Getting there. Boats regularly travel through the Saronic Gulf islands, connecting them with Athens and Nafpilo (off to the left of the map). From Athens it's a long day trip. As always, the hydrofoils are twice as fast. A common package day cruise is to go from Athens to Aegina, Poros and Hydra and return. Convenient but crowded, no time to savor an island, and your time is not your own.

Staying there. Hydra town is essentially the only city on the island. There are rooms and hotels, several of the sites on the links page list them. A guide I have lists 19 hotels, all will be small. Remember: the island is touristed heavily in high season. Development restrictions have limited the number of rooms available.

Being there. Hydra is an artist's colony and there are studios and galleries and an annual art festival. The rugged hills around the main town provide opportunities for hikes. Day trips via ferries to Poros and Spetses are possible. See the activities page.

It's not a traditional beach island, but there are some opportunities for that.

Some of the old mansions are available for touring. There is also a Melina Mercouri Center. There are some churches of interest as well. An annual Rebetiko conference is held there in October.