Athens and Hydra

Caravaner's Companion: Athens' best bars, island hikes, and freddo espresso

Jun 12, 2024

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Every once in awhile, on days where the air feels steamy and stagnant, I find myself browsing real estate listings on tiny Greek islands. I close my eyes and picture myself in a whitewashed villa with blue shutters that I could throw open, letting a salty breeze sweep over the tile floors and ruffle the legs of my white linen pants. I consider myself a city girl, yet the coastal Mediterranean feels like home to me—there is nothing quite like stretching out on a beach with rough, pebbly sand between your toes, squinting in the bright morning sun, cold water lapping your ankles.

I’m lucky to be just a short plane ride away from Athens, where ferries carry locals and vacationers all over the Aegean. If I could pick just one place to go for the warm months for the rest of my life, I think this is where it would be. It’s the stuff my retirement dreams are made of: a pied à terre in the city, close to the ferry dock, so I can spend summers island hopping—there are so many to explore, each with their own character—and lazing in my whitewashed house on the sea.

I no longer care to battle the crowds of Santorini or Mykonos; I want calm and quiet, where I can while away the afternoons with no agenda other than reading a book and drinking freddo espresso while the wind whips and tangles my hair. Hydra is just the ticket. Activities are limited—that’s part of the attraction—but the island still offers enough to fill several languid days. It has no cars, secluded beaches, and a small mountain monastery that welcomes hikers.

I hope to go back forever one day. Until then, I’ll have to keep nibbling Greece in small bites. Trips like this help me get my fill.

A quick housekeeping note: I find many places in Greece don’t have an online presence. Wherever that’s the case, I’ve linked to Google Maps locations so there’s no confusion. Off we go!

digs

On Hydra, I highly recommend Hotel Hydroussa, about a five-minute walk from the ferry landing. The rooms were comfortable but breezy with tile floors and carved wooden furniture, and the bath products were locally made and smelled delicious. They served an excellent continental breakfast on their terrace (complete with a cute cat that hopped into my lap).

For our time in Athens, we stayed at PLAY Theatrou (which was then called SOUL and has since rebranded) in Psirri. It was new when we stayed there and had a few small kinks to work out, but the staff were lovely and the location was tough to beat. It had a rooftop bar with a totally unobstructed view of the Acropolis, which was lit up after dark—it was a magical place to have a nightcap. My only complaint was that the walls were thin, which is par for the course in any European city.

nosh

Hydra

While Hydra has plenty of restaurants, options are somewhat limited in that many place have similar menus with typical Greek fare. We had solid meals at Lulu’s Taverna (the Google reviews are middling, partially because the service is very…well, Greek, but we thought the gyros and chicken souvlaki were really tasty) and Annita. The real standout, though, was Hydronetta, a cocktail bar set into the cliffs with a beautiful view of the sea. It’s the sort of place that could skate by on location alone, yet the food was surprisingly delicious, especially the feta rolls with honey. I still dream of leisurely lunches at this place.

We enjoyed sipping freddo espresso—my obsession—and lemonade at Papagalos, where you can sit and watch the boats bob in the marina. For dessert, we liked the ice cream at The Cool Mule. Anemone confectionary was an even better place to round off a meal—we stopped in once for gelato (a tough call after drooling over their pastries), then again for a box of rose loukoumi (essentially Turkish delight, but don’t you dare say that in Greece) to take home.

Athens

Athens is full of great places to eat. The best are concentrated in Psirri and Monastiraki, but there are yummy meals to be had all over.

For an early breakfast before heading to the Acropolis, Nick and I hit up Ipanema Espresso Bar and Bakery, one of the few coffee shops in Athens open before 8:00 a.m. This dive has limited seating, but the baked goods are cheap and excellent. We had a slice of the ham and cheese pie and a cinnamon roll—a very filling meal for just €4.50. For really great espresso and light breakfast options, try Picky Coffee, Dope Roasting Co., or Myller Coffeeshop.

The Brunchers serves up hearty breakfasts and lunch, including egg dishes, pancakes, sandwiches, and pizza. Split is a trendy Asian fusion restaurant and cocktail bar with the tastiest teriyaki bowls, a great choice if you’re getting tired of gyros and souvlaki (also, the waiter was the most interesting person I met in Greece…more on that at the end of this post).

