Hydra, Saronic Islands
Greece
Greece / Hydra, Saronic Islands
Delightfully laid back and unpretentious
Hydra should be on everyone's Greek holiday checklist, and just around a 2-hour catamaran ride from Piraeus. This tiny, cosmopolitan island, with its glitzy harbor and labyrinth of cobbled streets brimming with boutique stores, art galleries, and street-front tavernas, is an instant charmer. And despite being a haven for inspired artists, intellectuals and celebrities (Leonard Cohen, Henry Miller, and even Richard Branson), the island feels delightfully laid back and unpretentious.
There are plenty of charming Airbnbs, but if a hotel is more your style, you can’t go wrong with our tastefully restored charming sponge factory-turned-boutique-hotel.
The Offbeat Goat Collection
Stays in Hydra
the highlights.
Stroll through winding streets, navigating weighed-down donkeys and popping in and out of cool art galleries and bougie boutique stores.
Meander down goat paths to nearby Kamini, stopping to plunge from rocky crops along the way.
Traverse the entire island through rocky outcrops, olive groves, and flowered fields (but bring lots of water!).
Enjoy frittering the days away, sipping frappes (slowly like the Greeks), celeb-spotting, and drooling over the glitzy yachts on full display in the bustling harbor.
Dine at one of our favorite restaurants: Xeri Elia Douskos Taverna, Petkakis, and Kodylenia's Taverna.
Hail a willing mule for a lift up to the Monastery of St. Matrona for some spectacular sunset views.
Indulge in sundowners at Hydronetta Bar on the cliffs.