In late March I (David) took a solo trip to Greece to take a Greek language class as part of my work towards getting Greek citizenship. I arrived in Greece on a Friday morning before classes started on the following Monday. To do something new I made my way directly from the airport to the port in Piraeus and hopped on a 90 minute ferry to Ύδρα (Hydra) for the weekend. Hydra is known for its historic preservation requirements that keep it looking like a late 19th century village. There is a small port, a town with a couple thousand people, some beaches (mostly accessible via boat) scattered around the island and a monastery 2/3 of the way up the mountain. The best part of Hydra, in my opinion, is that there are no cars! Travel through the town is solely by foot or donkey.
Departing from the Port in Piraeus.
Right off the boat into Hydra.
While waiting for the boat in Piraeus, I figured I'd flex my Greek muscles and try to get a sandwich from a little περίπτερος (peripteros - a food/drink kiosk). I pick my items, walk up to the counter, handed the items to the woman after giving a friendly καλησπέρα (good afternoon), and then when she asks how I want to pay "με tarjeta" is what comes out of my mouth. Greece 1, David 0. On the boat, they played the most dramatic video for a ferry service I've ever seen...and thanks to YouTube you can see it too! Enjoy the award winning short film "Η μαγεία ξεκινά με το ταξίδι" (The magic begins with the journey).
First thing off the boat I needed to locate my AirBnB. There were some hotel options in Hydra, but they were pretty expensive. In general, Hydra was expensive compared to prices I've paid in Athens or other parts of Greece. All that charm isn't cheap, I guess. My AirBnB host actually prepared a video showing the way to the unit. I'll include that link below. It gives a good sense of the scale of the town. On the walk up to the AirBnB I paused in a little courtyard filled with orange blossoms - the smell was incredible. I spent the next nearly 48 hours making sure I walked through that courtyard every time I was in the area - bonus cats to pet were always in the courtyard.
After finding my AirBnB, and despite being very jet lagged and tired, I wandered around the island for a couple hours and found some dinner at a taverna that good reviews (Παραδοσιακό). While eating dinner at the taverna, I got to try out a bit more Greek... in general people were willing to try to speak with me in Greek, even though I'm still a beginner. While sitting there one of the first Greek songs I ever really liked (Ο Προσκυνητής - the pilgrim), which was introduced to me by my Greek tutor Mary, was playing - which made the experience feel serendipitous. Props to Mary for helping prep me for this trip! She's the amazing Greek tutor I've been working with since last Fall. Link to her Preply page here if you are interested in taking the leap into learning Greek. Feel free to play the song while you read the blog. It'll put you into the Greek mindset.
The island was not very busy. The weather was poor (windy and cold) and many people day trip to the island from Athens on the weekends. There'd be more people when I was leaving on Sunday, but the island was mostly tourist free in late March on a weekday.
Winding up the stairs towards my AirBnB.
View from my balcony. The weather wasn't the best but it was still beautiful.
Back at the port.
The main port area. Hydra wasn't busy at this time of day.
The famous old pharmacy.
Dinner at the taverna: χόρτα (boiled greens) and feta/cream chicken with fries. There are almost always fries with taverna meals in Greece whether you think there should be or not.
After dinner, I wandered back to my AirBnB and passed out for nearly 11 hours. Traveling overnight across and ocean is always exhausting. The next morning, I set out for my main purpose of visiting Hydra, climbing Mount Eros and visiting the monastery along the way. Mount Eros is the highest point on the island at around 1,900 feet above sea level and I was starting at around 0 feet elevation...fun. Before hiking up the mountain, I went down to the town center and got a croissant for breakfast and a spanakopita to take up the mountain for a snack. The man at the bakery said καλημέρα (good morning) to me, and I responded in kind. When it came time to order he realized I didn't speak Greek well then proceeded to apologize for saying καλημέρα and explained what it meant. Greece 2, David 0. The croissant was good though...
Pistachio croissant.
After packing a backpack with water and my spanakopita, I set out for the top of Mount Eros. The walk was wonderful. There were lots of flowers, trees, birds singing and great views back down to the sea and the town. It took maybe 90 minutes to get to the very top, including the stop at the Monastery to look around briefly. This was really the highlight of the trip to Hydra. On the way down, I spoke with a few different groups of people - all were tourists from other places in the world.
I made a lot of cat friends in Hydra, just like my trip to Greece last fall.
Part of the path up to Mount Eros.
Great day for a stroll - less windy and warmer than Friday.
Some part of the path had been recently improved.
The monastery about 2/3 of the way up the mountain. There was a little shop run by the monks with souvenirs (on the honor system of payment), free filtered water and a toilet.
Looking back towards the sea from above the monastery.
I loved how variable the path was. Here felt like a mountain goat trail.
On the top of Mount Eros looking towards the West. You can see the end of the island and the sea all around.
Eating a spanakopita atop Mount Eros. Does it get more Greek? Can I have my passport now please?
So many flowers in both Hydra and Athens.
Another sleepy cat friend.
Sunlight streaming through the alleyway back in Hydra town.
It was late afternoon by the time I came back down the mountain. So I stopped by the AirBnB and rested a bit and refilled my water bottle. Later that afternoon I walked along the sea for a while and did some souvenir shopping. Souvenir shopping became a great way to practice Greek through this trip. Eventually, I found a place for dinner (Μικρά Αγγλία) and had fish, fried feta cheese balls and bread.
On the way back to the AirBnB I popped into a small bakery and asked for a few κουλουράκια (Greek cookies that are typically not very sweet and can be flavored with a variety of things) and some baklava. I'm never able to find κουλουράκια like my mother and γιαγιά make except for in the Peloponnesus region of Greece, and this trip was no exception. Side note, the γιαγιά that sold me the cookies put in twice as much as I asked and charged me full price...so if you see an old lady selling cookies in Hydra watch yourself. 😜
Apparently I ordered a half liter of Aperol Spritz. But after walking 30,000 steps up an down a mountain who's counting calories?
...which is also what I told myself when I ordered fried cheese balls.
... and buttery delicious bread with a creamy spread.
Fresh fish with χόρτα underneath. This was intimidating, but the fish was fileted underneath.
My bag of twice the amount of κουλουράκια I requested.
The next day (Sunday) my ferry back to Athens departed at noon, so I wandered around town a bit more grabbed some more breakfast pastries and then packed up and left for Athens. Overall, Hydra was an amazing place for a short stay. It's cute, quiet, and on a very human scale. I can imagine coming in the summer would find the place more crowded with visitors but still lacking the noise and hustle of cities like Athens. If you're looking for a place to spend a few nice days, do some hiking, exploring, swimming or to just get away from traffic and cars do come to Hydra.
