# Hydra

A car-free island in the Saronic Gulf: captains' houses, donkeys, swimming off the rocks and water taxis to the coves. Fast boat from Piraeus and where to sleep.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/attica/hydra · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Hydra is a long, dry island in the Saronic Gulf where no cars or motorbikes run. Its only large village surrounds an amphitheatre-shaped harbour, with white houses and grey stone mansions of the shipowners who made the island rich in the 18th and 19th centuries and put their fleet at the service of the 1821 war of independence. Here suitcases go up by donkey, you reach the beach by boat and the streets are staircases. From Piraeus you get there by fast boat in a little over an hour.

## How do you get there from Athens?

By fast boat from Piraeus. Hellenic Seaways' Flying Cats and Flying Dolphins normally leave from gate E8 and take between 1 h 05, non-stop, and 1 h 45, stopping at Poros. You reach Piraeus on metro line 1 from Monastiraki or, from the airport, on the X96 express bus. In summer buy your ticket in advance, especially the Sunday return. In strong wind the fast boats are delayed or cancelled: don't cut it fine on the way back if you have a flight that day.

## What is there to do on Hydra?

First, walk the harbour and climb up to the captains' houses, along whitewashed stairs and walls with bougainvillea. On the quay is the Historical Archive and Museum, with figureheads, models and mementoes of 1821.

Then, the water. Beside the village there is no sand: at Spilia, beneath the cannons, you go down into the sea by ladders from the rocks, and from the quay water taxis leave for the coves. On foot, the coastal path to Kamini and Vlychos is the sunset stroll. If you have the legs, the climb to the Prophet Elias monastery, about 500 metres above the harbour, gives you the best view of the island.

## A day trip or with a night?

You can come for the day from Athens, with the morning boat and the afternoon one, and see the harbour, swim and have lunch. But Hydra changes when the excursion boats leave: the harbour calms down, the terraces light up and the sun sets over the Peloponnese. With one night, the getaway to Hydra from Athens organises both days for you; if you only have one, follow the day trip to Hydra.

## Where to sleep?

Hydra has mostly small hotels in old houses. The Bratsera, a sponge factory from 1860, is one of the few with a pool. The four-star Orloff has breakfast in the courtyard and suites in a 19th-century mansion. Cotommatae 1810 is the house of a family of captains 200 metres from the harbour. The Hydra Hotel, up the hill, has the view over the village, is open from April to 10 October and does not accept pets. Tell your hotel which boat you are taking: they will wait for you with a donkey for your suitcase.

## Where to eat?

At lunchtime, the Bratsera restaurant, à la carte around the pool, with shade. In the evening, Téchnē, modern Greek cuisine in Avlaki bay, open in season from 17:00. At the harbour and in Kamini there are tavernas for something simpler.

## How much does it cost?

Hydra is expensive for Greece: the village hotels are small and in great demand in summer, and eating at the harbour costs more than in Athens. The fast boat, return, is an important part of the budget. In return, you spend nothing on a car or parking.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Poros (a 16.5 km), Aegina (a 44.0 km), Cape Sounion (a 59.4 km), Nafplio (a 63.5 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Hydra harbour and the captains' houses** (2 h · All ages; many stairs): Hydra is an island without cars: in the harbour there are no wheels other than those of the rubbish carts. The town climbs in an amphitheatre around the quay, with white houses and, at both ends, the great grey stone mansions that shipowners built in the 18th and 19th centuries, when Hydra's fleet was among the richest in the Aegean and placed its ships at the service of the 1821 War of Independence.
The walk
Start on the quay, with the shops, cafés and the line of donkeys and mules waiting to carry luggage and shopping up. Climb any of the cobbled streets leaving behind it: they are stairways, well whitewashed, between garden walls with bougainvillea. Look for the mansions of the great families, such as Kountouriotis, on the west slope, and return to the harbour along the cannon promenade, which still point to the sea from the batteries at the entrance.
The donkeys
They are the island's transport. When you get off the boat you will see the muleteers on the quay: they carry suitcases to your hotel for an agreed price. Many hotels arrange it if you tell them when you arrive.
- **Hydra Historical Archive and Museum** (1 h · Teenagers and adults): What it is
The museum of Hydra's seafaring history. It holds 19th-century paintings and mementos of the 1821 War of Independence, traditional island costumes, maps, navigation instruments and cannon, carved wooden figureheads and bow decorations, models and lithographs of the revolution's ships, and a selection of the nearly 18,000 documents in its archive, as well as a photographic archive.
How to visit
Open every day, weekends included. For the day's hours and price, call its shop on +30 22980 52355. An hour is enough.
- **Coastal walk to Kamini and Vlychos** (1 h 30 · All ages; wide path with some slopes): You leave the harbour heading west, pass the cannons and the Spilia bathing rocks and follow the wide path that skirts the coast. In about 20 minutes you reach Kamini, a small fishing port with wooden boats and a couple of tavernas. If you go on another half hour, you reach Vlychos, a pebble beach with a stone bridge and tavernas. On the way back, you can return by water taxi.
When
At sunset the sun falls head-on, over the Peloponnese. In summer, avoid midday: the path has no shade.
- **Climb to the Prophet Elias monastery** (3 h · Good fitness; lots of stairs): The most demanding route on the island: from the harbour you climb the town's stepped streets and continue on a cobbled and then earth path, in zigzags, to the Prophet Elias monastery, at the top of the ridge that overlooks the town. It is about 500 metres of ascent and around an hour and a half of climbing. At the top, the harbour looks like a model and, beyond, the gulf and the Peloponnese.
How to do it
Set out early, with plenty of water: there is no shade or reliable springs. It is an inhabited monastery: clothing that covers shoulders and knees, and respect the visiting hours. Go down carefully, as loose stones slip.
- **Swimming from the Spilia rocks and a water taxi to the coves** (4 h · Good swimmers at Spilia; families at the coves): Hydra has almost no sand. What there is beside the town is rock: at Spilia, at the western exit of the harbour, below the cannons, you go down into the water by ladders from concrete platforms, in deep, very clear water. It is for those who swim well.
For beaches, take a water taxi on the quay: boats that leave when full or on demand for Kamini, Vlychos and, further away, the coves of Bisti and Agios Nikolaos, with pines and sunbeds in season. The price is paid per boat and trip: ask at the kiosk on the quay.

