Hydra Ύδρα

Pronounced from English speakers typically as "Eedrah" or "Hee-drah"
Greek-speaking people typically say "EE-thrah" (with the “th” voiced, like the, not thin)

Hydra Island is in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf and is prized for having a relatively close proximity to Athens. Travel from Piraeus/Athens by high-speed hydrofoil is an estimated trip of 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours. Boat trips can often have an additional one or more stops (example, Poros, Aegina, or Spetses) and so a trip length can be as much as 4 hours.

The island is one of the most popular destinations in Greece and has appeared as the location for many films (see list), with estimates of nearly 300,0000 to 450,000 visitors per year.

Hydra is also highly prized by astronomers, as it has very low light-sky pollution, allowing for clearer viewing of stars.

Map of Hydra

Hydra Greece Map

No Cars

There are no vehicles on the island (not even mopeds), and transportation is chiefly by foot or donkey. The waterfront harbor area has a large number of preserved, older-European style Mediterranean buildings, and Hydra in general has a large number of well-cared for older structures.

Architectural Significance

Hydra is known for its many "Captain's mansions" called αρχοντικά ("archontika") which were built by sea captains and ship owners and typically feature an almost fortress-like outside but a interior of courtyards and

from the late 18th & early 19th centuries, built by wealthy Hydriot shipowners and naval families. They’re typically 3–4 storeys, stone-built, and famously austere/fortress-like on the outside, with more refined internal courtyards and interiors

Guide Book for the Peloponnese: with Athens, Delphi and Kythira – Paperback – Amazon – Bradt Travel Guides, 288 Pages, November 18, 2025

The horse-shoe shaped harbor is often used on postcards and travel books as a quintessential Aegean harbor, but the island itself is not like some of the larger and more developed as other Greek harbors, in the modern sense of large buildings, roadways and, of course, the crowds.

Unlike a number of other places around Greece, there are no archeological dig sites on Hydra or large beaches with large hotels dominating the horizon line.

History

During the Greek War of Independence, Hydra played an important role as it had a population of over 16,000, of which 10,000 were estimated to be sailors. Ships stationed in Hydra (along with boats from Psara and Spetses) fought the Ottoman navy, winning control of the Eastern Aegean.

Google Map of Hydra

Motion Pictures featuring Hydra

1940 The Song of Separation
1956 A Girl in Black
1957 Boy on a Dolphin
1962 Phaedra
1963 Island of Love
1970 Incense for the Damned
1995 The Blue Villa
2002 Boat Trip
2007 Fugitive Pieces
2012 The Capsule
2019 Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (Documentary)
2020 The Trip to Greece (Documentary)
2027 Unnamed Brad Pitt film (in production 2026)