Kaminia Village

Kaminia (sometimes spelled Kamini on maps and in English guidebooks) is a tiny village barely 500 metres west of Hydra’s port, and it is the perfect counterpoint to the cosmopolitan bustle of the main quay. If the town is the shop window, Kaminia is the back room where the fishermen live and where Hydriots eat when they would rather not run into yacht customers. Getting there is very easy: you leave the port along the seafront heading west, pass Spilia and the cannons, and after a flat fifteen minute walk on a coastal path (with views across to the Peloponnese) the first bend of the minuscule fishing harbour appears. Distances on Hydra are short and this walk is one of the prettiest on the island, especially at sunset when the golden light bounces off the white houses.

The centre of Kaminia is a small U-shaped harbour with barely a dozen fishing boats moored, several whitewashed houses and, on top of a rocky islet directly opposite, the white chapel of Agios Nikolaos, patron saint of sailors. The scene is probably the most photogenic on Hydra after the main port: the solitary chapel against the open sea, the boats rocking, and the mountains of the Peloponnese behind. It is the kind of landscape that on a more commercial island would be ringed with souvenir kiosks; here there is nothing but two tavernas, a small pebble beach (also called Kamini, or “baby beach”) and a handful of private houses.

Those two tavernas are the main reason people come to Kaminia. Kodylenia sits right above the harbour, with a terrace hanging over the rocks and views that are almost better than the food (although the food is very good too): grilled octopus, griddled sardines, Greek salads and local wines. The other is Castello, installed in the island’s old arsenal building (yes, the cannons on the quay were stored here in the 18th century): more elaborate cooking, a candlelit evening atmosphere and prices well above the Hydra average. Both are places to book a table for dinner, especially in summer. Eating in Kaminia with the sunset in front of you is one of those rituals a traveller on Hydra does once and remembers for a long time.

The little Kaminia beach is perfect for a quick dip between the walk and lunch: small pebbles, transparent water and very little swell, sheltered as it is by the harbour. Bring a mask and snorkel (you can see shoals of small colourful fish among the rocks) and there are a couple of natural stone loungers to stretch out on. There is no sunbed service or beach bar on the beach itself, but the tavernas on the harbour will happily bring you a beer and water. If you are travelling with small children, this is probably the most manageable beach near the town: shallow at the shoreline, no currents and always with locals in sight. For wider, sandy beaches, carry on to Vlychos (another 25 minutes on foot) or Mandraki in the opposite direction. If village life is what interests you, come early in the morning (around 9 or 10) when the fishermen arrive with the day’s catch and mend their nets on the quay; or at sunset, when the terraces fill up and the candles start being lit. At midday Kaminia is fairly deserted, ideal for photos without people but perhaps a little too quiet for dinner.