Hydra or Nafplio

Since cars are not allowed on Hydra, you are left with Nafplio it seems

We spent four nights in Nafplio and enjoyed it very much. A car is useful to see surrounding sites. There is a beach there which we visited-rocky but so are the ones on Hydra.

Haven't been to Nafplio, but Hydra was our favourite place in Greece. But as stated, car is useless to Hydra. From airport you would take commuter rail (Proastiakos) to Piraeus and then ferry to Hydra.

I've been to both islands and Hydra was very nice, in fact it has one of the nicest waterfronts in Greece with the village cascading down the hillside toward it, it can't compare with Naxos. Hydra is small and is more of a day trip visit.

Naxos on the other hand is large, has numerous archeological/historic sites, beaches, villages, mountains, great food, goats and so much more.

While Hydra is lovely, I would spend the 3 nights on Naxos.

@tommy5k-Nafplio and Naxos are two different places. The OP was asking about Nafplio, not Naxos.
And since I have been to both Nafplio and Hydra, really liked both, but for beauty and relaxation Hydra can’t be beat. If you want proximity to ancient sites, Mycenae and Epidavrous, the Nafplio.

Depends on whether you want to be on an island or on the mainland. Hydra is an island reached by ferry - no cars allowed. It's beautiful and my favorite of the five islands we stayed on. Nafplio is a mainland city you can drive to. It's not an island but it does have beaches and it's a beautiful area. I enjoyed our 1 day visit to Nafplio and would love to spend more time there.

Nafplio is a seaside city with an impressive old town and Venetian era fortresses. While it is on the mainland it feels like its on an island. There are several good ancient sites to visit nearby. On the drive to Nafplio consider stopping at Corinth there are several great sites in the area including Ancient Nemia, Ancient Corinth, Acrocorinth and the famous canal. You essentially will drive right past all these sites on your way to Nafplio.

You have not said what the rest of your trip plan is. If you are visiting one or more of the Cyclades then you will already have had your island experience so Hydra could be missed. On the other hand I was looking at boat excursions from Nafplio and there was at least one that went to Hydra. You could get both your wishes fulfilled if you go to Nafplio.
Here is what you get if you choose Nafplio.
Nafplio and Peloponnese http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632094108982/
Corinth area sights https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157711755443483

Nafplio combines a coastal setting with easy daytrips to great archeological sites like Mycenae and Epidavros. I would be sure to include those stops. While islands can be quite, relaxing, and even car-free, you don't need to leave the mainland for a beach experience.

diveloonie aka: Sorry, my mistake about Naxos/Nafplio mix up. Anyway I would suggest Nafplio for 3 nights. Lovely Old Town and a great base to explore nearby World-Class archeological sites and the entire Argolis peninsula.

Hydra is very nice but has its limitation on what to do, see and experience in comparison to Nafplio.

I've been to Naxos and I would also select Naxos over Hydra.

Nothing wrong with Hydra but if one wants options for things to do then Nafplio or Naxos would be better.

Superb photographs cousin Stan!

Kevin, may I suggest you have a look at the movie Boy on a Dolphin made on Hydra and surrounding Saronic islands in 1956. Other backgrounds locations were Athens, Rhodes and Delos. Also, Meteora, which was later used in a James Bond film. See things as they were before we modern day tourists changed the natural world. A magnificent Ferrari 375 America grabbed my attention, only 12 were made.

Make sure you don’t miss the opening 5 minutes. Saw this movie in 1970 when I was 18 and fell in love with Sophia and have been ever since. When asked about working with Sophia, Alan Ladd said it was like being assaulted by watermelons. He should have been so lucky. In my dreams!

When my wife and I married at the end of 1973, I suggested we honeymoon in Paris or Rome or Hydra. She declined all offers. Some years later she told me that she didn’t want me being distracted by other cultures or art, and the only exploring we were going to do was together. Haven’t been able to convince my wife that we should go to Hydra.

Tough choices mate, but I guess someone must make them. Best of luck to you.

Actually, it it more than possible to drive to Hydra. You can park just across the gulf in a little hamlet called Metoxi and take a shuttle over. It's easy as pie! Parking costs €5/day. You can find specifics here: http://hydraislandgreece.com/getting-to-hydra-greece-by-car/

Depends on what you want. Nafplio has the seaside feel, a medium size town with charming streets and good food, some beaches, and is close to great history sights.

Hydra has a tiny town, boats, hiking, and beaches. It’s a great place to relax but there’s not as much to DO.
If you go with Hydra and have a car look into ferries from the Peloponnese - like the previous poster mentioned. Cheaper, shorter, and you don’t have to drive to Piraeus!

I’d go with Nafplio because there are more options, unless I wanted a purely relaxing stay.

Thanks for all the feedback! We're going to work both destinations into our trip.