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Hydra, was it all a dream?

There is no traffic on Hydra. No cars, no scary quadbikes, no taxis, no bikes even — just donkeys.  All you can hear in the morning is the somewhat ear drum bursting heeeeee haw, which I actually came to love, and the slapping sound of espadrilles on smooth marble-stone streets. One hour with the fast ferry from Piraeus, Hydra is the kind of island that makes you understand, immediately, why painters and poets and Leonard Cohen never quite left. Time does not exist here, the whole island is like a dream,  a dream full of sweetness, and sea, and exciting dramas, a dream you don´t want to wake up from. Small, steep, sun-bleached, and entirely unbothered by the idea of hurrying anywhere. Hydra in our dreams forever. 

Visit this beautiful island with our co-founder Erica Mathiesen. 

Time to do....nothing

Hydra is a place for lingering, there are NO activities other than sleeping, eating, tanning, swimming, drinking, reading, talking, shopping, browsing. I mean, what more could one want. This is not the island to go for action packed holidays, forget any ideas about tennis lessons or scuba diving. In Hydra you read, and talk about what you read, you eat, and talk about what you ate. You become friends with strangers, and then they are strangers no more. You swim and tan by the cliffs, jump in the crystal clear water. You sleep in the shade under an umbrella, and drink Greek rose. There is one exception, you can go visit the now infamous sun sculpture, Apollo by Jeff Koons. And you really should. Placed above the old slaughter house on the island, it welcomes you, and I felt like Ikarus, it drew me in, I almost cried at the sight of it. And please note, I am generally not really a Jeff Koons fan. Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art hosts a beautiful exhibition with one site specific artist here every year. You should include this on your list of activities on Hydra. You can also cuddle with the thousands of cats on this island. That is an activity I guess. 

 

Where to stay?

If you want a pool, Hydra is not really the place for you. Pools are actually illegal here, so you will only find a few at the more luxurious hotels. But the ocean is so much better so who needs a pool anyway? 

Hydra is actually not full of luxury hotels and over the top resorts. And if you can, try to rent one of the private residencies here, these are the most magical places to stay. 

But if you want something a little fancier, the Bellevalia Hydra is a 200-year-old sea captain’s mansion above Plakes beach, which combines old-world detail with genuinely modern comfort. Rumours has it Brad Pitt just stayed there and when we were there Pedro Pascal was right next to us, but no one seems to notice. Except me.  This is the kind of place Hydra is. Full freedom, full privacy, no brands, no flashing, no celebrities, except that there are lots of celebrities, if you know what I mean. 

If you want the honeymoon version of Hydra, Mandraki Beach Resort sits on the island’s only sandy beach, a short boat ride from the port, with just a handful of suites and a private waterfront villa. Some of the rooms at this hotel have private pools. 

For a base five minutes from everything, Hotel Sophia and Angelica Traditional Boutique Hotel sit right in the harbor — whitewashed walls, fresh flowers and rooms that look pre-styled for an editorial shoot. Very easy and simple if you don´t want to drag your luggage up the thousands of little steps oup the hill, when your suitcase is huge, and there are no donkeys available because of the heat. 

Bratsera Boutique Hotel, once an 1860s sponge factory, is the island’s most romantic stay, shaded courtyards, nautical relics, and the only proper pool in the old town, folded into a garden thick with bougainvillea.

 

 

Now so long, Marianne, it’s time that we began
To laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again

–

Leonard Cohen

Where to Eat & Drink

In Hydra you eat late, don’t be surprised if you are the only table seated before 21.00, sometimes we had dinner as late at 23.00, which for a Norwegian stomach is almost atrocious.  Even if the island is small and its not that much to do, except, eating, drinking, sunbathe, swim, sleep, repeat, there are plenty of amazing places to eat. TOO MANY. Here are some of my favorites;

Tecnically this place is not fully Greek but who cares when it´s this deliscious. Il Casta, Italian food with a Greek twist, so yummy, served up in a beautiful little garden with an open kitchen. Reservations necessary. 

History-lovers should walk to Xeri Elia the island’s oldest taverna, where Leonard Cohen once played guitar under the tree out back. The food is simple and deliscious, and is a popular place also with the locals, even though there has been a lot of drama about the restaurant changing the chairs. Island life ey! 

Tassia´s Tavern is the restaurant belonging to the previosuly mentioned Bellevaria Hotel, which has an amazing sea view restaurant with a connected beautiful pebble stone beach with umbrellas. Honorable mentions also go to Téchnē, Kodylenia´s, Lefterakis, To Piato and Kryfo Limani Kapetan Andreas. Eating out two times a day every day and still we didn´t get to cover all the places we wanted. I guess it is an excuse to go back and eat some more. 

For the best ice cream you have ever had, go to Tsagkaris Pastry Hydra. They specialize in handmade rose ice cream and almond ice cream. So good, I still dream about it. 

But Hydra is not only for eating, it is also for drinking. Hydronetta is built into the cliffs above impossibly clear water, where you can swim, order an Aegean spritz, watch the beautiful sunset, and best of all, still in your bikini. Another gorgeous place for watching the sun go down is the Windmill Hydra Bar. This place is a lot more fancy so dont´show up in a bikini here, and book a table to reserve the best spot. 

Nightlife in Hydra is fun, but there are no night clubs, here you dance in the street, on the cliffs and in the small bars. My absolute favorite bar for cocktails was 1821 which served me the best Vodka Martinis, a little bit dirty. This bar is packed, you go here to drink, and then across the tiny street to Amalou to dance. L´Americano is also a super cool cocktail bar, with djs and dancing if you are lucky. Don´t miss it. 

 

Where to Shop

Unfortunately for us Hydra is not a haven for vintage lovers, maybe this is were The Edited shall do their next pop up! But Hydra’s small harbor streets, are narrow and lined with small and cute independent shops. They all have something different to offer, even though many are selling classic tourist items, such as caps that says FETA and Tzatziki, I bought one, come on, when in Greece.

I have picked out a few of my favorites here, where you could pick up some really cute items from Greek designers.  

Hydra Book Club is a MUST. I love this place. This beautifully curated bookshop sell a selection of literary work by the community of Greek and international writers present on Hydra from the 1930s to the present, no less! Pick something and read, read, read. 

Elena Votsi´s shop on the main harbor, is a Greek designer whose beautiful jewellery sells in both Paris and Milan, but here you buy it from the woman herself, in a shop the size of a walk-in closet. The main store, right in the harbour as you get off the ferry is my fave. 

Adonis Boutique is a tiny little shop run by a Italian mother and her tow half greek, half Italian daughters in the harbour of Hydra. They have beautiful handmade clothes and jewellery from Greece and Italy. The store is tiny, and everything is stuffed in there but if you spend some time and actually look throuhg it all they have amazing pieces. 

Now so long Hydra, it is time we began to…. plan our next trip. 

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