Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tourist Police
(
22980 52205)
Shares an office with regular police.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Hydra
Hydra's mountainous, arid interior makes a robust but peaceful contrast to the clamour of
the quayside. A useful map for walkers is Anavasi's
Hydra
map. A map is posted on the
quay, and several marked trails extend across the island. Once you leave Hydra/Kamini/
Vlyhos there are no services. Take plenty of water.
An unbeatable experience is the long haul up to
Moni Profiti Ilia
. The wonderful
mon-
astery complex
contains beautiful icons, and boasts super views. It's a solid hour or
more through zigzags and pine trees to panoramic bliss on top.
The smaller monastery,
Moni Agias Efpraxias
sits just below Profiti Ilia and is run by
nuns.
Other paths lead to
Mt Eros
(588m), the island's highest point, and along the island
spine to east and west, but you need advanced route-finding skills or reliable directions
from knowledgeable locals.
The coastal road turns into a simple, beautiful trail about a 1.5km walk west of the
port, after
Kamini
. Kamini has a tiny
fishing port
, several good tavernas,
swimming
rocks
and a small pebble
beach
. In fact, Hydra's shortcoming - or blessing - is its lack
of sandy beaches to draw the crowds. People usually swim off the rocks, but if you go as
far as
Vlyhos
, 1.5km after Kamini, this last little hamlet before the mountains offers two
slightly larger pebble beaches (one called Vlyhos and the other the more pristine
Plakes
), tavernas and a restored 19th-century stone bridge.
The coastal road leads 2.5km east from the port to a pebble beach at
Mandraki
where
trampoline-and-music beach resort Miramare offers occasional watercraft rentals.
Boats run from the harbour to all of these places, but you certainly need them to reach
Bisti Bay
or
Agios Nikolaos Bay
, on the island's southwest, with their remote but
umbrella-laden pebble beaches and green waters.
Sleeping & Eating
Christina
TAVERNA $
( 22980 53516; Kamini; mains €6-12; lunch & dinner Thu-Tue)
Just inland from the port in
Kamini, Mrs Christina and her kids dish out some of the island's best Greek dishes and
fresh fish.
