Beaches in Hydra

This is the part of Hydra that disappoints people, so we will be blunt: if you have come to Greece primarily to lie on sand, you have picked the wrong island. Hydra scores low for beach quality and deserves to. The coast is rock and pebble, most of the swimming is off concrete platforms and ladders rather than a shore you walk into, and there is essentially no fine sand anywhere on the island. What is very good is the water itself, deep and clear straight off the rocks. Spilia, a few steps from the harbour, is a swim rather than a beach; Kaminia and Vlychos are walkable west along the coast path; Bisti and the far coves need a water taxi, which costs real money each way. In August the near platforms are crowded from mid-morning, and the boat fares to escape them add up.