Hydra Beaches, Greece: A Guide to Every Beach on Car-Free Hydra
Hydra beaches are small coves of pebbles, rock and some sand, reached on foot or by taxi boat from Hydra Town because the island is car-free. Hydra is not a real beach-island destination, yet a string of quiet swimming spots rings the coast, from the rock platforms of Spilia in the town to the organised sand-and-pebble of Mandraki in the east. Hydra has no cars, so you walk to the nearer beaches or take a taxi boat or caique to the bays further out. For the wider island see the Hydra island guide.
- Sea
- Saronic Gulf
- Getting around
- On foot / taxi boat
- Best beach
- Mandraki
- Closest to town
- Spilia
Hydra beaches at a glance
Every Hydra beach is a cove of pebbles, rock or some sand reached from Hydra Town on foot or by water-taxi, because the island is car-free. The table lists each beach with its distance from Hydra Town, its surface and how you reach it; a dash marks a detail the guide does not record.
| Beach | Distance from town | Sand / pebble | Access on foot / water-taxi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spilia | In Hydra Town | Rock platform | On foot |
| Hydroneta | In Hydra Town | Rock platform | On foot |
| Avlaki | In Hydra Town | Pebble | On foot (steep steps from Spilia) |
| Mikro Kamini | 15–20 min walk west | Pebble | On foot |
| Megalo Kamini | 15–20 min walk west | Pebble | On foot |
| Vlichos | 2 km west | Pebble and grey sand | On foot or taxi boat |
| Palamida | 20 min walk past Vlichos | Sand | On foot |
| Plakes | About 3 km southwest | Pebble | On foot or taxi boat |
| Molos | Beyond Palamida | — | On foot |
| Kaoumithi | 60–70 min walk | Sand | On foot or taxi boat |
| Bitsi | West side | Pebble | Taxi boat or caique |
| Agios Nikolaos | Next to Bitsi (about 1 hr by taxi boat) | Pebble | Taxi boat or caique |
| Mandraki | 2 km east | Pebble and sand | On foot or taxi boat |
| Limnioniza | 4 km south | — | On foot or taxi boat |
| Nisiza | South, behind Mount Klimakio | Pebble | On foot, taxi boat or caique |
Spilia, Hydroneta and Avlaki
Spilia, Hydroneta and Avlaki are the swimming spots inside Hydra Town itself. Spilia is a set of rocks and a concrete platform just west of the main harbour, and it is as close as it gets to a beach in the town. Spilia rents parasols and sunbeds, and you drop straight into deep sea, though it is less easy to climb out again. Next to it lies Hydroneta, a similar patch of rocks and concrete platform with a taverna behind it. Avlaki Beach sits close to Hydroneta, a few patches of pebbles with two concrete platforms for sunbathing reached by steep steps down from Spilia. Access at Avlaki can change, so check locally before visiting.
Kamini beaches
Kamini's two pebble beaches lie a 15 to 20 minute walk west of Hydra Town. Kamini is a small, quiet and picturesque village with a marina and a couple of tavernas, and it holds two beaches side by side. Mikro Kamini, the smaller beach, is shallow and safe for small children, which makes it the more popular of the two. Megalo Kamini, the larger beach, stays the quieter one. Both rent parasols and sunbeds, and a large building behind the beach is a former arsenal where gunpowder was once stored at a safe distance from the harbour of Hydra Town.
Vlichos and Palamida beaches
Vlichos and Palamida are two beaches on the coast west of Kamini. Vlichos Beach sits 2 kilometers west of Hydra Town, a small pebble-and-grey-sand beach you reach on foot in 30 to 40 minutes or by a short taxi-boat ride. Vlichos rents parasols and sunbeds, and its shallow water suits families with small children; a ruined 17th-century bridge stands between it and Palamida. Palamida Beach lies south of Vlichos, a 20 minute walk that passes the ruins of that stone bridge. The Voulgaris family mansion, once the home of an Ottoman admiral during his stay on Hydra, overlooks Palamida's sandy beach, and a small shipyard that still repairs boats sits close by.
Plakes Beach
Plakes Beach lies about a kilometer past Vlichos, roughly 3 kilometers southwest of Hydra Town, a 45-minute walk or a short taxi-boat ride away. Plakes is a pebble beach that slopes into clear water and looks out toward Dokos island, and it fronts the Four Seasons Hydra resort on the island's southwest shore.
Molos and Kaoumithi beaches
Molos and Kaoumithi are quiet, undeveloped beaches further west along the coast. Molos Beach lies beyond Palamida and stays quiet and undeveloped, reached on foot over a difficult track through the pine forest. A fence blocks much of Molos's back side, so the entrance is hard to find, and its water is too shallow for most taxi boats, with no sunbeds, parasols or other amenities. Kaoumithi Beach follows Molos, a small sandy cove where trees provide shade and the water stays clear. Kaoumithi is a 60 to 70 minute walk from Hydra Town or a taxi-boat ride, and it is unorganised, so bring your own water, food and sun lotion.
Bitsi and Agios Nikolaos beaches
Bitsi and Agios Nikolaos are two beaches on the west side of Hydra served by caiques. Bitsi Beach sits among pine trees and hosts a diving centre, keeping this small pebble cove peaceful. Bitsi has a cantina in high season and a few sunbeds and parasols for rent, and its white pebbles give the shallow cove a turquoise colour. Agios Nikolaos Beach sits in a pebble cove next to Bitsi and takes about an hour to reach by taxi boat, or you can catch one of the regular caiques from Hydra Town. Agios Nikolaos rents sunbeds and parasols and has a small high-season cantina, but it is quite remote with little shade, so it is safer to bring your own water and food.
Mandraki Beach
Mandraki is the best beach on Hydra. Mandraki Beach lies 2 kilometers east of Hydra Town, and you walk there in about 30 minutes with little shade on the way, or take a taxi boat. The beach mixes pebbles and sand, and it is organised with sunbeds and parasols for rent, a small pebble-and-rock cove alongside a larger, sandier stretch. Mandraki can get busy because of the accommodations built along it, and it has tavernas and the chance to try watersports.
Limnioniza and Nisiza beaches
Limnioniza and Nisiza are two of the few beaches on the south side of Hydra. Limnioniza Beach sits 4 kilometers from Hydra Town, and you reach it on foot or by taxi boat in about 30 minutes, with regular caiques in high season. Limnioniza has a small cantina for drinks and offers watersports, though at other times it is wise to bring your own water and food. Nisiza Beach sits in the south behind Mount Klimakio, reached from the small village of Episkopi over a rough path in about 35 to 40 minutes, or by taxi boat or caique. Nisiza is a small pebble beach with no facilities and little shade, so you must bring your own water and food.
Hydra beaches: frequently asked questions
How do I get to Hydra beaches?
You reach Hydra's beaches on foot or by water-taxi (taxi boat) and caique from Hydra Town, because Hydra is car-free and has no roads to the coast. Spilia, Hydroneta and Avlaki sit within a short walk of the harbour, while beaches further along the coast, such as Vlichos, Mandraki, Bitsi and Limnioniza, are quicker to reach by taxi boat or caique.
Which is the best beach on Hydra?
Mandraki is the best beach on Hydra. Mandraki is an organised pebble-and-sand beach 2 kilometers east of Hydra Town, with sunbeds, parasols and tavernas, reached on foot in about 30 minutes or by taxi boat.
Can you swim on Hydra?
Yes, you can swim on Hydra, and its coves are used for swimming all summer. Most Hydra beaches are pebble or rock rather than sand, so water shoes make entry easier, and swimming platforms such as Spilia and Hydroneta drop straight into deep water.
