The beaches of the island of Hydra in Greece

Hydra is not a real beach island destination. Most of its beaches are small and consist of pebbles or they are just rocks were you can go into the water. One of the few beaches with sand and probably the best option is the Mandraki beach just east of Hydra Town. To reach the beaches of Hydra you will have to make a walk or you can take a taxi boat or caique to bring you to the beach of your choice. Spilia "Beach" is as close as it gets to a beach in Hydra Town itself. It consists of rocks and a concrete platform just west of the main harbour of the village. There are parasols and sunbeds for rent here. You can go into the sea here, but it is less easy to get out again. Next to Spilia there is a simular place with rocks and a concrete platform, which is called Hydroneta. Behind Hydroneta there is a taverne. Avlaki Beach is the next place where you can go into the sea. It is situated close to Hydroneta and it consists of a few patches of pebbles and two concrete platforms where you can lie in the sun. Behind Avlaki is a discotheque which sets the beach in a light in the evenings and plays music. Access to this pebble beach is steep and over steps that lead down from Spilia Beach. It's less easy to climb up again. A 15 to 20 Minutes walk to the west from Hydra Town will take you to the smaller, more quiet and also picturesque village of Kamini with its marina and a couple of tavernes. Here there are two pebble beaches. Mikro (smaller) Kamini which is shallow and safe for small children, is the more popular one. Megalo (larger) Kamini is the more quiet of the two. In Kamini Beach there are parasols and sunbeds for rent. A large building behind this beach is a former arsenal where the munition (gun powder) was safely kept at some distance of the harbour of Hydra Town. Vlichos Beach is a pebble beach which is situated 2 kilometer west of Hydra Town (about 30 to 40 minutes walk). It is a small beach with pebbles and gray sand, where you can rent parasols and sunbeds. You can reach the beach on foot from Hydra Town or by taxi boat. Vlichos Beach is shallow, so it is suitable for families with small children. One of the sights in Vlichos is the ruin of a bridge that dates from the 17th century (it is in between Vlichos and Palamida Beach). Palamida Beach is situated south of Vlichos Beach. The walk to this beach takes about 20 minutes from Vlichos Beach and on your way you will pass the ruins of a stone bridge, that dates from the 17th century. The beach of Palamida is a sandy beach. Here you can see the mansion of the Voulgaris family which was once the home of the admiral of the Ottoman fleet, during his visit at Hydra. Very close to the beach there is also a small shipyard where small boats are repaired. Molos Beach is situated even further west from Hydra Town and is more quiet and less developed. The beach be reached on foot, but it is over a more difficult track through the pine tree forest and much of the back of the beach is fenced off, so it is hard to find an entrance. Not all taxi boats go here because the water is very shallow (too shallow for most of the boats). Here there are no sunbeds or parasols for rent and there are no other amenities, so you must bring your own water and food. Kaoumithi Beach is the beach after Molos Beach. This is a small and sandy beach which is backed by some trees where you can sit in the shade. You can reach this beach with its clear waters on foot from Hydra Town or by taxi boat. The walk takes about 60 to 70 minutes time. The beach is not organised, so there are no parasols and sunbeds and there are no further amenities. You have to bring your own water and food and also a sun lotion if you want to spend some time here. Bitsi Beach is situated on the west side of Hydra island and is regularly served by caiques (small traditional wooden boats). This is a peaceful beach which is home to a diving center. The small pebble beach is surrounded by pine trees. On the beach is a cantina during the high season, where you can get a drink and there are a couple of sunbeds and parasols for rent, but you can also find shade under one of the trees on the beach. The sea is shallow here and the white pebbles give the water in the cove a beautiful turqoise colour. Agios Nikolaos Beach is the beach next to Bitsi Beach. It is a pebble beach which is set in a cove and it can be reached by taxi boat in about one hour time. There are regular caiques from Hydra Town to this beach. There are sunbeds and parasols for rent on Agios Nikolaos Beach and during high season there is a small cantina where you can buy a drink, but it is safer to bring your own water and something to eat if you go this beach, becuase it is quite remote. There is not much shade on Agios Nikolaos Beach. Mandraki Beach is situated at 2 kilometer distance east of Hydra Town and can be reached on foot in about 30 minutes (not much shade on the way) or by taxi boat. This is the best beach of the island, with pebbles and sand. The beach is organised and there are sunbeds and parasols for rent. There is a small beach in a cove (pebbles and rocks) and a larger more sandy beach. Mandraki Beach can get busy because of the accommodations that are built along the beach. Mandraki Beach has amenities such as tavernes and there is a possiblity to practise watersports. Limnioniza Beach is one of the few beaches in the south of the island of Hydra. It is at a 4 kilometer distance of Hydra town and can be reached either on foot or by taxi boat. The trip by taxi boat takes about 30 minutes. During the high season there are also regular caiques going to this beach. There is a small cantina on Limnioniza Beach for your drinks and there is a possibility to practise watersports. On all other times it is wise to bring your own water and food. Nisiza Beach is situated in the south of the island of Hydra. It can be reached from the small village of Epikopi on foot (it is a little southeast of this village). From here there is a rough path that will take you to the beach in about 35 to 40 minutes time. The beach can also be reached by taxi boat or caique. It is a small pebble beach behind the mountain Klimakio and there are no facilities here, so you must bring your own water and food. Shadow is a rare commodity on Nisizia Beach, because there are not many trees.

© Hans Huisman, https://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2014