Getting from Zakynthos to Hydra

If you are heading to Hydra from Zakynthos you are making your way from one of the most beautiful of the Ionian islands 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.

Getting there by air

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

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Zakynthos to Hydra. No Ionian island is connected by sea to any Aegean island. Getting there by road means taking the ferry from Zakynthos to Kyllini and driving northeast through the Peloponnese to Piraeus, which takes around 3.5 to 4 hours, and then taking the Saronic ferry from Piraeus to Hydra. The total journey by road and sea takes around 6 to 7 hours.

Your best option

Fly from Zakynthos 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. If you are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Zakynthos to Kyllini and drive to Piraeus for the Saronic ferry to Hydra.