AIA shopsAthens International Airport is the closest airport for Hydra. There is no airport on Hydra.

Services provided through AIA Call Center:

AIA Call Center operates 24hours on a daily basis and provides the following information:

• Flight Arrivals/Departures to/from AIA on a 24hours basis
• Locations inside Terminal Building
• Airlines' phone numbers, as well as telephone contacts of all other companies operating in AIA
• Transportation means from/to AIA
• Parking Facilties
• Lost Property/Articles
• Baggage trolley services
• Left luggage office
• Hotel accomodation next to AIA
• Reporting/Handling of complaints from airport users

Please visit the main airport website at:
www.AIA.gr for full details.

20th Jun 08 NOTICE to all holidaymakers and regulars that come to Hydra every year.

There are no longer any big ferries that come to or from Hydra. The decision for this action is not really understood and even the locals are still not sure why.

I have already received many emails asking and complaining why. It obviously does make a difference to some. Those who preferred the longer ride and enjoyed the cruise for sightseeing can’t anymore. For some, it is affecting our pockets. It costs literally twice as much by flying dolphin/cat and if having a family, it can become pricy.

Hydra is an island just off the south coast of the Peloponnese mainland about 1.5 hours from the Athens port of Piraeus. If you're flying into the Greece you'll want to land at Athens International Airport. AIA is an international airport, easily comparable with the best in Europe. It rarely takes more than 1 hour from landing to getting through customs and out of the terminal.

Occasionally emergency helicopters land on Hydra, and you can hire a helicopter to bring you to the island from AIA. However the operator will have to obtain specific permission from the local authorities on the island to land. If you want to get to Hydra in the shortest amount of time possible (about 20 mins flying time) you can book a helicopter (depends on time of day as to whether you can land on Hydra or have to put in at Porto Heli on the mainland and then get a water taxi across to the island), but you need to add a couple of thousand Euros to your holiday costs. Please visit Windmill Street Travel for more info and reservations.

It is not possible to fly direct to Hydra because there isn't an airport or even anywhere level enough for a small plane to land on! The closest airport to the island is Athens International Airport which is about one and a half hours travelling time from Piraeus. Follow the sub-menu links on the left to find a suitable carrier and to find out about the facilities of AIA.

Make sure you bring sensible footwear with you when you come to Hydra because there are NO VEHICLES (well, just two rubbish trucks that you wouldn't want to be in).

There are no mopeds, no cars and ONLY DONKEYS for hire if you don't want to walk.

Donkeys don't just carry visitors and their luggage, they're used in every activity of life on Hydra. Seasoned travellers to Hydra are more likely to carry their own bags to their accommodation.

The metro service in Athens is fantastic - very easy to use, clean and compared with other major cities in the world, one of the very safest even late at night.

From Athens International Airport you take Line 3 from Eleftherios Venizelos (the airport) and change to Line 1 at Monastiraki which goes straight through to Piraeus.

When you get to Monastiraki, make sure you follow the signs for Piraeus so you don't end up going the wrong way down the line.

It was the 3rd September 2007 and it started like any other day, down by the quayside at the harbour having our coffee at the clock tower watching the world go by.

The donkeys where being loaded at the waters edge with an array of different supplies, just as they are most days of the year, only this time we noticed a more unusual load. It was roofing tiles. Now I don’t know why we made the comment, but we did, ‘Just imagine what would happen to the tiles if one of the donkeys bolted.’ At which point we made our way off to do what ever it was we did that day.

Hellenic Seaways is the only carrier of passengers between the Hydra Island and the mainland. Hydra is on the route that also includes Poros, Spetses, Porto Heli and Ermioni. What is included on the route depends on the time of day that the flying dolphin or cat leaves. You can find the timetable, routes and ticket prices at their site www.HellenicSeaways.gr as well as an online booking service. On Hydra the ticket office is situated at the end of the quay where the big cats dock.