## Dónde comer
- **Bratsera restaurant** (Restaurant, Hydra, €€€). Qué pedir: an à la carte meal under the vine beside the pool, with a house cocktail
- **Téchnē Restaurant & Social** (Restaurant, Hydra, €€€€). Qué pedir: a fish from the gulf with seasonal vegetables and a house cocktail at sunset

## Car-free: A car-free island, on foot and by boat
Hydra is the car-free island by definition: there are no cars or motorbikes, only donkeys, boats and stairs. You arrive by fast boat from Piraeus and do everything on foot or by water taxi.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Bratsera Hotel** (Small hotel): A sponge factory turned hotel
Nikolaos Verveniotis founded a sponge factory here in 1860, when Hydra's fishermen went out in fleets to look for them. The building was restored respecting its architecture and today is a boutique hotel. Its name, bratsera, was that of the mother ship of the sponge-fishing fleets.
The rooms
Whitewashed stone walls, wooden beams, plank floors and windows onto courtyards: superior double rooms and junior suites, sober and of good size. At the centre, a courtyard with a pool and the open-air restaurant.
Who it is for
For one or two nights in Hydra with a pool, something scarce in the town, a few minutes' walk from the harbour. Tell them your boat: a donkey can carry the suitcase.
- **Orloff Boutique Hotel** (Small hotel): A Hydra house with forty years as a hotel
The Orloff occupies a traditional Hydra house on Miaouli Street, which climbs from the harbour, renovated as a four-star boutique hotel and updated every year, according to the house. Breakfast is served in the garden courtyard. 100 metres away, the Orloff Legacy Suites occupy a restored 19th-century mansion, with independent suites around a traditional courtyard.
Who it is for
For couples looking for an elegant, quiet Hydra, a few minutes from the harbour. It is a place for weddings and honeymoons. Online bookings accept children aged 12 to 18.
- **Hydra Hotel** (Small hotel): Up high, with the whole harbour in view
The Hydra Hotel is a renovated mansion on the slope, among pedestrian stairways, about 7 minutes' walk from the harbour. Being high up it has what is most prized in Hydra: a view over the cascade of rooftops and the gulf. It is officially category A, traditional apartments, renovated in 2008, and open from 1 April to 10 October.
How it works
Check-in at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00. Breakfast is served from 9:00 to 12:00 in your room or on the patio, with homemade products. Free wifi, room service at no charge, massages and laundry at a supplement. Mattresses of natural materials. Pets are not allowed. The nearest beach is 200 metres away.
Keep in mind
The climb from the harbour is stairs: with a suitcase, ask the hotel for the donkey. From the rooms with a panoramic view you see the whole town.
- **Cotommatae 1810** (Small hotel): Sleeping in a captain's house
Cotommatae is the Cotommatis-Skoulis mansion, a Hydra house of 1810 about 200 metres from the harbour, lovingly restored by the family's descendants to preserve its history. It is on a quiet street, enclosed by its stone walls, with courtyards, a garden and a veranda with a view.
The rooms
Each has its own name and character: the Wine Cellar, the Icons, the Therino, the Sponges, the Dovecote, the Master Bedroom or the Vault of the Muses. Period furniture and wooden floors. The same group also has a separate residence.
Who it is for
For anyone who comes to Hydra to feel the island of the shipowners, a step from the harbour, without noise.
### Servicios
- **Fast boat from Piraeus to Hydra (Hellenic Seaways)**: Flying Cat and Flying Dolphin from Piraeus · 1 h 05 to 1 h 45 depending on stops · passengers only
- **Donkeys and water taxis at the harbour**: No cars on the island · muleteers with donkeys for luggage and taxi boats to Kamini, Vlychos and the coves · price per trip

