As you know by now, I really love Greece. One of the many trips I did there was with a very good friend of mine and was focused on islands that were not too far from Athens as we didn’t want to spend a lot of time on ferries.  So we went to Spetses and Hydra where we stayed at the Bratsera Hotel.

Hydra has the reputation of having the most beautiful harbour of Greek islands and it’s first sight doesn’t disappoint. I remember looking at some splendid villas perched over the harbour and imagining the life of people owning those.  Hydra is also only 2 hours from Piraeus or even faster if you take a fast boat.

As a result, you have many rich Athenians going there for a weekend break. Mostly have villas they rent but there are of course rooms with inhabitants and some hotels.

The only hotel with a pool on the island

Bratsera is a charming hotel, just a few minutes walk from the harbour. You walk up to a blue door on a white wall and step into a former sponge factory with a vast reception hall.  Is also the only hotel on the island to have a pool, which explains the price compared to the generally good value accommodation in Greece.

The breakfast were very good and served by the pool. You can also have a lovely diner there, which we hadn’t tried because at the time, it was beyond our budget.

My friend and I had stayed in one of the most simple rooms. As you can see from the photos below, some rooms are more beautiful than others.  What you pay for here is really the pool.

You won’t spend much time in your room anyway as the island is beautiful to explore either by going on a boat (which will take you to some unspoilt little beaches) or on a donkey’s back.  There is no car allowed on the island which right away changes the whole atmosphere.

So go and explore Hydra and let me know what you think.

Details

• 25 rooms
• From 140 Euros
• Website