No cars, no scooters — just donkeys, water taxis and a stone amphitheatre of sea captains' mansions around one perfect harbour. Hydra has seduced everyone from Leonard Cohen to half the art world, and two hours by hydrofoil from Athens it earns the devotion. Walk the coastal path to Vlychos for a swim and a taverna lunch, and stay over: the island exhales once the day boats leave at five.
Featured in Ten island hideaways built for two · Romantic