5 Best things to see & do in Hydra

High above Hydra’s harbour, the remote monastery of Profitis Ilias dates from 1813.

It’s an hour’s stiff trek uphill, but you’ll be rewarded with fresh spring water, and phenomenal views of Hydra town and the Peloponnese shimmering on the horizon.

There are some other fine hiking options, including: Hydra–St Nikolaos (1 hour, easy), Profitis Ilias–Eros (30 minutes, hard), Hydra-Vlychos (35 minutes, easy). Ask your hotel for details.

An undeveloped, quiet pebble bay accessible by water taxi (15 minutes) or along a scenic coastal footpath (40 minutes). After your swim, feast on red mullet and Greek salad at Marina’s fantastic fish taverna. Watch the sunset from the shady terrace.

Near Leonard Cohen’s old house is the former home of the late painter Panayiotis Tetsis – an evocative trove of tender portraits and luminous landscapes of Hydra. Downstairs, the general store run by his grandparents has been preserved as they left it, with dusty bottles of cherry brandy and hand-dipped beeswax candles.

Tucked away behind the harbour, it serves divine home-made pistachio and strawberry ice cream. Flora grows her own fruit and nuts on the nearby islet of Dokos.

A 3-day festival on the last weekend of June, commemorating local heroics during Greece’s 1821 revolution – cue boat races, music, and fireworks galore. In the grand finale, a replica of a Turkish frigate is set alight in the harbour.