Getting from Symi to Hydra

If you are heading to Hydra from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese 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 Symi to Hydra. Getting there means taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, which takes around 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes and runs multiple times daily, and then flying from Rhodes to Athens and taking 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 take the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry in reverse and board the Saronic ferry to Hydra directly.

Getting there by air

Hydra has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and fly from Rhodes to Athens, then 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. Both Symi and Hydra are car-free so the transition feels entirely natural. Note that Symi is car-free so if you are traveling with a car it would already be in Rhodes, from where you can board the overnight Piraeus ferry in reverse and leave your car at Piraeus before boarding the Saronic ferry to Hydra.