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Hydra
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Hydra, in the Saronic Gulf, is one of the closest islands to Athens and is perhaps the most beautiful port of the Greek islands. The island of Hydra was the home of Leonard Cohen and its waterfront cafés have hosted celebrities from around the world, including Henry Miller who sang his praises in The Colossus of Maroussi. Famous for its nightlife, fine restaurants, hotels, villas, shops and traditional architecture, Hydra is a favorite destination for Athenians as it is just over an hour from Piraeus by high-speed ferry. And what makes it even more special is that there are no cars on the island.
How to get there
Hydra is one of the easiest islands to reach from Athens. Unfortunately the ferry companies decided it wasn't worth it so now you are stuck taking the Flying Dolphins or the high speed Flying Cat which also makes it one of the more expensive islands to get to. This might not be a big deal for you just going there and back, but it's a big deal with Islanders. For those who want to stop along the way, one can also arrive in stages, stop at Aegina, Methena or Poros and take the next boat and continue the journey as one might with the ferries. Only now, after a couple of islands, you may have spent your travel budget for the week, so if you want to see the other Saronic Islands as well you should probably go with the Saronic Gulf cruise for one day and three islands operates 364 days a year and visit all Saronic Islands except Spetses. Flying dolphins and flying cats depart every two to three hours in summer from Piraeus and take about an hour and a quarter to reach Hydra. The first departs at 8:00am and the last at 7:00pm on weekdays and 8:30am on Fridays. It's a good idea to buy tickets in advance, especially during the summer and on weekends. There are a couple of bigger high-speed boats out there, infinitely more comfortable than the Flying Dolphins, although on such a short trip it doesn't matter much.
History
Hydra's past is dark.Hydra's past is dark. There is not much written about the island until the 15th century after the fall of Constantinople, when people began to move to the more inaccessible heights of the more mountainous islands to escape the pirates and the Turks. Around 1460 the island of Hydra was colonized by Albanian refugees and Orthodox Christians, who were later joined by settlers from Epirus, Crete, Evia, Kythnos and Asia Minor. Then in the 18th century Hydra received large numbers of refugees from the Peloponnese during the Russo-Turkish War.
Hydra Beaches
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