HYDRA.
Our enchanting Greek Island has played muse to decades of bohemian artists, free-thinkers, musicians, and in more recent years a stream of Hollywood stars and royalty.
Just a short ferry from Athens, Hydra is an unassuming hub of a global culture and a blue-sky oasis for both lovers and families to enjoy. The perfect destination for a holiday in Greece.
The island’s easy-going atmosphere is preserved through the absence of cars and bikes, with the plodding of donkeys’ hooves and the sea taxis being the only traffic you’ll hear on Hydra.
Every twisting street on the island has a thousand stories to tell, from the home where Leonard Cohen wrote his infamous love songs, to our very own Onos Residence that was once the home and art studio of renowned Greek artist, Christos Karas.
Today the island remains unspoiled and timeless thanks to a Preservation Order from the Greek government, with the welcome addition of a dozen noteworthy restaurants for fine dining and the best of traditional Greek cuisine.
Spend sunbaked days swimming in the sea, lounging at one of the island’s chic beach clubs, and relaxing at Hydra’s harbourside cafes or tavernas among the island’s resident artists.
Hydra’s lively character continues well into the evening, with late-night dining, world-class art galleries to visit, and a high-spirited nightlife centred around Hydra’s main harbour.
STAY.
Onos Residence has all the rustic charm of a traditional Greek stone villa, but with the added luxury of 5-star standard boutique interiors and hotel-quality guest services.
The villa can be booked as a whole, for up to 12 people, or is available to be rented as four entirely private properties, each on a separate room.
Inside Onos Residence has been meticulously renovated with elegant architect-designed Hydriot interiors. Vibrant pieces of art, sculptures and high-end furnishings accent the villa’s understated whitewashed walls, nodding to the property’s rich past as an art studio.
On each level, the villa’s living rooms and master bedrooms open onto spacious terraces, where guests can dine alfresco as a group, or enjoy sunbathing in total privacy with uninterrupted panoramic views of the island’s crystal clear ocean.
The villa is set just meters back from the waters of the Argo-Saronic Gulf, overlooking the picturesque port of Kamini, and just a stone’s throw from one of the island’s top-rated beaches and beach clubs, Castello.
Immerse yourself in Hydra’s rich history and community by booking the Onos Residence, which offers you the independence of a private villa but with the convenience and luxury of a hotel.
Onos Residence’s guest facilities include a daily maid service; concierge service; linen change every three days; slippers, towels, and beach towels provided; L’Occitane en Provence amenities; and a premium welcome.
CELEBRATE.
Onos Residence is also available to hire as a wedding or private party venue, with the villa’s large rooms and three ocean-view terraces offering the perfect indoor-outdoor event space or accommodation.
The villa seats up to 70 people for formal dining or larger numbers if using buffet-style catering, both of which can be arranged on your behalf locally. Bartenders and serving staff can be hired.
The villa offers the perfect family-friendly location to celebrate birthdays, baptisms, anniversaries, bridal showers, reunions, and pre-wedding parties.
Onos Residence’s tranquil location on the waterfront, just 15 minutes walk or a five-minute sea taxi from Hydra’s main harbour, lends itself to those looking to host a writing, yoga, spiritual, or artists’ retreat (for up to 12 people).
Onos Residence is also available as a professional location to host corporate events and dinners, including product launches, incentive trips to energise your employees, or team-building trips for remote companies.
LOCATION.
Guests taking a ferry to Hydra from Athens, Metochi, or Ermioni, will arrive on the island at the main port; Hydra Harbour.
After arriving in Hydra Harbour guests can take a five-minute sea taxi, 15-minute walk, or 25-minute donkey ride to Onos Residence, located in nearby Kamini port. There are no cars on the island.
Arrival and departure transportation to and from Kamini and Hydra is included in the booking price (pre-booking required).
The island has a small population of approximately 2,000 people, with most Hydriots living within 30 minutes walk of the bustling Hydra Harbour where cafes, tavernas, clothing shops, and supermarkets, are open most of the day and night.
Our sought-after location just a two-minute walk from one of the island’s most beautiful beaches, ensures you can enjoy the leisurely pace of Hydra like a local, whilst benefiting from the proximity of Hydra Harbour’s plentiful cafes, restaurants, and nightlife.
Hydra’s strict National Preservation Order has allowed it to avoid the over-development that many tourist destinations in Greece suffered in the 60’s. Instead, Hydra offers one of the most authentic Greek island holidays you could experience, with pre-1800s architecture, eight monasteries within hiking distance, and undisturbed pebbled beaches around every corner.
If you’re still trying to decide which Greek Island to visit, here’s why you should choose Hydra in the words of American Writer Henry Miller:
‘Hydra was entered as a pause in the musical score of creation by an expert calligrapher. It is one of those divine pauses which permit the musician, when he resumes the melody, to go forth again in a totally new direction.’
Onos Residence can be rented as a villa or as separate suites, one on each level