As much as I loved visiting Santorini, staying on Hydra felt like a true relaxing vacation. My sister and niece joined us at this point of the trip, and we chose this particular island for its proximity to Athens and the donkeys. More specifically, this is the only island in Greece that does not allow motorized vehicles and thus uses donkeys for its main form of transportation, to carry both people but mainly goods including bricks and refrigerators as we witnessed.
HYDRA
When we first arrived on Hydra, it was later in the afternoon so all the day trippers and tour groups had left for the day, and we had the town mostly to ourselves to wander around. We kept seeing May Day wreath decorations as is tradition in Greece to protect against the evil eye. As I’ve mentioned in many a post before, I love going for walks and exploring new places! After walking from our hotel to the harbor, we stopped for drinks and a snack at the harborside Pirate Bar. Then we moseyed along the harbor looking at all the boats, old cannons, and anchors and up to the windmill featured in the Sophia Loren movie, Boy on a Dolphin.
Instead of going back the way we came, we followed a local going up a hill path. At the top we found a beautiful little church, and we were greeted with stellar views of the harbor below. I was once again reminded why I venture off the beaten path. I also made a friend with a pirate. There was a little boy who lived nearby who came out to play dressed up with his eye patch, hook and sword. He kept pretending to stab me, and then I’d play dead. At one point he dropped his eye patch into some bushes and tears almost ensued. He only spoke a few words of English, and I only learned a few Greek words. I tried to reach the patch but proceeded to make it fall deeper into brush. Thankfully my husband saved the day and was able to retrieve the lost toy!
A Day at the Beach
Our second day on Hydra we took a local boat taxi to Vlychos Beach where we spent a relaxing afternoon laying out and swimming. The water was quite chilly but was still fun. We took a break from our time in the sun to lunch on fresh fish, potatoes and Greek salad at the nearby Marina Tavern. As nice as it was to relax on the beach, my favorite part of the day was our walk back to Hydra town along the coast. Everywhere you turned there were stunning sea views and we went through the cute little town of Kamini before reaching Hydra’s main harbor. It was a perfect (half) day at the beach!
Planning Practicalities
Where to Stay: The lovely Pension Erofili is close to the harbor and has a fantastic courtyard and delicious breakfast spread.
Ferry from Athens: The only choice is Hellenic Seaways, if you’re doing it on your own.
Where to Drink: The Pirate Bar as previously mentioned and The Hydronetta Bar for sunset.
Where to Buy Baklava: Flora’s Pastry Shop also has other sweet treats including ice cream.
What to Pack: Check out our Greece Packing List post to pack for a week in a carry on.
Where to Shop: The Hydra Trading Company (expect an entire upcoming post dedicated to this gem of a shop).
Are you ready to add Hydra to your Greece itinerary? Have you been to Hydra? Tell us in the comments below!
