Hydra is a somewhat barren looking, slightly seahorse shaped island of about 50 sq. km with some 2.500 souls in residence. This number swells daily during the season, normally receding to more manageable levels by nightfall. As your hydrofoil skims the coastline you will doubtless be discouraged, if not dismayed, by the barren coastline that’s whizzing past your cabin window. And then you make that sharp left turn into Hydra's harbour and, wham! – an amazing vista unfolds before your very eyes with one of the prettiest harbours and townships of any of the Greek islands zooming into view. Most visitors to Hydra spend only a few hours here and there are many thousands of them each day. Take a hint from that and try and arrange an overnight stay (best done in advance). Hydra island is a different place once the crowds of day trippers have receded. It may be chic rather than calm but it’s worth a night’s bed and breakfast to experience it!

As with most of the Saronics, Hydra possesses an enviable climate that sees warm, sunny days as late as November and as early as February. For this reason it has visitors almost all year round and hydrofoil services are often extremely busy and not infrequently full. It’s one of the few island destinations where it’s almost essential to book return travel on the hydrofoil or catamaran in advance. Although Hydra island is barren in part, there are also pleasant and extensive hillside walks with old monasteries and isolated coves to discover. However, it’s the port-town with its straggling, hillside lanes and colourful cottages that attract the attention of most visitors – many of whom, foolishly, never leave the harbour area! There are no direct air links and Athens hosts the nearest airport. However, onward links via the express bus to Piraeus and fairly regular daily connections are good. Journey time is under two hours for the hydrofoils and catamarans. More occasional ferries are considerably slower but somewhat cheaper. And you can island hop the Saronic with services to Poros, Spetses and Aegina (for Agistri) as well as some Peloponnese mainland destinations..

The main port and capital is the seat of Hydra island’s historical, cultural, religious and more secular links. Elsewhere there are reasonable beaches although golden sand is not the island’s strong point. Visit Hydra for photogenic architecture and animals (mainly in the shape of donkeys and cute cats), its profusion of art galleries and a fair selection of museums too. Whether you choose to clip-clop your way around the tourist trail or explore the defacto pedestrian lanes and attractive promenade on foot, you will probably enjoy it. Only the crowds of other people doing exactly the same thing are likely to put you off in any way! That’s why it’s always better to stay overnight, mingling with the glitterati in Hydra resort’s chic bars, restaurants and nightspots - either rejoining old friends or, more likely, seeing how the other half lives! And with this in mind, one final word of advice – bring a credit card with a good balance available!
Hydra is not a cheap and cheerful island.

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