Winter excursion to Hydra
Excursion to an island during the winter season is not prohibited. Three picturesque islands just a stone's throw from Athens are perfect for relaxing and changing shows in the middle of the winter season. Start your winter excursion in Hydra, which offers history lessons, hiking, walking, exploring, and even cool dips in the sea if you're a winter swimmer.
Generally
The mansion of Hydra is rich in maritime history and of special architectural interest. It is ideal even for a quick two-day getaway. It is only two hours from Piraeus and less if you take the dolphin. It has no cars, is full of museums, magnificent mansions, hiking trails, well-kept guesthouses, restaurants, cafes and bars, sophisticated shopping and fine jewelry.
Architecture
Wherever you look on the island, it is impossible not to be captivated by a mansion with a long history. In Hydra are around thirty mansions of great captains of the 18th and 19th centuries. A long walk in the winter season is ideal to see these houses in peace. Photograph them while strolling the island's cobbled streets. The uniqueness of the mansions is shocking. From the outside you won't see anything flashy, but you will be in awe. Inside, these houses once hid an expensive decoration with precious, rare objects. Some of these mansions have been turned into museums. If you visit them, you will get a taste of the history of the island, culminating in the Liberation War of 1821. It was the time when Hydra wrote its naval history.
History lessons
Pay a visit to the Historical Archive – Hydra Museum. There you will see works of painters, exhibits from the Balkan Wars and World War II, but also relics from the period of the Revolution of 1821. In the same building is the library with old publications and the Historical Archive with manuscripts, archives and documents from 18th and 19th century. Don't miss seeing the cannons up close in the harbor. Also visit the Museum of Post-Byzantine Art and History of Hydra "Georgios Kountouriotis" housed in the mansion of Pavlos Kountouriotis, grandson of Georgios. It exhibits family heirlooms and objects from the Recent History of Hydra.
Hiking
Hydra is also suitable for hiking. It is impressive that it measures a total of about 80 kilometers of hiking trails. A pleasant and easy route is from the port to Mandraki and back to the port. You will arrive within 20 minutes following the coastal road. It is a beach that also lends itself to a quick winter dip. You can still get from the country to the Lighthouse of Zouvra and the monastery of the same name. Stone, cedars and oaks dominate the entire route.
If you follow the opposite side and cross a path full of pine trees, you will end up at Bisti, the southernmost cove of Hydra. You can also start from the center, climb up to the Prophet Elias Monastery and from there to Mount Eros, the highest point of the island with incredible views in every direction.
Fun
As for your entertainment, the pulse of the island beats in the port. There are many shops that you will find open even in winter, from restaurants to cafes, bars, as well as shops to do your shopping.
