TRAVEL TO HYDRA

HYDRA

Hydra is a small island in the Argo Saronic Gulf, lying off the east coast of the Peloponnese and easily reached by hydrofoil from the Athens port of Piraeus. The entire island is a preserved national monument which has retained its unique architecture. There are no motorized vehicles, and transport from the main Hydra town to surrounding small villages is either on foot, by donkey or by water taxi. Nevertheless, the town has excellent modern amenities and retains a relaxed cosmopolitan air. The following websites provide detailed information on the island (travel directions, hotels, apartments, restaurants, activities etc):

http://www.hydradirect.com/
http://www.hydra.com.gr/
http://greektravel.com/greekislands/hydra/intro.htm

Hydra town has a wide selection of restaurants and cafes, and the village of Kamini, a 20 minute walk along the coast to the west of the port, also has a number of nice restaurants. There are numerous places to swim within a short walk of the town on the west side, although these are from rocks or platforms. Further afield there are a number of sandy beaches in Mandraki (a 30 minute walk to the east of the port or reached by water taxi), Bisti bay and Aghios Nikolaos, both only accessible by water taxi. There are some excellent walks/hikes, although you will need to be very careful of the sun: see http://www.hydra-island.de/index.php?lang=eng for information.

TRAVEL

ATHENS TO PIRAEUS

Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” http://www.aia.gr/ is situated on the east side of Athens about 1.5 hrs from the port of Piraeus, where you catch hydrofoils for Hydra, so bear this in mind when planning your trip and allow time to clear immigration and get to the port. If you arrive too late to reach Piraeus, it is preferable to stay overnight in Athens. Piraeus is a port with limited attractions. However, if stuck, try the Lilia hotel http://www.liliahotel.gr/

X96 Express Bus

The easiest way to get to Piraeus is by bus (X96 Express, previously designated E96), and we strongly recommend that you use this option. Leave the airport through exit door 5 (right out of customs, the last one at the end of the arrival hall). Purchase a ticket from the booth before boarding the bus. Tickets currently cost 3.20 Euros per person. The X96 bus and the bus stop are clearly marked in English and Greek with the destination (Piraeus). There is plenty of space for luggage and they leave 2 or 3 times an hour, 24 hours a day. When you board please make sure you validate your ticket in the red box on the post behind the drivers seat. There are on the spot fines if an inspector finds unvalidated tickets. The journey time takes about 1.5 hrs. If you plan to visit Athens first, then a similar express bus (X95/E95) leaves the airport between exits 4 and 5. The journey takes 45-60 minutes and will be a similar price. See http://www.iasa.gr/EINN_2005/Athenstrans.html

Metro

There is a metro terminal right in front of the airport. The trip to Piraeus takes about 60 minutes but involves one change and a slightly longer walk at the end. Take line 3 from the airport, and change at Monastiraki station to line 1 to reach Pireaus. The fare is around €6 one way. PLEASE NOTE that in late spring of 2008, metro line 3 to the airport will be interrupted for an estimated 6 months due to construction work, so it is unlikely that the metro will be operating in September. See http://www.aia.gr/pages.asp?pageid=981&langid=2 for further notification and maps of transport links from the airport.

Taxis

The taxi rank is outside exit door 3. Yellow taxi prices vary depending upon the time of day, the number of passengers and the season, but you should budget for 40-40 Euros for a one-way trip to Piraeus.

PIRAEUS TO HYDRA

The simplest way to get to Hydra is to take a hydrofoil or cataraman from Athens port (Piraeus). This takes about 90 minutes. Hellas Shipping operate the “Flying Dolphins” and “Flying Cats”. There should be no need to book at this time of year. Ticket offices can be found around Piraeus port. See http://www.euroseas.com/contact.htm and http://www.hellenicseaways.gr/templates/mappopup_en.html for maps of the port. Hydrofoils for Hydra leave from gate E8. For those who would prefer to book in advance, see the following websites: http://www.hellenicseaways.gr/ and http://www.ellada.com/grarr22.html

Hydrofoils leave at fairly regular intervals during the day from 8 am. In the high season the last hydrofoil for Hydra leaves around 8 pm, but note that the timetable for September will not be available until closer to the date, and thus we cannot currently guarantee a boat after 6 pm. If you are arriving late, it may be best to stay overnight in Athens. Another company which operates catamarans to Hydra is Euroseas Shipping, although these generally leave once a day at 9.30 am. See http://www.euroseas.com/ An alternative (although slow) option is to take the Saronikos ferry which takes about 3 to 3.5 hours and stops at Poros. This is cheaper but only leaves once a day at 8 am in the morning.