Hydra - I love the Greek islands!!! (or at least the one that I have been to)

Our first island stop was Hydra...Amazing! Hydra is a quaint peaceful island that does not allow motorized vehicles so transportation is either by foot, by boat, or by donkey. :) Its great! The village of Hydra is filled with 18th and 19th century stone archontika (mansions) -many of which have been restored and converted into hotels- that line the waterfront and climb the steep hills surrounding a horseshoe port. Phenomenal! It is easy to see why the Greek Government and the Council of Europe have declared the island of Hydra a national treasure (thats why there are no cars). :)

We arrived by boat in the morning and luckily were able to check in to our hotel. Then we set off exploring the cobble stone streets of Hydra village. We had lunch at a cafe on the port and then took a walk down to a "beach." Hydra does not have great beaches, but there are many places where you can swim off the rocks. The water is bright blue and gorgeous. This place is so peaceful and relazing, it really is like heaven on Earth. Fabulous!
In the afternoon we sat and wrote in our journals and read, enjoying the sun from our private terrace -we booked the room on hostelworld.com...who could have thought it would be so wonderful!

After spending the afternoon on the terrace we headed out forsome more exploration. THis time we ventured down the coast on the opposite side fo the city. When we returned to the village we stopped at ta few shops before finding a seafood restraunt overlooking the water to watch the sunset.

On our second day in Hydra we slept in, enjoyed breakfast at our hotel, and relaxed on the terrace until checkout. Then we packed up our things and wandered down to the rocky ocean access we had found the day before. There we read and enjoyed the sun and fabulous view while we waited for the ferry to take us back to Athens. We also had a fun little picknic with delicious mystery cheese from the supermarket, bread and crossants that we "barrowed" from the breakfast buffet, off

brand nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread - closest thing to peanutbutter available), and cherries we had purchased at the market...all while enjoying the water and the view. What could be better?

For anyone who is looking for a vacation spot where there is nothing to do but relax, this is perfect! Seriously, there is something magical about this little village that takes away all your stresses the second you step foot off the boat. Its wonderful! And it is exactly what we needed after 4 1/2 weeks fo traveling and going non-stop in Istanbul and Athens. I really love Hydra!