Hydra is perhaps the most beautiful port village in all of Greece. A tiny harbor ringed with cafes, restaurants and gold shops is surrounded by a village of stone houses and villas that rise up the hills like an ampitheatre. But one of the best things about Hydra is that there are no cars. Everything is moved by donkey, including groceries, building supplies, people and their luggage. Hydra is the former home of Leonard Cohen and stomping grounds of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Pink Floyd and many other famous and not so famous people. Hydra is a little expensive, but not as much as Mykonos and there are still bargains to be found on the backstreets in the way of food, hotels and entertainment.

Hydra is one of the Saronic Gulf islands which includes Aegina, Angistri, Poros and Spetsis. Of these, Hydra is the most unspoiled even though it is the most popular. The reason is because growth has been limited and while the other islands expand outward to accomodate tourism, Hydra has remained the same. Most of its visitors just come for the day because there are simply not enough places for them to stay. If you do want to stay overnight, or over many nights, (which I recommend), then I would book a hotel in advance during the summer because if you wait you won't find one. Because of its proximity to Athens it is the perfect island to visit in the way-off season. There are usually people there, especially during weekends, including the odd writer or poet wintering on the island in search of inspiration. Not far enough away to feel like you are cut off from society, the beat goes on into the winter. And if you get stir-crazy or if the weather gets nasty you can hightail it back to the nightlife of Athens.

The main hobby on Hydra and on most islands is people watching. Though the cafes are expensive, you can get a coffee or a soda and sit there all day long. Nobody will ask you to move like they would if you sat in a diner in the states all day with one cup of coffee. There are plenty of shops to keep you busy, on the waterfront and a few on the main streets leading away from it. There is a very nice book shop which you can find by going up Miaoulis and taking your first right and going past Zoe's Silver and Gold Jewlery. There is a foreign press shop on the waterfront where you can get your International Herald Tribune, USA Today, The Athens News and papers from just about any country. Then you can walk to one of the cafes, order a cappucino, and spend the day there.

There are 3 main streets which go up through the village from the waterfront. The first street you come to from the ferry is Tombazi, on the corner where the donkeys hang out. The next street is Mialouli which is next to the Monastery of the Panagias and the clock tower. The third street is Lignou which goes up the hill and ends up in the village of Kamini. Wandering up these streets is an enjoyable pastime and getting lost is both easy and fun. The interior of the village is very different from the cafe-ringed harbor with its jet-setters and urban Greeks. Hydra is as traditional looking as even the most remote village once you break away from the masses. Some people who live in the village may not go down to the harbor for days and many of the resident artists, writers and soul-searchers don't go down there at all once the summer begins.