1The Port — Hydra's living room
Hydra's harbour is the most intact 18th-century maritime settlement in Greece. The mansions that line the waterfront were built between 1680 and 1820 by the merchant captains who made Hydra one of the wealthiest places in the Mediterranean. The architecture is unique in Greece: grey stone, tile roofs, symmetrical facades, and tall windows that reflect the naval hierarchy of their owners. The Tombazis, Kountouriotis, and Voulgaris families — each with their own mansion — financed the Greek War of Independence from these buildings. The harbour is not a historic district within a modern town — it is the entire town, and it is still lived in. Morning is the time to understand it: before the day-trippers arrive from Athens, the fishermen are unloading, the donkeys are beginning their rounds with supplies, and the light on the upper mansions is at its most dramatic.
2Kountouriotis Mansion — the flagship of Hydra's museums
The Kountouriotis Mansion, built in 1810, is the finest surviving captain's mansion and has been operated as a museum since 1955. The interior is furnished as it would have been in the 1820s — Venetian furniture, family portraits, naval memorabilia, and the original kitchen. The rooftop terrace offers one of the best views of the harbour. The mansion tells the story of the Kountouriotis family, whose fleet of 50 ships made them one of the wealthiest in Greece and whose son Pavlos became Prime Minister and President of Greece.
3Deste Foundation Slaughterhouse — art in an unlikely space
One of the most remarkable art spaces in Greece. The Deste Foundation, founded by collector Dakis Joannou, converted a 19th-century municipal slaughterhouse into a contemporary art exhibition space that mounts rotating shows of international artists. The building itself — a simple stone structure at the western edge of the harbour — is architecturally striking, and the contrast between its brutalist history and the often delicate conceptual art it houses creates an experience found nowhere else in the Cyclades or the Saronic.
4The Four Windmills & Eastern Hydra
At the eastern edge of Hydra Town, four restored stone windmills stand on a ridge above a small pebble beach (Spilia). The windmills date from the 18th century and were used to grind grain brought by the captain's ships from across the Mediterranean. The path to the windmills is a 10-minute walk from the harbour and offers the best sunset viewpoint on the island. Beyond the windmills, the coastal path continues toward Kamini — a 20-minute walk that passes small swimming coves and the picturesque chapel of Agios Nikolaos.
5Monastery of Profitis Ilias — the island's rooftop
Perched at 590m elevation, the Monastery of Profitis Ilias is the highest point on Hydra and the most rewarding day hike from the port. The monastery itself is modest — a small stone church and a few cells — but the setting is spectacular. The 360-degree panorama takes in the entire Saronic Gulf, from the Peloponnese mountains to Aegina, Poros, Spetses, and on clear days all the way to Cape Sounion and the Athens coast. The hike takes approximately 90 minutes from the port via a well-maintained stone path.
6Historic Archives Museum of Hydra
Housed in a restored 19th-century mansion on the harbour front, the Historic Archives Museum contains one of the most important collections of documents and artifacts from the Greek War of Independence. The collection includes original correspondence from Theodoros Kolokotronis, the personal flag of Admiral Miaoulis, shipbuilding plans, maritime maps, and an archive of over 25,000 documents from the 18th and 19th centuries.
