Bratsera Hotel
Why we like it: A boutique hotel in a sponge factory of 1860, a few minutes from Hydra harbour, with a courtyard pool, open-air restaurant and stone and wood rooms.
Duration1 night
From AthensFast boat 1 h 05–1 h 45
CarsNone
Best timeMay – June · September – October
BringSwimwear and flat shoes
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Athens on a Saturday morning and return on Sunday afternoon, from April to October, when hotels and restaurants open. Buy both boat tickets in advance and tell the hotel your arrival time.
Saturday
- 108:00Boat from Piraeus
Flying Cat or Flying Dolphin; arrival mid-morning.
- 210:00The harbour and the captains' houses
Leave your bag (a donkey carries it up) and climb the steps.
- 313:00Lunch at the Bratsera
À la carte by the pool of the former sponge factory.
- 416:00Swim at Spilia or a water taxi to a cove
Rocks below the cannons or a boat to Vlychos.
- 519:30Dinner at Téchnē
Modern Greek cooking at Avlaki, with the sun going down; it opens from 17:00 in season.
Sunday
- 107:30Climb to Profitis Ilias
In the cool: an hour and a half up and the island at your feet.
- 212:00Historical museum
Figureheads and the 1821 fleet.
- 313:30Walk to Kamini and lunch in the little harbour
The coastal path westwards; back by water taxi.
- 417:00Boat back
In Athens around 19:30.
Hydra in a day is fine; with one night it is something else. When the last excursion boats leave at six in the evening, the harbour empties, the donkeys rest and the island goes back to being what it is: a captains' village where you do not hear an engine. This getaway makes the most of the sunset, dinner and the first hour of the morning.
How do you get there from Athens?
By metro to Piraeus and a Hellenic Seaways fast boat, normally from gate E8: between 1 h 05 and 1 h 45. From the airport, the X96 bus goes direct to Piraeus. There is no car ferry that makes sense: on Hydra you do not drive.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Cotommatae 1810 | 200 m from the harbour | A captain's house with courtyards |
| Orloff | Miaouli Street | Four stars and breakfast in the garden |
| Bratsera | Centre | A pool in the courtyard, useful in summer |
| Hydra Hotel | Up high | The view over the harbour |
And with another night?
Stay on and spend the day on the southern coves by water taxi, or return via Aegina: from Piraeus, another island an hour away, with the Temple of Aphaia. You have the Aegina page with everything.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Hydra, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Hydra
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
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.
110–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepBratsera, with a courtyard pool
- Getting aroundOn foot along stepped streets
- EatingBratsera restaurant at midday
- ServicesFast boat from Piraeus
Where to sleep
- Bratsera, with a courtyard pool
- Cotommatae 1810, a mansion 200 m from the harbour
- Hydra Hotel, up high, with a view
Getting around
- On foot along stepped streets
- Water taxis to Kamini, Vlychos and the coves
- Donkeys for the suitcase
Eating
- Bratsera restaurant at midday
- Téchnē for dinner, in season
Services
- Fast boat from Piraeus
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.
From €250per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepOrloff, four stars, with suites…
- Getting aroundPrivate water taxi to the…
- EatingTéchnē, modern Greek cooking at…
- ServicesFast boat with a reserved…
Where to sleep
- Orloff, four stars, with suites in a 19th-century mansion
- Cotommatae 1810, the house of a family of captains
- Bratsera, the sponge factory with a pool
Getting around
- Private water taxi to the coves
- Donkey for luggage from the quay
Eating
- Téchnē, modern Greek cooking at sunset
- Bratsera restaurant beside the pool
Services
- Fast boat with a reserved seat from Piraeus
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.
- ArrivingAthens airport (ATH), with direct…
- Getting aroundOn foot through the town…
- Where to sleepHydra Hotel or Orloff, a…
- ServicesFast boat from Piraeus to…
Arriving
- Athens airport (ATH), with direct flights from Spain
- X96 bus to Piraeus, or metro to Monastiraki and line 1 to Piraeus
- Hellenic Seaways fast boat, normally from gate E8
Getting around
- On foot through the town, by donkey for luggage and by water taxi to the coves
- If you hired a car for Athens, leave it at the airport: in Hydra it is useless
Where to sleep
- Hydra Hotel or Orloff, a few minutes from the harbour
- The night before an early flight, better in Athens or near the airport
Services
- Fast boat from Piraeus to Hydra
- Donkeys and water taxis at the harbour
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carin styleif you're flying
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Orloff Boutique Hotel
Why we like it: A four-star boutique hotel in a Hydra mansion, with a garden courtyard for breakfast, and Orloff Legacy suites in a 19th-century house 100 m away.
Hydra Hotel
Why we like it: A renovated mansion at the top of the town, a 7-minute walk from the harbour, with views over the rooftops and the gulf; open 1 April to 10 October.
Cotommatae 1810
Why we like it: A guesthouse in the Cotommatis-Skoulis mansion of 1810, 200 metres from Hydra harbour, with courtyards, garden and veranda, restored by its descendants.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Hydra
Bratsera restaurant
What to order: an à la carte meal under the vine beside the pool, with a house cocktail
Téchnē Restaurant & Social
What to order: a fish from the gulf with seasonal vegetables and a house cocktail at sunset