yourself be carried away by its steep streets in search of dreamlike corners .
Precisely the natural port was the engine of its greatest development during the seventeenth century. Here one of the first schools of sailors in the Mediterranean was founded.
Its strategic position always placed it in the tension between the Ottoman Empire, ultimately responsible for its repopulation, and the booming Venetian trade.
Beyond this, Hydra is not an eminently cultural destination. If what you are looking for are archaeological remains, large cities and open-air museums, return to the Greek peninsula. This is a place to rest your mind and find yourself.
Things to do in Hydra
This saronic island has an important tourist attraction in the form of a silent paradise. The absence of vehicles and the lesser influx of tourists make the spaces into little paradises to discover.
In the upper area, in addition to the redoubts of ancient sites, rare in all the wonder that is Greece, we find some spectacular mansions. These constructions began in the 70s as a haven with great privacy for celebrities and great fortunes.
What draws the attention of this construction conglomerate is the peculiarity of its architecture, with its own style and that the authorities have managed to protect to maintain the identity of the island in all its elements: stone houses, two or three heights, with the tile roofs and built simulating an amphitheater around the port, or on two mounds.
- You can’t miss: Casa de los Tombazis, the School of Fine Arts or the Higher School of the Merchant Marine.
Any traveler arriving on the island cannot leave it without stopping at the Kimissis Theotokou monastery, the island’s quintessential Orthodox temple.
For those who are more fit, they can plan an ascent to Mount Eros and from there, after visiting the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah, take in the spectacular views over the island and the sea. Plan a whole day, since, even if you are in shape, the ascent will take you about four hours.
Other populations of interest in Hydra
Within the variety of landscapes that can be enjoyed in the idyllic Hydra, you can go to Kaminia , a typical fishing village or Mandraki , where the shipyards that gave the island fame and strategic predominance were once located.
You can comfortably approach both spaces by walking. The first one will only take 45 minutes; Mandriki is just over an hour from Puerto Hidra.
- It may interest you: how to know what temperature will be in Hydra for your trip
The best beaches in Hydra
The beaches of the Greek island of Hydra are torn between the great shear of the cliffs and the idyllic sandy areas. These are some of the best beaches in Hydra:
- Spilia : rocky beach with deep waters ideal for swimming… with caution. The best thing is its location near the port, and nearby restaurant services. A perfect enclave to watch the sunset!
- Avlaki Bay : beyond the canyons and cliffs of Spilia is a beautiful cove, with somewhat difficult access and a pebble beach. If you prefer a more secluded and less crowded place, and you don’t go with small children, this is your place.
- Kamini Beach: Hydra’s family beach par excellence. Its waters are calm and you have everything you need to spend a day with the family. .
A sustainable destination
We have all been impressed to see the island of plastics, or how in tourist regions of Southeast Asia the once idyllic beaches have become waste pits.
In this small Mediterranean enclave, the authorities have made an effort to maintain the island with minimal human intervention . In this way, the long-awaited goal of offering tourists a vacation in a sustainable tourism destination is achieved.
Hence, for example, if you consider how to get around in Hydra, the answer is by donkey or by water taxi. There is also public transport. Cars are strictly prohibited.
Curiosities about the island of La Hydra
Even though Hydra is a little-known island among the most sought-after Greek destinations, it has some curious landmarks that we offer you below.
The first of them, his own name. Hydra or Hydrea (its Greek name) means well watered and makes mention of the many springs that originally supplied the island . Today we cannot enjoy the spectacle that had to be since the seismic activity in the area during the last century has buried them.
As a curious note, all the drinking water on the island is brought by boat from Athens.
The Hippy movement in the Greek Aegean Islands
The Greek Islands are a little paradise in the Mediterranean. Imported from the United States, islands such as Hydra -as well as Ibiza and Formentera-, lived in the seventies immersed in the Hippy movement.
Leonard Cohen and his love affair with this Greek port
Among the intellectuals and celebrities who meet each year on this Greek island paradise was Leonard Cohen. The singer-songwriter and poet himself reiterated in numerous interviews his attachment to the island and the inspiration it gave him to compose.
Seascapes of another time, high mountains that fall over the sea, wooded, rocky coasts … the typical landscape of the Greek islands awaits you in Hydra, the refuge island of Athens.
