Hydra – Ermioni
Ferries to Greece
Hydra – Ermioni
Ferries to Greece
The Hydra Ermioni ferry route connects Saronic Islands with Greece. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Blue Star Ferries. The crossing operates up to 12 times each week with sailing durations from around 35 minutes.
Hydra Ermioni sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
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On the northern coast of Hydra Island, a rocky, rolling landmass in the Saronic Islands region of Greece, is the maritime town of Hydra. This collection of white-washed villas and narrow, stone streets is spread in an amphitheatre across the steep hillsides that surround a natural bay of the Aegean Sea. Not only is it the largest town on the sparsely populated island, it is also a tourist gateway into a largely untouched slice of rural Greece; a trait for which Hydra was recognised in 2007 when it was named by National Geographic magazine as the country’s most unique island destination. Though much of Hydra’s charm is centred around the deep-blue bay and the wide promenade lined with shops and bars, it is also a region steeped in history. The island played a major role during the 19th Century Greek War of Independence by supplying Greek revolutionaries with ships and provisions to help their fight against the Ottoman Empire. Admiral Andrea Miaoulis, an independence war hero and proud Hydriot, has been immortalised in brass atop a fortified wall of the bay. Those visiting the admiral can follow his steely gaze across the sweeping expanse of the sea upon which he once fought. The port of Hydra is found on the eastern edge of the bay, just to one side of the calm, sheltered waters of the local marina. There are no passenger facilities here. The “ferry terminal” is nothing more than a designated stretch of the promenade where vessels dock after entering the bay. There are however plenty of nearby amenities including a local bank and ATM machine; a few small shops; and a host of quaint, verandaed restaurants where one can dine while being serenaded by the gently lapping surf. The island can be difficult to traverse due to its largely remote nature. Only a few roads snake across the uneven terrain of pine-forested hills and valleys, with large swathes of the isle only accessible on foot. All motor vehicles are banned by law so public transportation comes in the form of horses and mules. A number of ferry routes currently leave from the port in Hydra. Services hosted by Hellenic Seaways travel daily to various destinations on the southern prongs of mainland Greece. These include fast trips to the towns of Porto Heli, Ermioni and Poros and the larger city of Piraeus near to the capital of Athens. Another service hops west to the neighbouring island of Spetses too.
With a shoreline of pebbled beaches lining a narrow inlet of the electric blue waters of the warm Aegean Sea, the small seaside town of Ermioni is an undoubted gem studding the south-eastern coast of Greece. Found on the historic Argolid Peninsula, site of one of the first major settlements in the classical era of Greece, Ermioni is surrounded on three-sides by hilly Mediterranean scrubland and groves of blossoming olive trees. Extending from the east of town is a narrow promontory tipped by the lush pine forest of Bisti Grove (‘Bisti,’ appropriately meaning ‘tail’ in Greek). Though small, this stretch of land is steeped in history, evident in the Venetian walls that line the coast and the ancient vestiges of a temple built to worship the deity Poseidon found near the entrance to the grove. The port of Ermioni is a quaint marina formed of two piers that project into the Aegean Sea. Ferries entering the harbour dock at a designated section of the larger pier, just beside a small undercover waiting terminal. There are no facilities in the terminal itself, though the promenade that runs perpendicular to the pier is crammed with restaurants, cafes and a few shops selling refreshments. Ermioni is a rural town with very few transport links. The town consists mainly of labyrinthine residential streets and as such does not have a local bus service or train station, though a bus does run from Athens airport to the nearby village of Kranidi. Driving to the port can prove difficult too, with just two twisting roads leading in and out of town and the nearest major motorway over 60-miles away. Only one route currently operates from the port. A Hellenic Seaways service sails around the Argolid Peninsula before heading north along the Mediterranean to the port of Piraeus; a major port city just 5-miles from the capital of Athens. It’s a relatively short trip that leaves Ermioni a number of times each day.
