During the days of Easter on stately Hydra age-old customs, bound to the sea come to life again.
As you approach the harbor, the town of Hydra appears like a painting in grey, white and blue hues above the azure sea. Stone mansions, built amphitheatrically beneath the bare rocks, together with shops, restaurants, boats, sea taxis and yachts compose the image of the picturesque harbor.
Just a breath away from Athens, the stately island of the Argosaronic Gulf is an ideal destination for romantic strolls and explorations steeped in history. A car-free island, a beloved refuge of artists and those who love art, Hydra has a way of making time stand still and helping you relax.
Easter in Hydra
During Holy Week on the island, age-old customs tied to the sea come to life. One of the most beautiful and picturesque religious customs of Hydra and all of Greece is the procession of the Epitaphios of the parish church of Saint John the Forerunner in the Kaminia quarter, into the sea. On the evening of Good Friday, after the Epitaphios procession in the neighborhood, the procession ends at the sea, where the Epitaphios, with great reverence, enters the water, offering a unique spectacle. The custom is carried out so that the waters may be blessed and bring luck to sailors and sponge divers.
On the night of Holy Saturday, at the moment of the Resurrection, the harbor of Hydra is lit up by spectacular fireworks, while the illuminated ships at anchor fire flares and sound their sirens. On Easter Sunday, the traditional burning of Judas takes place on the harbor quay.
Things to do in Hydra
In spring, Hydra is a true feast for the eyes. Brimming with colors and aromas, it invites you to discover its cosmopolitan aura, to stroll its cobbled alleys, to admire the houses of the sea captains and the well-preserved mansions with their austere, clean lines and to wander its flower-strewn paths.
- Start with a stroll along the waterfront, from the statue of Miaoulis to the Periptero, between the bastions with the cannons that once protected the town.
- Visit the Historical Archive-Museum of Hydra, on the eastern side of the harbor, to see war relics, Hydriot costumes and the historical gallery with works by great painters.
- Take a stroll in Kiafa, the oldest neighborhood of Hydra, with its stone-built houses, high courtyard walls, narrow lanes and picturesque churches.
- Climb up to the monastery of Prophet Elias, a modest mens monastery that during the Revolution of 1821 served as a place of detention. From here you can enjoy views that stretch from the town and the harbor of Hydra to the opposite Peloponnesian shores. As you approach the Monastery of Prophet Elias you will come to a junction that to the right leads to the womens Monastery of Saint Eupraxia.
- Take your first dips of the season from the rocks of the Hydronetta, beneath the famous cannons. The town is connected to the islands other beaches only by sea, by caiques or sea taxis.
- Walk the coastal road that connects the harbor with Kamini and Vlycho with sea views.
