Ferry from Hydra to Porto Heli

Hydra Guide

Located in the Saronic group of islands in the Aegean Sea, between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf, the Greek island of Hydra is separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strip of water. The island's natural springs have given the island its name as Hydra is derived from the Greek word for water. The island's main town, Hydra Port, is home to the island's harbour which can be found nestled amongst a number of restaurants, markets, shops and galleries, all of which cater for visiting tourists.

The only method of transport available on the island are water taxis and donkeys as cars and motorcycles are forbidden. However, the populated parts of Hydra are relatively small and therefore most people seem happy to walk everywhere.

From the island's harbour there are daily catamaran and flying dolphin services to Piraeus, Athens. The crossing time is around 1 hour, or between 3 and 3 1/2 hours by conventional ferry. The island is also connected by ferry to the rest of the islands in the Saronic Gulf and also with Porto Cheli.

Porto Heli Guide

Located on the eastern side of Peloponnese in Greece, Porto Heli is a small seaside town with a large port that lies on the Argolic Gulf. Visitors to the town will often see small fishing boats and yachts moored in the port, especially during the summer, which gives the town a charming, cosmopolitan, feel about it. For beach lovers there are a couple of organised beaches in the town but most beaches tend to be small secluded coves which provide the added benefit of being more relaxing than their organised counterparts. Many Athenians have holiday homes in the town which is a popular destination with families and is convenient for trips to Ancient Epidaurus, Poros, Ermioni, Mycenae and Nafplion.

The Argolic Gulf is a gulf of the Aegean Sea off the east coast of the Peloponnese in Greece. It is about 50 km long and 30 km wide with its main port, Nafplio, located at its north western end and at the entrance to the gulf is the island Spetses. The gulf and its islands are sometimes combined with the Saronic Gulf and Saronic Islands, with the result called the Argo-Saronic Gulf and the Argo-Saronic Islands.