Getting from Chania to Hydra

If you are heading to Hydra from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to one of the most immediately compelling islands in Greece, a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf with elegant stone mansions, exceptionally clear water and a quality of silence unlike anywhere else within easy reach of Athens.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chania to Hydra. Getting there means taking the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus, which takes around 8 to 9 hours, and then boarding the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra, which takes around 1 hour 5 minutes to 2 hours with up to 12 daily crossings year-round. Alternatively fly from Chania to Athens and take the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra.

Getting there by air

Hydra has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra gives a total journey time of around 4 to 5 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and take the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra. The arrival into Hydra port, with the mansions rising above the waterfront and the donkeys waiting on the quayside, is one of the best in Greece. Note that Hydra is car-free so no vehicles can be taken to the island.