White Key Guide to Luxury Villa Vacations in Greece

Hydra, an International Artists’ Colony in Greece

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     Hydra Capital/Port

Some of the nicest memories I have from the 80s’ when I was a child spending the summer in Greece, were the cruises we took to Hydra, probably the most peaceful island in the Saronic Gulf. Car-free, with no modern means of transportation allowed, this island, where you had to find your way around only on foot, by mule, through a water taxi or some other floating vehicle, was always most intriguing to me.  I loved the sense of arrival to the port of Hydra, with the beautiful 18th century buildings greeting you. If you arrived early in the morning, colorful fisher boats with fruits, vegetables and certainly fresh fish were waiting for you right by the harbor. Once there, we were walking around the promenade and the small alleys in town eating really well at family -run taverns and browsing the little shops filled with handcrafted jewelry, artistic appliances and natural sponges that testified to the island’s once very active sponge diving tradition. And if you felt like a refreshing swim, it was either hiking to a rock from which you could access the crystal clear water or taking a little boat and finding a bay that suited your moods.

The amazing thing after all these years, is not the fact that Hydra still remains one of my favorite Greek islands; but that it has practically not changed at all.

       Villa Margarita

Serenity, peacefulness and an inspiring natural pureness, are still the predominant characteristics of Hydra. It is not surprising that during the 50s’ various artists, like Leonard Cohen, as well as a series of producers, discovered it as a refuge to relax and regain inspiration and as a forgotten paradise to be rediscovered in movies. To this day, Hydra keeps attracting new generations of artists, which nurture its many quality art galleries with fresh ideas and who keep this international community of artists alive.  No wonder, that just off the port, this little island also features a multilingual bookstore.

Hydra is also a favorite destination of sailing crowds, who either chose to sail out for the weekend or frequently organize competitions. It is a beautiful visual to see the little port blazed up with dozens of sailing masts.  That is the other interesting thing about Hydra, that even though it is not a touristy destination per se, it has a devoted, rather sophisticated following and a fashionable and cosmopolitan (night) life.

Truth is, Hydra is petite in size but grand at heart. It does feature a number of secluded towns throughout the island like Episkopi or Molos, but the port is the center and capital of the island.  An international community, comprised of members who have fallen in love with the authenticity of Hydra, have built beautiful and often pricy houses in town or on private cliff sides around the island, having the privilege to unwind in their isolated properties while being able to socialize in style upon request. The island’s close proximity to neighboring Spetses, Porto Heli and the shores of the Peloponnese in general offer alternatively the possibility for daily excursions and even cultural visits like to the ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.

When it comes to private luxury vacations, Hydra hosts some of the most amazing properties imaginable. Discretely, but with great elegance, it features a few most impressive villas hidden in private bays, accessible only by boat.  These estates are among the finest villas in Greece and certainly among the most exclusive rentals, which are kept offline and presented only on an ‘upon request’ basis. Ready for your private water taxi to take you around? Please contact us if you would like us to share more privileged information on that matter with you.