Hydra was the cool Greek island to visit when its rival Mykonos was still best known for Petros the pelican. This was partly because of its proximity to Athens; even before the Second World War, Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell and Patrick Leigh Fermor were coming to stay in the villa of Greece’s great modern artist Nikos Chatzikyriakos-Gikas. The rest of the world caught on when the young Sophia Loren starred in Boy on a Dolphin in 1957. The Australian writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston, Leonard Cohen and Joan Collins all bought houses, adding to its arty, laid-back vibe.
There’s only one sprawling settlement, Hydra Town, with an outlandishly picturesque amphitheatre of stone mansions built in the 18th and 19th centuries by the merchant captains who financed and fought in the Greek War of Independence. Artists, bohemians and the yachting set love it, as do visitors on a day trip from Athens. Along the waterfront and up and down the stairs you’ll find traditional and glamorous bars and restaurants and a lively night scene, but what you may end up liking most of all is its wonderful peace and quiet, thanks to the lack of cars, broken only by the clip-clopping of the thousand donkeys who transport the goods.
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What to do
Have a wander, up and down the town. Some of the biggest mansions are now museums, including the Historical Archive Museum, with artefacts, documents and paintings relating to the island’s history, especially to its leading role in the 1821-29 War of Independence. The mansions of the two wealthiest merchants, the Koundouriotis brothers, are now Hydra’s Art Museum and the Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion, home to 18th-century furnishings, costumes, weapons and embroideries. Walk up to the cannon-equipped bastions for gorgeous views over the Aegean Sea, then swim off the rocks below at Spilia.
Twenty minutes east is Mandraki, the old port, with the island’s only sandy beach. Stop on the way to see what’s happening at Deste, the Hydra branch of the Geneva-based Foundation for Contemporary Art, which is housed in the former slaughterhouse. West of Hydra Town you can dive off the rocks at Hydronetta and sit on the bench erected by the islanders for Leonard Cohen’s 80th birthday, although as he died before that day it became his memorial. Two kilometres west (walk or take a water taxi) you’ll find pebbly Kamini beach and Vlychos beach, both of which are well suited to families.
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Where to stay
There’s a wide range of accommodation on Hydra, whether you’re looking for a chic boutique hotel in a historic mansion, a room in a little guesthouse or a quiet hotel close to one of the beaches on either side of Hydra Town, at Mandraki or Vlychos (both of which are served by regular water taxis). Don’t expect anything like the big resort hotels that exist on other Greek islands; the Four Seasons, with its private sandy beach at Plakes Vlychou, is as close as they come, but like other hotels on Hydra it is relatively diminutive.
Into your history? Try Hydra Town’s eight-room Orloff Boutique Hotel, built by the Russian count sent by Catherine the Great in 1796 to help the Greeks fight for independence. Book well in advance to bag a room anywhere on Hydra during the important Greek Easter celebrations, or during the island’s biggest party, the Miaoulia Festival, which starts in the second week of June and carries on until the end of the month.
Food and drink
Hydra imports most of its food from the nearby mainland, although local fishermen supply a good portion of the fresh fish in the restaurants, notably squid, served grilled, the island’s speciality. Perched on the rocks overlooking the port, Omilos (formerly Lagoudera) is the island’s most celebrated gourmet haven, where Jackie Onassis, Bridget Bardot and the Rolling Stones dined, danced and debauched in the 1970s. Along the port there’s a clutch of tavernas and cafés offering front-row seats to all the hustle and bustle — including the Pirate Bar, in business since 1976, open until late and scene of fabled parties over the years.
Further up in the backstreets you’ll find little tavernas where the locals get away from the scrum. The beautiful Sunset restaurant along the path to Kamini delivers the promised spectacle, with sophisticated dining; another landmark on the food and drink scene is Castello, in an 18th-century tower with spectacular views, its own beach and very fashionable Mediterranean restaurant. Most close in the winter, except for a handful of family-run tavernas such as Ostria, specialising in tasty mezedes; the owner is a fisherman. No matter where you go on the island of Hydra, expect to meet friendly cats waiting for a handout.
Don’t miss
Take a water taxi to the quiet pebble beaches on the southwest coast. Agios Nikolaos and Bisti are both backed by pinewoods and offer great snorkelling. There are numerous paths into Hydra’s interior (but not a lot of shade). The rewards are gorgeous views over the Saronic Gulf. Start early in the morning to make the two-hour walk up 588m to Profitis Ilias monastery near the top of Mount Eros, Hydra’s highest point. The monastery can also be reached via several short or long-distance guided rides offered by Harriet’s Hydra Horses.
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It’s easy to make day cruises to the nearby Saronic Islands — Aegina, the island of pistachios, with the best-preserved ancient temple on a Greek island, or pretty Poros on the “Greek Grand Canal”, or salty little Spetses, home of Bouboulina, the heroic female admiral of the War of Independence, and where John Fowles set The Magus. There are frequent boat links to Metochi, which is 45 minutes from ancient Troezen and an hour’s drive from Epidaurus, site of the world’s best-preserved ancient theatre and the famous summer theatre festival.
Know before you go
The currency is the euro, and you’ll need quite a few of them if you’re spending time living it up in Hydra’s cocktail bars.
From Piraeus, the port of Athens, only hydrofoils (“Flying Dolphins”) or catamarans (“Flying Cats”) go to Hydra, taking about 90 minutes; be sure to book your tickets well in advance. Motorists can also get to Hydra by passenger ferry or sea taxi from the Peloponnesian ports of Metochi (where there’s a useful free car park to leave the car) or Hermioni.
Take me there
Inspired to visit Hydra but yet to book your trip? Here are the best hotels from Booking.com and Expedia.
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