Wondering which island to visit on a day trip from Athens? With an estimated 6,000 islands in Greece, each with their own charm, it can be hard to choose. But if you are short on time, some of the islands such as Corfu, Santorini, and Crete may be too far. Luckily, Athens is only an hour away from some of the most beautiful and quaint islands. Look no further than the beautiful island of Hydra.
From the Athens port of Piraeus, we take the ferry on an hour and a half journey across the Aegean Sea to Hydra, an island filled with history, beautiful ocean, narrow cobblestone alleyways, hilltop views, cats, al-fresco Greek dining, water sports, relaxation, and old movie charm. Best of all, the island is traffic-free and does not have any cars. Behind the scenes video:
Hydra is rich in history. At one point, it was part of Venice and later the Ottoman Empire. We visit the island's historic Greek Orthodox churches, then venture to the top of the hills to capture the views.
We visited during Spring in March, and the weather was in the low 70's with crystal clear waters. While we didn't see any swimming beaches near the port, there were many ocean activities such as kayaking, water taxis, and even a diving area to take a dip in the water.
In Greece, there are "community" cats and dogs, which roam all over Hydra. As you can see, they are well taken care of by the local community.
On our way back, the ferry stopped at another port called Poros, which had a similar vibe as Hydra, only with cars. The ferry had many convenient times throughout the day, some running every hour, making it easy to island hop.
If you are looking for a quick island getaway from Athens, check out Hydra. What is your favorite island in Greece? Comments are closed.
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Published Travel ArticlesWelcome to Run The Atlas!
We are two adventurous young professionals who turned our passion for travel into a blog to help others travel more.
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