Hi
My husband and I are going to Greece in June. We want to go to an island close to Athens we can travel by ferry. We thought about Hydra. Have you been there?. Are there places you can suggest we can stay?
Thank you,
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
I think Hydra would be nice as a day trip only. We were there a few yrs ago for 3 nights with a tour Group. Way too much time with very little to do or see. All water must be shipped in boat tanks so be prepared for bathing and washing in rusty tank water that smells of rust too.
I was so surprised to see the hotels function this way.
This was not the case in Mykonos , lots of fun, gd food, windmills and greek island charm everywhere.
Have u considered Mykonos?
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3320 posts
Anastasia, what's the length of your stay? My advice would be different if you had a week or 2 weeks for visiting isle(s), or rather you will be mostly in Athens and just wanted a quickie overnight trip to a nearby island. For the former situation, I'd describe your options in the Cyclades Island group (Naxos, Paros, Milos, Sifnos Santorini, Folegandros etc) ... for the "quick getaway," my nomination would be Aegina ... just 1 hour by ferry and u can sit on deck and watch all the boat traffic in Saronic bay! Best time to visit Aegina in June would be M-F, because Athenians crowd it up on weekends. It's got lovely interior and a couple of sandy beaches ... much more to offer than Hydra. Here's a lovely photo album of a June Day trip https://www.flickr.com/photos/36264706@N03/sets/72157621604646139/detail/
but do explain more about your timetable/interests, and we can give better advice.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32202 posts
anastasia,
Hydra would be a great choice for a few days. While there aren't a lot of activities other than hiking or swimming, it's still a very enjoyable place to visit, with some nice restaurants and a relaxing ambiance in the evenings. Be sure to try Mastika while there. It has a very distinctive taste.
As someone else mentioned, drinking the tap water is not a pleasant experience so just use that for showers and buy bottled water for drinking (it's cheap and plentiful). I thought the tap water smelled like diesel fuel, but that's just my impression.
For a place to stay, I would highly recommend Hotel Leto. After watching their video, you'll probably be ready to book!