Hydra Island

After departing Tinos we had a short short sail to Sinos where we anchored for the night before an early departure the following morning for our sail over to Hydra. Nearly 12 hours later we made it to this elongated island, sails up for over half of the distance. After trying unsuccessfully to anchor in Mandraki Bay, and confirming that Hydra Port was indeed very small and super crowded, we managed to stake a claim just along the coast in a wide open bay. Fortunately the conditions were calm!

By law there are no cars or motorbikes on Hydra. Rubbish trucks are the only exception. Everyone here gets around on horses, mules and donkeys. Plus there are water taxis aplenty. The following morning we put in a call to a driver who was able to locate us along said coastline via a WhatsApp location ping! And given that Hydra is a vehicle-free island we thought it was only right that we take the opportunity to see the town by equine means.

Due to a cancellation, we were lucky to get a spot on one of the popular Harriet’s Hydra Horses tours - she is usually booked up throughout the summer. Harriet took us on a thoroughly enjoyable 1.5 hour tour of the town. After getting saddled up we rode to the church that sits above Hydra to take in the view. We then came back down the mountain and wound our way through the town’s narrow streets and back to Harriet’s stables. It was such a unique way to visit this quaint town, and made a nice change from being on the water. Not only does Harriet take the upmost care of her horses, she was also wonderful at putting the kids at ease. They were so brave and had such a positive experience that I think we may be swapping the boat for a horse, not a house!

After lunching on the waterfront and perusing the picturesque shops we jumped in our water taxi and headed home. Like an old movie set, being on Hydra transports you to another world. Hydra is, in our opinion, hands down one of the most elegant and quaint towns in the whole of Greece.