This is where you would find me on  Erato after 6 o'clock in the afternoon signing in the guests for the next day's sail trip.

How to get to Hydra

Getting to Greece by plane When you arrive at Athens airport Elefterios Venizelos take the bus to Piraeus main harbour, then get on the conventional Ferryboat (two and a half to three hours to reach the island of Hydra) or on a Flying Dolphin Hydrofoil boat (one and a half hours).
Busses leave at frequent intervals and timetables are to be found on the official site of the shipping company
Getting to Greece on a car ferry to Patras When you arrive in Patras from Europe, take the motorway to Athens, when you pass Corinth and before Corinth Canal, take the direction to Epidaurus. After New Epidaurus look out for a sign to Galatas and follow the road till you get there. When you arrive in Galatas you leave your car at the car park and take the local Ferry Boat (five minutes) to the island of Poros. It sails every half hour. From there you can get on a boat to Hydra.

If you are planning a tour of the Peloponese by car, Galatas is an excellent base.

Useful Hydra phone numbers

Rugged and mountainous, 12 nm long and 3 nm wide, Hydra island lies between the Saronic gulf and Myrtoon sea.
From a distance the peak of mount Eros is clearly seen rising to 500 meters above sea level. The view from the summit is breathtaking.

A first time visitor to Hydra would expect springs and rivers.
This was probably the case in the distant past and maybe responsible for the island's name.

In modern times, water on Hydra is scarce and the traditional way is to build a house on a cistern which is filled with rainwater during the winter months. With increasing needs due to tourism this is clearly inadequate and a water tanker sails into Hydra harbour every day bringing water from the Peloponese. This is pumped up to the reservoir and piped to the town below.

Donkeys, mules and small horses surprise the first time visitor to Hydra. They are the means of land transport on the island. You can see them laden with all sorts of things that would be normally carried by a truck, or patiently waiting at the water front for tourists wanting to take a ride through the narrow cobbled streets or to more remote destinations such as one of the numerous monasteries built on higher ground.

Other than quadrupeds transport around Hydra is by sea. A taxi on Hydra is a fast boat and it will take you anywhere within reach, weather permitting.

There are only a couple of motorised vehicles. They belong to the municipality and are mainly used for collecting garbage. Other than that, cars and motor bikes are banned on the island. Even bicycles are frowned upon. The rational reason for this is that there are hardly any roads built for this kind of traffic and most roads are effectively steps running up and down the steep amphitheatric terrain. It is also true to say that the prohibition of motor vehicles helps Hydra preserve its character.

Another surprise are the cats. They come in all shapes and colours and they seem to be everywhere. You will see many of them on the pier, when the fishing boats come in, claming their share of the catch. The fishermen are generous.
It is understandable that there are some 'arguments' when the fishermen throw fish on the pier for them.
Some of them learn to fish straight out of the sea.
They also frequent snack bars, restaurants and tavernas at meal times.They go around looking at people with their doleful eyes and wait for a kindly soul to give them some scraps. They are very tame and will not say no if you really want to cuddle them.
Evidence of the Hydra cats you will also find in the tourist shops where there are post cards and other artifacts of cats. At the right time of the year you can even get an Hydra cat wall calendar. A good alternative to the pinups.

A little history

The history of Hydra goes back to early history. Remains from as far back as Mycenean times have been found but also more recent ones such as roman and medieval. It seems that Hydra has been inhabited throughout history but mostly as an unimportant backwater.

Sea trade and occasionally piracy, were always a source of wealth for the island. Towards the end of the 18th century sea trade flourished and earned Hydra the nickname of "Little England". In the 19th century, sea captains built mansions to reflect their wealth. When the war of independence against Turkish rule was declared (1821) the trade vessels were converted to war ships and new war ships were built. This was the high moment in the history of Hydra which is very much in evidence. It is to this glorious time that Hydra owes its flag.

Approaching from the sea, you will see the cannons lining up the fortifications along the sea front.
One of them is kept in running order and it is fired whenever Hydra is celebrating. This happens very often.
Beyond the fortifications you will see the massive residences built by the hydriot sea captains.

Many of these have been donated and are in use by various important institutions on the island.

The historical archive - museum is housed in the mansion of Gikas Koulouras and it contains archives, many exhibits from the island's marine history, a painting exhibition and a library. Some of the rooms are made available for contemporary art shows and other current cultural events.

The nearby Marine Academy is housed in the Tsamados and Koulouras mansion. This was established in 1749 as a school and dedicated to marine studies since 1800. In 1930 the school was housed in the present premises and support from the state came in 1937 to Hydra along with Syros and Nafplio.
Studies last 4 years and during this time students gain practical experience working as merchant seamen for four periods of about 6 months.

