The Hydra Trading Company

The Hydra Trading Company- Sign- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #shopping #greece

During our stay on Hydra island in Greece, we stumbled upon a lovely home décor store down one of the streets. We were walking to Flora’s Bakery and I spotted a cute sign for The Hydra Trading Company. I could already tell by the beautifully designed sign which featured a peacock and the lobby of the building that we were in trouble. You see, Meagan and I have this dream of opening our own global home décor store and are obsessed with finding sublime shops and buying home goods while abroad.

The Hydra Trading Company- Browsing- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #shopping #greece

Since my husband was waiting for us, my sister, niece and I had to return the next morning for our shopping adventure. Our walk from our pension to the shop was a wandering one, my favorite kind, where we discovered new cobblestone streets, adorable donkeys, gorgeous homes, and blooming bougainvillea before arriving at The Hydra Trading Company.

The Hydra Trading Company- Global Home Decor- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #shopping #greece

A stunning display case greeted us as we entered the first floor of the former firehouse and made us excited for what awaited us on the second floor shop. When we entered the shop, my niece exclaimed “It’s like Anthropologie- for real!” and it’s a perfect description. There are amazing bowls, glasses, plates and more in the kitchen section. Fun gifts to buy include stationary, journals, olive wood stamps (including donkey and cat ones), French and Greek linen and cotton bags, and COOL SOAP, 100% natural olive soaps made in neighboring Aegina.

The Hydra Trading Company- View out the Shop's Window- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #shopping #greece

The shop also has a fantastic view of the church towers of Hydra town out its window. We enjoyed browsing global home decor items such as baskets, pillows and textiles including Suzanis. In addition to the shop, there’s a connected gallery that displays works by local artists. If you’re planning a trip to Hydra, make sure you find time to visit this charming shop to pick up a few gifts and souvenirs to take home with you. If you enjoyed this post, like them on Facebook or visit their site.

The Hydra Trading Company- Kitchen Items- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #shopping #greece

[This is not a sponsored post. We loved visiting this shop while in Hydra and want the world to know about it.]

Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.

There are Pirates in Hydra- Square with Bougainvillea in Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #greece #hydra

The Idyllic Greek Isle of Hydra

As much as I loved visiting Santorini, staying on Hydra felt like a true relaxing vacation. My sister and niece joined us at this point of the trip, and we chose this particular island for its proximity to Athens and the donkeys. More specifically, this is the only island in Greece that does not allow motorized vehicles and thus uses donkeys for its main form of transportation, to carry both people but mainly goods including bricks and refrigerators as we witnessed.

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

HYDRA

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

When we first arrived on Hydra, it was later in the afternoon so all the day trippers and tour groups had left for the day, and we had the town mostly to ourselves to wander around. We kept seeing  May Day wreath decorations as is tradition in Greece to protect against the evil eye. As I’ve mentioned in many a post before, I love going for walks and exploring new places! After walking from our hotel to the harbor, we stopped for drinks and a snack at the harborside Pirate Bar. Then we moseyed along the harbor looking at all the boats, old cannons, and anchors and up to the windmill featured in the Sophia Loren movie, Boy on a Dolphin.

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

Instead of going back the way we came, we followed a local going up a hill path. At the top we found a beautiful little church, and we were greeted with stellar views of the harbor below. I was once again reminded why I venture off the beaten path. I also made a friend with a pirate. There was a little boy who lived nearby who came out to play dressed up with his eye patch, hook and sword. He kept pretending to stab me, and then I’d play dead. At one point he dropped his eye patch into some bushes and tears almost ensued. He only spoke a few words of English, and I only learned a few Greek words. I tried to reach the patch but proceeded to make it fall deeper into brush. Thankfully my husband saved the day and was able to retrieve the lost toy!

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

A Day at the Beach

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

Our second day on Hydra we took a local boat taxi to Vlychos Beach where we spent a relaxing afternoon laying out and swimming. The water was quite chilly but was still fun. We took a break from our time in the sun to lunch on fresh fish, potatoes and Greek salad at the nearby Marina Tavern. As nice as it was to relax on the beach, my favorite part of the day was our walk back to Hydra town along the coast. Everywhere you turned there were stunning sea views and we went through the cute little town of Kamini before reaching Hydra’s main harbor. It was a perfect (half) day at the beach!

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

Planning Practicalities

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

 

Where to Stay: The lovely Pension Erofili is close to the harbor and has a fantastic courtyard and delicious breakfast spread.
Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #afriendafar

Ferry from Athens: The only choice is Hellenic Seaways, if you’re doing it on your own.

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece
Where to Drink: The Pirate Bar as previously mentioned and The Hydronetta Bar for sunset.

Where to Buy Baklava: Flora’s Pastry Shop also has other sweet treats including ice cream.


What to Pack: Check out our Greece Packing List post to pack for a week in a carry on.

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece
Where to Shop: The Hydra Trading Company (expect an entire upcoming post dedicated to this gem of a shop).

Greek Isle of Hydra- www.afriendafar.com #hydra #greece

Are you ready to add Hydra to your Greece itinerary? Have you been to Hydra? Tell us in the comments below!

Meagan grew up in the North Georgia Mountains and spent her first trip abroad in Italy. She’s been traveling all over the world ever since, learning Spanish, Japanese, and Thai. She travels for the food, the culture, and the history.