## Luxury: Captains' mansions and dinners facing the sea
Since the 1960s Hydra has been the island of artists and elegant getaways from Athens: shipowners' houses turned into small hotels, dinners facing the sea and no traffic. Luxury here is quiet.
Presupuesto orientativo: From €250 por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Bratsera Hotel** (Small hotel): A sponge factory turned hotel
Nikolaos Verveniotis founded a sponge factory here in 1860, when Hydra's fishermen went out in fleets to look for them. The building was restored respecting its architecture and today is a boutique hotel. Its name, bratsera, was that of the mother ship of the sponge-fishing fleets.
The rooms
Whitewashed stone walls, wooden beams, plank floors and windows onto courtyards: superior double rooms and junior suites, sober and of good size. At the centre, a courtyard with a pool and the open-air restaurant.
Who it is for
For one or two nights in Hydra with a pool, something scarce in the town, a few minutes' walk from the harbour. Tell them your boat: a donkey can carry the suitcase.
- **Orloff Boutique Hotel** (Small hotel): A Hydra house with forty years as a hotel
The Orloff occupies a traditional Hydra house on Miaouli Street, which climbs from the harbour, renovated as a four-star boutique hotel and updated every year, according to the house. Breakfast is served in the garden courtyard. 100 metres away, the Orloff Legacy Suites occupy a restored 19th-century mansion, with independent suites around a traditional courtyard.
Who it is for
For couples looking for an elegant, quiet Hydra, a few minutes from the harbour. It is a place for weddings and honeymoons. Online bookings accept children aged 12 to 18.
- **Hydra Hotel** (Small hotel): Up high, with the whole harbour in view
The Hydra Hotel is a renovated mansion on the slope, among pedestrian stairways, about 7 minutes' walk from the harbour. Being high up it has what is most prized in Hydra: a view over the cascade of rooftops and the gulf. It is officially category A, traditional apartments, renovated in 2008, and open from 1 April to 10 October.
How it works
Check-in at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00. Breakfast is served from 9:00 to 12:00 in your room or on the patio, with homemade products. Free wifi, room service at no charge, massages and laundry at a supplement. Mattresses of natural materials. Pets are not allowed. The nearest beach is 200 metres away.
Keep in mind
The climb from the harbour is stairs: with a suitcase, ask the hotel for the donkey. From the rooms with a panoramic view you see the whole town.
- **Cotommatae 1810** (Small hotel): Sleeping in a captain's house
Cotommatae is the Cotommatis-Skoulis mansion, a Hydra house of 1810 about 200 metres from the harbour, lovingly restored by the family's descendants to preserve its history. It is on a quiet street, enclosed by its stone walls, with courtyards, a garden and a veranda with a view.
The rooms
Each has its own name and character: the Wine Cellar, the Icons, the Therino, the Sponges, the Dovecote, the Master Bedroom or the Vault of the Muses. Period furniture and wooden floors. The same group also has a separate residence.
Who it is for
For anyone who comes to Hydra to feel the island of the shipowners, a step from the harbour, without noise.

