The Thinking Traveller

Luxury villas on Hydra

Hydra is the most southerly of the Saronic Islands after Spetses, and is located off the eastern tip of the Peloponnese. Measuring just 20km (west to east) by 5km (north to south), it is easy to discover in a week, as long as you rent a boat or travel by sea taxi - cars are not allowed on the island and there are very few roads. The island's mountainous hinterland is scattered with monasteries and crisscrossed by ancient mule tracks, making hiking an enticing proposition in the spring and autumn. Peaks rise up to over 500m before plummeting precipitously into the sea, especially in the south, where they create a spectacular coastline.