If you’re craving craft beer, head to Barley Cargo. It has plenty of outdoor seating and one of the longest beer lists I’ve ever seen. Their inventory is incredibly varied and includes local brews—Nick had a Greek saison that he really enjoyed. For superb cocktails, head to The Clumsies, which has been listed as one of the 50 best bars in the world for the past several years; the drinks absolutely live up to expectations, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Next time, we will make a point of visiting Baba au Rum—it’s just around the corner from The Clumsies, and also consistently makes the list of 50 best bars.

For dinner, our hotel bartender recommended Avli, where we found delicious classic meze like chicken skewers and fried halloumi. But go early, at least by Greek standards! The later it gets, the more it fills up. We went around 8:00 p.m. and snagged the last open table. SENSE Rooftop Restaurant, which is more of a fine dining experience at a relatively reasonable price, also gets an honorable mention…it was recommended by a friend who said the view of the Acropolis is unbeatable, and Nick and I had planned to go but had to skip it because I got sick.

When it’s time for ice cream, Gelato di Nonna is the answer. I would do unspeakable things for a scoop of their lemon cheesecake gelato in a waffle cone. L’Arte del Gelato, which has several locations around Athens, will also do the trick.

Bonus: somewhat surprisingly, the Acropolis Museum café had a lovely vibe and good coffee, so don’t hesitate to stop in while visiting. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and some tables have a view of the Acropolis. Prices are relatively high for Athens, but not out of the ordinary for a museum restaurant.

retail therapy

Hydra

For such a small island, Hydra offers great shopping, and the stores on the main strip are surprisingly well-priced. I bought a couple dresses and a pair of handmade sandals at a random clothing store right on the marina (whose name and location I can no longer find, sadly) and still wear all three regularly.

Koutsikou Hydra is an artsy home goods store full of colorful ceramics and printed textiles. I took a small nautical mirror home with me to hang in my bedroom. Rafalia Pharmacy (“Farmakio” on Google Maps) is around 130 years old, and sells a variety of European skincare products alongside essentials like toothpaste and razors. We stopped in because I forgot to pack deodorant, and the walls lined with pine shelves and jars of old herbal medicines were an unexpected treat.

If you plan to hike to the Prophet Ilias Monastery while on Hydra—and I’d recommend you do—make sure to stop into the honesty shop. It’s well stocked with drinks, soaps, and other trinkets made by the monks. We picked up a bright red liqueur whose flavor we were unsure of because it was written in Greek, but whatever it was, it was tasty. But the best part was a glass dish of free loukoumi, a perfect post-hike treat.

Athens

We didn’t go out of our way to shop in Athens because we’d stocked up on souvenirs on Hydra, but if I’d felt more inclined to browse, I would have stopped at the Monastiraki flea market. We walked past plenty of stalls that looked like they were offering antique gems. Next time we go to Athens (and there will most definitely be a next time), I’ll be on the hunt for handmade leather sandals, and Mater Terra will be my first stop.

lightning round!

Overall vibe: friendly; leisurely; a place for sandals and linen shorts and freddo cappuccinos every afternoon.

Complaints to file: The ferry to Hydra made me queasy, but so do literally all ferries. Story of my life. Also, the Acropolis was unreasonably crowded—even though we went on the early side—and the Acropolis museum had these weird see-through floors that gave people on the lower levels a peep under the skirts of women on the upper levels, which was creepy and gross.

Most interesting person I met: The server at Split, the aforementioned Asian fusion place in Athens. If I remember correctly, he wore all black, had no eyebrows but also eyebrow piercings, and was tattooed from his forehead to his knuckes, yet he somehow seemed neither haughty nor intimidating? He was not just the most interesting person I crossed paths with in Athens, he was literally the coolest person I’ve ever seen—both Nick and I kept saying so. I think we had a sort of platonic friend crush on this person because we are both nerds and have never felt what it’s like to be that stylish and nonchalant!

Is this a donut destination? YES! Loukoumades are a puffed, fried ball or ring drizzled with honey, sometimes with pistachio crumbles on top. They’re less sweet than an American donut, and very yummy.

Where do I find the best fridge magnets? Nick and I picked one out at one of the anonymous tourist shops on the main strip of Hydra’s marina. It’s made of a smooth pebble and shell found on the island. It’s absolutely beautiful and hands down my most treasured magnet.

questions about Athens and Hydra??

Are you planning a trip to Greece this summer? Have you been to Athens or Hydra, and if so, what did I miss?