Across the harbour, the school of fine art is housed in the Tombazi mansion near the Kountouriotis statue.
The walls are lined with pictures of historical events and ships of the revolution.

The ecclesiastical museum is housed in the Hydra Cathedral premises, formerly a monastery. Historical documents are kept here, along with religious relics.

More recently the Koundouriotis mansion has been acquired by the Greek government renovated and commissioned as a museum too.

Worth doing/visiting

All the museums are well worth a visit and there are usually many other cultural events:
painting exhibitions, music performances puppet shows, street shows

A visit to one of the many monasteries is also a good way to pass the time, feel the culture and enjoy hospitality. Remember to dress in a modest way if you do not want to offend or even be turned away.

Being on an island, surrounded by the deep blue sea, you may wish for a place to swim. The nearest option is the cave just outside the harbour. The water is deep and blue. You can dive or just fall in without fear and there is a ladder for you to come back up again.

Beyond that there is Mandraki. This is to the north east and can be reached on foot (25 mins) or by boat. It is the older harbour of Hydra, a beautiful bay with a nice sandy beach, water sports and the Miramare hotel bar where you can quench your thirst. The walk along the sea from the harbour is well worth it with the view of the sea and nearby Peloponese as a reward.

In the other direction, south west, lies Kamini which can also be reached on foot or by boat. This is almost an extension of Hydra town and is best considered as a small fishing port. You can get to it over the hill or by walking along the sea front with the same breath-taking view. Here you can have a choice of tavernas for when you get hungry or thirsty.

Further along is Vlychos. More sea front and more tavernas. The beach here is more organised and you can have the benefit of an umbrella and a sun bed to laze on.

There is more further along but the going could get a little tough. Better to take a boat for the remaining destinations:
Palamidas, Molos, Bisti, Ag. Nicholaos. You can rely on the same boat to come and get you back at an agreed time.

Hydra harbour is in the middle of the town and it is a very attractive place to while away the time sipping your drink at one of the cafeterias and bars lining the water front. Although it is rather small, it accommodates all the regular and visiting boats.

In the harbour you will see

*the water tanker that brings water to the island
*the cargo ship that brings in building materials - sand, gravel etc
*private pleasure craft of the locals.
*boats for hire which take tourists to one or another of the beaches for a swim.
*boats offering diving trips including instruction up to the highest qualifications.
*two regular ferry boats which bring provisions to the island.
*fishing boats which bring in their catch every morning,
*taxis that will take you to any destination in the area.
*ferry boats, hydrofoil boats and cruise ships which tie up here just long enough for their passengers' needs. Larger cruise boats ferry their passengers with their launches.
*visiting motor yachts of the wealthy which compete with one another with shining plastic and stainless steel.
*the visiting sailing yachts which find shelter here too.
*some annual sailing races have Hydra as their destination too.
 Very often the pier is not enough for the visiting yachts and they raft up to one another 2 - 3 - 4 deep. Nobody is turned away.

With all this traffic there is always something happening in the harbour - it is a busy place.

A few words of advice for the yachtsman visiting Hydra for the first time

Docking in Hydra (in fact most of Greece) is in the normal Mediterranean mooring which consists of putting down your anchor and coming astern to the pier.

If you have a choice you should prefer the north pier as the prevailing winds are northerly and it is clearly preferable that you should be 'hanging' on your stern lines rather than on your anchor, as the ground is of poor holding in many places.
If you do tie up on the southern pier, make sure you put out as much chain (and line if needed) as possible to be reasonably sure you will not drag your anchor.

To give you an idea, as I am spending a lot of time in Hydra harbour I make sure I put out almost all of my 120 meters of 10 mm chain every time and have never yet been in danger because of weather.

Also in such a crowded harbour it is not unusual that a departing - sometimes also an arriving yacht - may pull your anchor off the bottom. If you have plenty of scope it may be possible for you to just pull on your chain and stay where you are. Otherwise you should go and relay your anchor.

Winds are normally fairly moderate and they present no great challenge. But when stronger winds blow you have better keep an eye on your yacht. A strong northerly or southerly may cause some concern but the worst wind in the area is a westerly of some force. It is interesting that this turns into the harbour and brings big waves with it. In these conditions many yachts have been seriously damaged and in 2003 one yacht sunk in the harbour .
If you are there when this happens, the wise thing is to weigh anchor and seek shelter in a bay such as Mandraki or Molos or even in neighbouring Ermioni (about 10 sea miles away).

Harbour facilities include the port police for a weather forecast, water on the pier and provisioning in the town.

You can also see the weather forecast here