A Day on Hydra Island

How can I sum up our blissful day on Hydra in words that I haven’t already used to describe the small Saronic paradise? In all honesty, I’m not entirely sure. We love Greece. And so were predisposed to love Hydra. But from the moment we set foot on its cobbled streets, we knew we had come to the right island.

I admit – we probably would have fallen in love with whatever island our boat docked on. The sunshine, blue skies and views of the mediterranean make all of the Greek islands feel like paradise, particularly if you love summer as much as I do. But there is something special about Hydra. Maybe it’s the total lack of traffic. Maybe it’s the way that souvenir shops fit seamlessly into the local decor. Or maybe it’s a combination of indefinable qualities that make the island the whole of what it is. What I know for sure it that it’s wonderful.

Our visit to Hydra was over a month ago now. We spent the day before my birthday there. If I had to do it over again, there is nowhere I would rather spend the last day of my thirty-third trip around the sun.

Since we were only on the island for eight hours, I can’t neccessarily share a lot of recommendations for what to see and do. We spent most of our day wandering around, looking at pretty doors and petting the local cats. And, eventually, finding our way to one of the beaches. But I will give a special mention to Techne, a gorgeous seaside restaurant a little outside of town. It was the loveliest place to take in the water views while escaping the groups of tourists arriving at the port every hour. The make their own version of an Aperol spritz that might be the best cocktail I’ve ever had. Everything we sampled from the menu was delectable, too.

I can picture Hydra as the perfect spot for a really relaxing week-long stay. It’s the sort of place where you can do a lot in a short time. But it’s also the sort of place where you could be very happy doing nothing at all – and fit right in while doing it.

I’ll let the snapshots speak for themselves. If you decide to book a trip to Hydra after scrolling through them, I won’t be surprised…!