65km (35 nautical miles) S of Piraeus
Hydra is one of a handful of places in Greece that seemingly can't be spoiled. Along with Mykonos, this was one of the first Greek islands to be "discovered" by the beautiful people back in the [?]50s and [?]60s. Today, there are often more day-trippers here than beautiful people, although when elegant Athenians flee their stuffy apartments for their Hydriote hideaway each summer, the harborfront turns into an impromptu fashion show. If you can, arrive here in the evening, when most of the day visitors have left. Whatever you do, be sure to be out on the deck of your ship as you arrive, so you can see Hydra's bleak mountain hills suddenly revealing a perfect horseshoe harbor overlooked by the 18th-century clock tower of the Church of the Dormition. This truly is a place where arrival is half the fun.
With the exception of a handful of municipal vehicles, there are no cars on Hydra. You'll probably encounter at least one example of a popular form of local transportation: the donkey. When you see Hydra's splendid 18th- and 19th-century stone archontika (mansions) along the waterfront and on the steep streets above, you won't be surprised to learn that the entire island has been declared a national treasure by both the Greek government and the Council of Europe. You'll probably find Hydra town so charming that you'll forgive its one serious flaw: no top-notch beach. Do as the Hydriots do, and swim from the rocks at Spilia and Hydronetta, just beyond the main harbor.
