Hydra harbour and the captains' houses

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.