Hydra vs Spetses
Hydra or Spetses? Ferry times from Athens, beaches, prices and crowds compared side by side, with a straight answer on which of the two suits your trip.
Hydra
RomanticNo cars, no motorbikes: just donkeys and boats. Perfectly preserved neoclassical architecture and international artists.
Read the guideSpetses
RomanticElegant and cosmopolitan. Horses and carriages at the port, secret beaches and nineteenth-century shipowners' mansions.
Read the guideThe short answer
On the fast boat from Piraeus, Hydra is the closer of the two: 1 h 45 min against 2 h for Spetses, a difference of about 15 minutes each way. On a short trip that gap is worth more than it looks, because it applies twice.
Neither island takes visitor cars. On both you leave the vehicle on the mainland and move around on foot or by boat.
Spetses has the better swimming, 3 out of 5 against 2 for Hydra. Both have 4 beaches covered here.
For sights off the sand, Hydra is the richer of the two: 6 places and museums against 5 on Spetses.
Spetses is the cheaper base, around 100 euros a night against 130 on Hydra, roughly 30 percent more. Over a week that is about 210 euros of difference on the room alone.
Spetses is the quieter of the two. Both fill up at summer weekends when Athens empties into the Saronic, but Hydra carries more visitors through the season.
The numbers
| Hydra | Spetses | |
|---|---|---|
| Fast ferry from Piraeus | 1 h 45 min | 2 h |
| Conventional ferry | - | 2 h |
| Ferry from | 30 EUR | 30 EUR |
| Departures per day | 5 | 4 |
| Beaches covered | 4 | 4 |
| Places and museums | 6 | 5 |
| Activities | 4 | 2 |
| Room per night from | 130 EUR | 100 EUR |
| Food per day | 40 EUR | 32 EUR |
| Recommended days | 2 | 2 |
| Population | 1,972 | 3,993 |
| Area | 52 km2 | 22 km2 |
| Visitor cars | No | No |
| Best season | May - Oct | May - Oct |
| Beaches | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Food | ||
| Nightlife | ||
| Connectivity |
Which one for your trip
Choose Hydra if
- You are short on time and want the shortest crossing from Athens
- A car-free island appeals and you are happy to walk or take a water taxi
- You want museums, monasteries and ruins as well as a swim
Choose Spetses if
- Swimming is the priority and you want the better beaches of the two
- You are watching the budget
- You want the quieter island
- A car-free island appeals and you are happy to walk or take a water taxi
- You are travelling with children