## By plane: Fly to Athens, metro to Piraeus and fast boat
Hydra is visited by flying to Athens, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and other Spanish cities. From the airport you go to Piraeus on the X96 express bus, about 90 minutes, or by metro via the centre, and from there, by fast boat, an hour to an hour and three-quarters. You do not need a car: there are none on the island.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Bratsera Hotel** (Small hotel): A sponge factory turned hotel
Nikolaos Verveniotis founded a sponge factory here in 1860, when Hydra's fishermen went out in fleets to look for them. The building was restored respecting its architecture and today is a boutique hotel. Its name, bratsera, was that of the mother ship of the sponge-fishing fleets.
The rooms
Whitewashed stone walls, wooden beams, plank floors and windows onto courtyards: superior double rooms and junior suites, sober and of good size. At the centre, a courtyard with a pool and the open-air restaurant.
Who it is for
For one or two nights in Hydra with a pool, something scarce in the town, a few minutes' walk from the harbour. Tell them your boat: a donkey can carry the suitcase.
- **Orloff Boutique Hotel** (Small hotel): A Hydra house with forty years as a hotel
The Orloff occupies a traditional Hydra house on Miaouli Street, which climbs from the harbour, renovated as a four-star boutique hotel and updated every year, according to the house. Breakfast is served in the garden courtyard. 100 metres away, the Orloff Legacy Suites occupy a restored 19th-century mansion, with independent suites around a traditional courtyard.
Who it is for
For couples looking for an elegant, quiet Hydra, a few minutes from the harbour. It is a place for weddings and honeymoons. Online bookings accept children aged 12 to 18.
- **Hydra Hotel** (Small hotel): Up high, with the whole harbour in view
The Hydra Hotel is a renovated mansion on the slope, among pedestrian stairways, about 7 minutes' walk from the harbour. Being high up it has what is most prized in Hydra: a view over the cascade of rooftops and the gulf. It is officially category A, traditional apartments, renovated in 2008, and open from 1 April to 10 October.
How it works
Check-in at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00. Breakfast is served from 9:00 to 12:00 in your room or on the patio, with homemade products. Free wifi, room service at no charge, massages and laundry at a supplement. Mattresses of natural materials. Pets are not allowed. The nearest beach is 200 metres away.
Keep in mind
The climb from the harbour is stairs: with a suitcase, ask the hotel for the donkey. From the rooms with a panoramic view you see the whole town.
- **Cotommatae 1810** (Small hotel): Sleeping in a captain's house
Cotommatae is the Cotommatis-Skoulis mansion, a Hydra house of 1810 about 200 metres from the harbour, lovingly restored by the family's descendants to preserve its history. It is on a quiet street, enclosed by its stone walls, with courtyards, a garden and a veranda with a view.
The rooms
Each has its own name and character: the Wine Cellar, the Icons, the Therino, the Sponges, the Dovecote, the Master Bedroom or the Vault of the Muses. Period furniture and wooden floors. The same group also has a separate residence.
Who it is for
For anyone who comes to Hydra to feel the island of the shipowners, a step from the harbour, without noise.
### Servicios
- **Fast boat from Piraeus to Hydra (Hellenic Seaways)**: Flying Cat and Flying Dolphin from Piraeus · 1 h 05 to 1 h 45 depending on stops · passengers only

## As a family: Donkeys, boats and a village without cars

To children Hydra seems like a game: there are no cars, the suitcase goes up by donkey, you go to the beach by boat and the streets are stairs. In return, you have to walk and climb; with a pushchair it is complicated.

### What works best
Watching the boats arrive and the donkeys being loaded on the quay

The water taxi to a cove with sunbeds

The coastal walk to Kamini

### Where to sleep
Bratsera, with a courtyard pool

Cotommatae, with courtyards and a garden

### Eating
Bratsera restaurant, with shade and the pool in view

### Keep in mind
Baby carrier: a pushchair is no use on the stairs

Spilia is swimming off deep rock, not for small children

More people get seasick on the fast boat than on a big ferry

### Qué hacer as a family
- Hydra harbour and the captains' houses
- Coastal walk to Kamini and Vlychos
- Swimming from the Spilia rocks and a water taxi to the coves

## With teenagers: Jumping into the sea from the rocks and climbing to the top

For teenagers, Hydra has freedom without cars: they can go on their own to swim at the Spilia rocks, climb to the Prophet Elias monastery or come back by boat from Vlychos.

### What works best
Swimming off the Spilia rocks, below the cannons

The climb to Prophet Elias, first thing

The museum of the ships of the 1821 war

### Where to sleep
Hydra Hotel, with the terrace above the town

### Eating
Something simple at the harbour, and a special dinner at Téchnē

### Keep in mind
Spilia is deep water: only for those who swim well

The climb to the monastery has no shade

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Hydra harbour and the captains' houses
- Hydra Historical Archive and Museum
- Coastal walk to Kamini and Vlychos
- Climb to the Prophet Elias monastery
- Swimming from the Spilia rocks and a water taxi to the coves

## Consejos

### Book the return boat
On Sunday afternoons in summer they sell out.

### Flat shoes
The polished stone steps are slippery.

### Tell the hotel
So they wait for you with the donkey.

### Leave some margin if you have a flight
In wind the fast boats are cancelled: come back the day before.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Athens to Hydra?
From 1 h 05 to 1 h 45 by fast boat from Piraeus, depending on the stops, plus the metro or bus to the port.

### Are there cars on Hydra?
No. No cars or motorbikes: you get around on foot, by donkey or by water taxi.

### Does it have beaches?
Near the village, rocks for swimming, such as Spilia. The pebble coves, such as Vlychos, Bisti or Agios Nikolaos, are reached on foot or by water taxi.

### Can you see it in a day?
Yes, with the morning boat and the afternoon one. With a night you enjoy it much more.

### When is the best time to go?
From April to June and in September and October. In winter much of it is closed.

### Aegina or Hydra?
Aegina is closer and cheaper, with a temple and cars. Hydra is prettier and more expensive, with no cars. If you have one night, Hydra.