Fifty years ago, I was on a teen tour of Europe. I traveled through 16 countries for eight weeks. I just need to mention that the whole trip, including air, lodging, entrance to sites, and food, cost $1600. We visited several spots in Greece. However, Hydra was the town I fell in love with.
Hydra
One phrase that I use often is “nothing stays the same.” I hoped that this visit would prove me wrong. This time I took my husband of 40 years. Hydra is an hour and a half fast ferry ride from Athens. Once you reach the island that ends your need for transportation. Hydra has no motor vehicles. My first sign of no change was the donkeys by the port. Our hotel, Bratsera Boutique Hotel, sent a fellow with a cart to help with our luggage.
https://www.visitgreece.gr/en/islands/saronic-islands/hydra
Bratsera Boutique Hotel
Tom and I followed the man with the cart to the hotel. It was an upgrade from the mattresses in thecourtyard. We checked in, and the registration was in a dark, long room. The grounds are old, as most things are in Hydra. Our apartment was like a small duplex. Bottom floor bathroom and closet. Up a flight of stairs was our bedroom. The bed was a platform against the wall. When I got out of the bed I walked across a wood frame above the staircase. It was a bit precarious.
Flashback
Walking around town, I thought about my previous visit here. The girls in my group were attracted to the Greek men. There was a beach club on the rocks, and we got to meet some male locals. We made plans with them to have dinner and check out the Hydra nightlife. I met a man named Christos. He lived in Hydra during the summer and worked the rest of the year as a server in Philadelphia. We hung out the next day, and he even called me when he was in Philly. Even though I was alone with him in Greece, my mom would not let me go. Looking back on this many years, she was right. Back then, I was pissed.
Island Info
Hydra is a small island that only has a 2,000–person population. The isle covers 20 miles (32.19 km). Tom and I loved exploring the many alleyways and the main port area. While we were exploring the town, we came across the cats. They are at the restaurants, at the port, and by the stores. The town adopts these cats. They have names and get fed and watered by the shopkeeper; they also have a veterinarian who gives them vaccines and monitors their health.
Activities
Hiking is an activity to be pursued on this island of no cars. A lengthy hike is up to the Profits Ilias Monastery Hydra. If you accomplish the steep climb, you get to visit a beautiful monastery and can access a splendid panoramic view. In the center of the port is the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Here you will find 18th–century holy icons, ornate vestments, silver gospels, and historical relics.
There are beach clubs where you dive from the rocks into the water. You can ride the donkey around the cliffs. There are actual beaches that can be visited as well. The beauty of Hydra is its relationship with the water. You can get on a boat tour and check out caves and beaches.
https://www.greeka.com/saronic/hydra/sightseeing/monastery-prophet-elias
https://athensattica.com/point/cathedral-of-the-dormition-of-the-virgin-mary-ecclesiastical-museum/
https://www.hydradirect.com/walking-to-the-haramis-windmill
https://www.hydradirect.com/beaches-hydra
Restaurants
Although a small island, Hydra has many restaurants. No research. We just walked down an alley and sat down at a local place. The food was fresh and tasty. There we met Eric, a young Chinese man who traveled to Infection from Hong Kong by himself. The peninsula is so small we ran into Eric twice. Incredibly, we hit another local spot the next evening–and Eric was seated at the table next to ours
Nightlife
The nightlife is expansive considering the size of the island. A spot I had gone to back in the seventies was the Pirate Bar. Near the clock tower, it has music and a lively atmosphere. Amalour is housed in a 19th century whitewashed mansion. Here you can have reasonably priced drinks while listening to various genres of music. Other spots are the Hydronetta and the Windmill Hydra Bar. The town is busy at night with crowds moving from place to place until 4 am.
https://www.hydradirect.com/wine-dine-party-on-hydra
Conclusion
I never enjoy being proven wrong, but my credo “nothing stays the same❞ did not hold up on the island of Hydra. Over my years, there has been so much change. That makes me sad. Hydra has given me the memory of my youth, and the knowledge that some things stay the same. If you want a glimpse of the past right now in the present, then WTH go and visit the Greek island of Hydra.
