How to get to Hydra
Hydra has no airport and never will: the same law that bans motor vehicles also protects the quiet of the sky above. So every visitor arrives by sea, on a short crossing that is, in normal conditions, fairly steady. The great majority come from Athens; a minority arrive from the Peloponnese, which is also the fastest option if you are driving through the Argolid. The connections are frequent and run practically all year, with more sailings in summer. If you are coming in high season it is worth booking your ticket several days ahead, because the hydrofoils fill up, especially on Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings.
By ferry
The main option is the "Flying Dolphin" hydrofoil or the **Hellenic Seaways** catamaran from **Piraeus** (gate E8 or E9). The crossing takes **between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours** depending on the boat and the swell, with several departures a day (the first is usually around 8:30 and the last around 17:00). Prices are around 30 to 40 euros each way in economy class. There is no traditional car ferry on this route because, as we said, cars do not come into Hydra. The crossing is comfortable and normally smooth: the Saronic Gulf is well sheltered and the meltemi, the north wind that shakes the Cyclades in July and August, is barely felt here. If you get seasick easily, this is one of the Greek islands where you will suffer least; even so, sit in the middle of the lower deck and stay away from the windows if there is a chop. The alternative, far less well known and cheaper, is the **ferry from Metochi**, a small jetty on the Peloponnese coast about 7 km from Ermioni. There are sailings roughly every hour between 7:00 and 22:00 in summer, and the crossing takes **20 to 25 minutes** for around 8 euros. It is ideal if you are arriving by car from Athens via the Peloponnese (you can leave the car in the guarded car park at Metochi) or if you are making an overland trip through Nafplio and Epidaurus.
By plane
There is no airport on Hydra and none is planned. The nearest international airport is **Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)** in Athens, about 50 km from the port of Piraeus where the hydrofoil leaves. To reach the port from the airport, the most practical route is the M3 metro line to Monastiraki and a change there onto the M1 to Piraeus (around 70 minutes in total, 9 euros), or the direct X96 bus (90 minutes, 6 euros).
Other options
Once you are on Hydra, the only ways to move around the island are on foot, by donkey or by water taxi. The mules you see at the port are genuinely working animals: they carry luggage to hotels (5 to 15 euros depending on distance), take supplies up to the houses on the slopes and, occasionally, carry a visitor up to the viewpoints. Water taxis are the quickest way to reach the more distant beaches (Bisti, Agios Nikolaos) and Vlychos when it is hot; they leave the quay according to demand and cost between 5 euros (Vlychos) and 25 euros (Bisti) per person in a group. There is no scooter or car hire, and not even official bicycle hire: some shops in Hydra sell bikes to residents but do not rent them to visitors.