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All movement happens on foot, and for particularly rugged passes, donkeys are a suitable substitution. A meal consisted of octopus caught on the pier, dressed simply with lemon and olive oil, no sauces, no frills. The quaint slowness of the island struck her as completely novel. Cashdan is a New Yorker, and it was her first trip out of the country on her own her childhood friend’s mother had a house there. She was 16 the first time she set foot on the island, just 45 miles offshore from Athens. Easter is a great time to visit with celebrations from Holy Thursday and fireworks at midnight on Easter Saturday.Marina Cashdan’s love affair with the Greek island of Hydra began when she was young. July and August are the busiest months, particularly on weekends, when domestic visitors arrive in droves from Athens. Hydra is at its best between May and October. To explore further on foot, continue past the platforms along the coast and you’ll come to a cluster of tiny villages and little windmills.
Hydra greece series#
A series of rock platforms just beyond the port offer a swimming place within walking distance of town. Six Orthodox monasteries are scattered across the island, as well as several beaches (which you can reach by water taxi). The mountainous interior is little visited, and even a short walk along the well-marked trails into the pine forests and terraced fields of the hills will reward you with utter tranquility. Its rugged wilderness is largely uninhabited save for a handful of tiny villages. You’ll find a number of small galleries along its winding streets.īeyond the main town, the island is roadless. Narrow stone streets climb the steep hill from the Aegean Sea, lined with simple whitewashed cottages and the grand mansions that once belonged to the sea captains who made their fortunes here in the 18th and 19th centuries.īougainvillea cascades down the façades, chic shops, bars and restaurants lie hidden on tiny backstreets and everyone gets around on foot, giving the town a leisurely air.Īlong with writers, musicians and actors, Hydra has attracted its fair share of artists. Development is restricted and so the island remains one of the most authentic of all the Greek isles. Modern-day Hydra has only one town, simply called Hydra Port, which runs along a crescent-shaped bay on the north of the island. A maritime base for successive kingdoms, its fortunes rose and fell as history unfolded - its settlers uprooted and forced to flee piracy on several occasions. One of the Saronic Islands and served by a high-speed ferry from the mainland, Hydra has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. Today, its single town and port are a national monument and popular yachting destination. Hydra has proved a fashionable destination since the 1950s and 60s, when the likes of Sophia Loren and Leonard Cohen were regular visitors. Yet, the island’s enduring popularity has also given it a chic, sophisticated air. Time here moves slowly and, in many ways, that’s Hydra’s appeal.
Hydra greece free#
This little island is traffic free apart from donkeys and boats.