Hydra is one of the easiest and most rewarding day trips from Athens. The fast ferries make the crossing in around 1.5 to 2 hours, and the moment you step off the boat into the horseshoe harbour, you understand why writers and artists have been coming here for a century. If you only have a day, the question is how to see the real island, and not just the cafes along the waterfront. Our answer, unsurprisingly, is on horseback.
Getting there
Ferries leave Piraeus for Hydra several times a day through the summer. The high-speed boats take roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, and it's worth booking your return in advance on busy weekends. There's no airport and no car ferry, which is part of the island's charm and the reason a ride here feels so different.
A car-free island
Hydra has no cars and no scooters. For generations, people and goods have moved around the island on foot, by boat, and on the backs of horses and donkeys. That's not a tourist gimmick, it's simply how the island works. It also means that once you leave the harbour, the trails belong to walkers and riders. On horseback you can reach coves, hillside chapels and pine forest in a couple of hours, ground that would take most day visitors far longer to see on foot.
Fitting a ride into your day
Our trails run from a 30-minute loop through the old town to a four-hour ride to the sea at Palamidas. For a day trip, the one to two hour trails are the sweet spot. The ride to the little harbour of Kamini, or along the coast to Vlichos, gets you well out of town and back with plenty of time for lunch and your afternoon ferry. Send us your ferry times when you book and we'll suggest a route that fits comfortably around them.
A single day is enough to fall for Hydra. Spend part of it in the saddle and you'll come away having seen the side of the island that most day-trippers never reach. Message us before you sail and we'll have a horse ready.