Hydra day trip?

The fall will be off-season for most anywhere in Greece so you shouldn't be over-whelmed by lots of tourists on Hydra. We did a day cruise from Tolo in the Peloponesse in Oct. and while there were people around it certainly wasn't crowded. I think Hydra has one of the nicest waterfronts in Greece and the village rising uphill from the harbor makes for one wonderful and beautiful view. The further away from the waterfront the quieter it gets. One of the nicest things about Hydra is that no motorized vehicles are allowed, just donkeys for transporting goods and people. It gives you a little idea of the "old" Greece. It's a short ferry ride from Piraeus so it shouldn't be too stressful and you'll see a very lovely harbor front and village that most people appreciate.

An island that's closer than Hydra, which in my humble opinion offers more, is Aegina. About every hour, you can take a 45-50 minute ferry ride -- NOT a hydrofoil because that's closed-in -- and stay on deck, and see all the wonderful ships in the Saronic Bay ... and the approach to Aegina. The harbor town has interesting streets, AND some ruins at the waterside plus a tiny museum. But rent a car or take a bus to the center of the Island --- to the Temple of Aphaia. The most perfectly preserved Temple in all the greek Isles (altho some nasty Brits made away with the inner decor & sold them in the 1820s) ... on a hilltop w. beautiful view. Then u can walk downhill o a short cut to a beach town you'll see from above, Ag. Marina, and have a nice lunch ... you can take a bus home from there or taxi. You can get back to Athens in late afternoon, or hang out and have a drink at portside and sail back to Piraeus at sundown, it's lovely. Hydra has the port town, but that's about it, in my opinion. But You be the judge; here is a good photo album of a day trip to Aegina in June: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36264706@N03/sets/72157621604646139/detail/

Hydra is a lovely destination, but since your next destination is also an island with some picturesque towns, and since time is short, I would probably allot that day to Sicily.

Agree that Aegina would be an ideal alternative to Hydra with lots more to do . . . however the poster was asking about Hydra which I feel is definitely worth a day trip. Still, Aegina does offer more: beaches, archeological sites, pistachio capitol of Greece, sea side village of Perdikia and others . . . and not quite as "jet-setty" as Hydra. Either would be ideal for a day trip.

Tommy, often people mention Hydra only because it's one that they've heard of, since it's "promoted" by agencies, and is featured by Rick Steves ... not necessarily because the poster is particularly interested in that island. That's why I gave a description of Aegina and a complete photo albu, so they'd hve more basis for choosing.