Hydra
Hydra is a car-free Greek island with stone mansions around a horseshoe harbor, reached by fast boat from Piraeus. Visitors go to walk the steep lanes and swim off the rocks.
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Hydra is a small Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, reached by fast boat from Piraeus, the port of Athens. Its town wraps around a horseshoe harbor lined with stone mansions built during the shipping boom of the 1700s and 1800s. Cars are not allowed on the island. Luggage and goods move by donkey, mule and water taxi, and the steep lanes are for walking. Kamini, on the western side of the bay, is a residential quarter a short walk from the harbor.
It suits couples, friends and day-trippers who want a slow pace more than a list of sights. Swimming is mostly off rocks and small coves rather than sandy beaches. Late spring and early autumn are the best months for walking and swimming. Plan one night for a short visit, or two nights for a slower trip.
Hydra in five
- Leave the car and the wheeled bag behindHydra has almost no motor vehicles, so luggage goes up steps by donkey or porter. Pack light, and ask your hotel about help before you arrive.
- Book the fast boat from Piraeus and a return slotFast boats take about 1.5–2 hours, and conventional ferries are slower. Summer weekend sailings fill, so book both legs and keep a buffer for wind delays.Piraeus
- Swim from rock platforms, not sandy beachesHydra has few sand beaches. Most visitors swim from ladders and ledges along the coast path, so bring water shoes. Water taxis reach small coves on summer days.
- Stay a night to enjoy the harbor after the day boats leaveBy evening, day-trippers are gone and the harbor is calmer. A room in a stone house costs more than on Aegina, so book early for Easter and summer weekends.Where to stay
- Combine Hydra with Aegina or the Saronic loopAegina is closer to Athens, and Poros and Spetses lie around the gulf. Check the summer timetable if you want to hop between islands.Aegina
Need to know
- Getting there
- Fast boat from Piraeus about 1.5–2 hours; slower conventional ferries
- Getting around
- Walking, donkeys and water taxis; almost no cars
- Best base
- Hydra Town harbor; Kamini or Vlychos for quieter stays
- Time needed
- A long day trip, or 1–2 nights to enjoy the evenings
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryPartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh13°Low10°Cool, quietJanuaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 60 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, quiet
- FebruaryPartly cloudy6 rainy daysHigh14°Low10°Cool, quietFebruaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 14°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 40 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, quiet
- MarchClear6 rainy daysHigh16°Low11°Mild, walkingMarchClear
Good
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 37 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, walking
- AprilClear5 rainy daysHigh18°Low14°Spring, EasterAprilClear
Best
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 25 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring, Easter
- MayClear4 rainy daysHigh22°Low17°Warm, walkingMayClear
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 17°
- Precipitation
- 16 mm
- Rainy days
- 4
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, walking
- JuneClear2 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Warm seaJuneClear
Best
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 9 mm
- Rainy days
- 2
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm sea
- JulyClear1 rainy dayHigh30°Low25°Hot, busyJulyClear
Best
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 25°
- Precipitation
- 3 mm
- Rainy days
- 1
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busy
- AugustClear2 rainy daysHigh30°Low25°Hot, busyAugustClear
Best
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 25°
- Precipitation
- 9 mm
- Rainy days
- 2
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busy
- SeptemberClear3 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Warm, calmerSeptemberClear
Best
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 38 mm
- Rainy days
- 3
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, calmer
- OctoberClear4 rainy daysHigh23°Low19°Warm, quietOctoberClear
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 19°
- Precipitation
- 41 mm
- Rainy days
- 4
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, quiet
- NovemberClear6 rainy daysHigh19°Low15°Mild, showersNovemberClear
Good
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 54 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, showers
- DecemberPartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh15°Low12°Cool, quietDecemberPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 65 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, quiet
Average daily high and low in Hydra Town, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Hydra
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
19
- Feels like
- 17°
- Humidity
- 77%
- Wind
- 24 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 95%
Hydra
10:46 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today19°17°95%Monday: Thunderstorms. High 19°, Low 17°. Chance of rain 95%.
- Tue20°18°65%Tuesday: Thunderstorms. High 20°, Low 18°. Chance of rain 65%.
- Wed20°17°8%Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 20°, Low 17°. Chance of rain 8%.
- Thu17°14°7%Thursday: Cloudy. High 17°, Low 14°. Chance of rain 7%.
- Fri15°13°2%Friday: Partly cloudy. High 15°, Low 13°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Sat14°10°8%Saturday: Cloudy. High 14°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 8%.
- Sun15°10°4%Sunday: Partly cloudy. High 15°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 4%.
Updated 06:27 PM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Every year
- Jun–AugAthens Epidaurus FestivalAthens, a day trip
Day trips by train
- Aeginaabout 1–1.5 hours by boat in seasonA temple, pistachios and a lively harbor.Read the guide
- Piraeusabout 1.5–2 hours by fast boatThe mainland port, with metro links to Athens.Read the guide
- Poros and Spetsesabout 30–60 minutes by boatNeighboring Saronic islands; check the season's timetable.Read the guide
Before you go to Hydra
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Rules for Hydra, checked
- Greece is in the Schengen Area. Check entry requirements on the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs site (mfa.gr) before you fly.Source
- Non-EU visitors are fingerprinted and photographed at the border under the EU Entry/Exit System. Check the European Commission's current EES guidance before you travel.
- Hydra town does not allow cars or motor vehicles for visitors. Bags are carried by hand or by donkey or mule, so pack light.
- Ferries and water taxis to Hydra run from Piraeus and other ports. Check timetables with the operator for your travel dates before you book.
- The EU emergency number is 112, and it works from Hydra as it does across Greece.
Plan around Hydra
Athens, the islands and the mainland
Read the guideSaronic Gulf IslandsHydra with Aegina, Poros and Spetses
Read the guideAeginaThe nearest Saronic island, with a temple
Read the guidePiraeusWhere ferries and hydrofoils leave
Read the guideAthensThe Acropolis, museums and city bases
Read the guideHydra FAQ
Is Hydra worth visiting?
Yes if you like walking, swimming and calm: the harbor, stone mansions and absence of cars make it distinct from most Greek islands. Skip it for sandy beaches, since it has few.
Can you visit Hydra as a day trip from Athens?
Yes, though it is a long day. Fast boats take about 1.5–2 hours each way from Piraeus, which leaves a few hours on the island. A night makes the trip worthwhile.
Why are there no cars on Hydra?
The island has long limited motor vehicles to protect its stone lanes and harbor, so people walk or use donkeys and water taxis. A few service vehicles exist; visitors do not need or bring cars.
What do you do on Hydra?
Walk the harbor, climb to the monastery paths, swim off rock platforms and eat by the water. It is a place for slow days, not for a checklist of sights.
When is the best time to visit Hydra?
April to June and September to October: warm enough to swim, with fewer boats and crowds than July and August. Winter is quiet and many places close.