Hydra, Greece: Traffic-Free Tranquility – Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide – Travel Bite

More info about travel to Hydra: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/greece/hydra Only a 90-minute hydrofoil ride from bustling Athens, Hydra is the prettiest of the Greek isles. The community is an easy blend of workaday commerce, fancy yachts, and lazy tourists meandering through traffic-free streets, alongside the occasional donkey. #ricksteveseurope #greekislands #hydra

Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.

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Rick Steves, America’s most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.

as it was in ancient times pyas is still the port of Athens from pyas boats depart for points throughout the aan Sea cruise ships await their passengers and hydrofoils byy with lumbering car fairies it’s an exciting springboard for the Greek Isles we’re riding a flying dolphin one of the fleet of Speedy hydrofoils that Z from Athens to the islands and from Island to Island it’s fast but less Scenic as the passengers are stuck inside I like to hang out in the windy doorway after a 90-minute ride Athens is a world away and we pull into the aisle of idra its main Town also called edra is home to about 90% of the Island’s 3,000 residents after the noise of Athens edra’s traffic free Tranquility is a delight I’m glad I’m packing light as I hike up to my hotel idra is one of the prettiest towns in Greece its superb Harbor is surrounded by an Amphitheater of Rocky Hills there’s an easy blend of work a day Commerce fancy yachts and lazy tourists on island time donkeys rather than cars the Shady awnings of well-worn cafes and memorable Seaside views all combined to make it clear you found your Greek aisle Pedra was a Greek Naval power famous for its ship Builders the harbor with twin Forts and plenty of Cannon housed and protected the fleet of 130 ships as the Greeks battled the Turks in their early 19th century war of independence the town stretches away from the harbor a maze of narrow cobbled streets flanked by whitewashed homes in the 1960s the island became a favorite Retreat for artists and writers who still draw inspiration from its idyllic surroundings one of the Island’s greatest attractions is its total absence of cars and motorbikes instead donkeys do the Heavy Hauling today just as they have through the centuries and I suppose for just as long they’ve treated children to rides as well at the top of the Town The Humble Taverna leonus has been around so long it doesn’t need a sign the Island’s oldest and most traditional Taverna was the hangout of the local Spong divers a century ago these days leonus and panota feed guests as if they’re family and tonight the place is all ours as our enthusiastic cook welcomes us into his kitchen so what are we cooking uh we cook lamb with a roast potatoes grilled shrimps oh yeah with oil lemon sauce calamari with a garlic sauce very good uh spanakopita spinach pie spinach pie a PL and Beats and before we know it Leonas has us all sitting at the table and he starts bringing in wave after wave of his fabulous dishes here we go the shrimp yeah the shrimps Grill shrimps with the all lemon sauce okay that’s