Getting from Santorini to Hydra

If you are heading to Hydra from Santorini you are making a journey that most people on the Cyclades circuit never attempt, and that is part of what makes it worth doing. Hydra sits in the Saronic Gulf just off the Peloponnese coast, close enough to Athens that Athenians have been escaping there for decades, and far enough in character from Santorini that the two feel like entirely different countries. The harbour is ringed with 18th century stone mansions built by sea captains who made their fortunes in the Ottoman trade, the island has no cars or motorcycles and the streets above the port climb through a maze of whitewashed lanes and bougainvillea that changes character completely once the day visitors leave in the afternoon. Artists and writers have been coming here for decades. Leonard Cohen lived here in the 1960s. The island has a creative, contemplative atmosphere that is unlike anywhere else in the Aegean.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Santorini to Hydra. The connection goes via Piraeus. Take the ferry from Santorini to Piraeus, which takes around 5 to 8 hours depending on the vessel, and then connect onto the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra, which takes around 1 hour 10 minutes to 2 hours with up to 8 daily departures in summer. Total journey time by this route is significant, which makes flying the more practical approach for most people.

What about flying?

Hydra has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Flying from Santorini to Athens and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra gives you a total journey time of around 4 to 5 hours, considerably faster than going by sea the whole way. It is worth knowing that in Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights. Almost all island to island travel goes through Athens.

Your best option

Fly to Athens and take the Saronic ferry from Piraeus. The crossing from Piraeus to Hydra is one of the more enjoyable short ferry journeys in Greece. One thing to know before you arrive: there are no cars, motorcycles or bicycles on Hydra. You get around on foot, by donkey or by water taxi, which is one of the island's defining qualities.