Two hours by ferry from Piraeus, in the Saronic Gulf, there is a Greek island where cars do not enter, nor bicycles. Hydra has banned wheeled vehicles since the 1950s to preserve the original character that distinguishes it, made up of stone alleys, steep stairs and blue and white houses overlooking the port.
How to get around Hydra
The ban is a presidential decree in place since the 1950s, banning any wheeled vehicle — cars, motorcycles, bicycles and ATVs. The only exceptions are some municipal vehicles authorized by the competent Ministry in Athens, such as waste trucks, ambulances and fire engines. For everything else, the island depends on one of the largest herds of working mules in the world. You move on foot or on the backs of mules and donkeys, the same ones that transport suitcases, furniture, building materials and supplies along the steep paths of the island. This is confirmed by HydraDirect, the local information site which also manages the section dedicated to the island’s protection ordinance. Water taxis complete the picture for reaching the most remote beaches, otherwise accessible only on foot or always by sea.
In fact, the topography makes the ban almost natural, given that the village is built amphitheatrically, on a steep slope, and the stepped alleys that rise from the port would make any wheeled vehicle practically useless.
A story of art and celebrity
The absence of traffic, over the decades, has attracted artists and celebrities, and we can mention people such as Leonard Cohen, who bought a house there in 1960, Sophia Loren, who filmed the film here Boy on a Dolphin in 1957. Illustrious visitors also include Maria Callas, Pablo Picasso and Henry Miller.
What to see and how to get there
Discover Greece, the official Hellenic tourism portal, describes Hydra as a “cosmopolitan and elegant” island, with eighteenth-century mansions, marble churches and alleys that defy any geolocation. On the island there are approximately 300 churches and 6 monasteries. The historic center is classified as a protected monument. There is no airport and the only access is by sea. From the spring season onwards the island will begin to come alive, although remaining far from the overtourism typical of places such as Santorini and Mykonos.
