Author Archives: Jennifer

Greek Cuisine & Traditional Dishes

The following are dishes commonly served in local tavernas. Dishes from the stove or oven are typically on display in a vitrina, or glass case, outside the kitchen. Ask what’s fresh or what the chef recommends! You can also ask to see and select any fish on offer.

Salads, dips, appetizers (mezedes/orektika)

  • Dolmadakia: grape leaves stuffed with rice and generally meat, sometimes served with an avgolemono (lemon-egg) sauce
  • Fava: bean purée, typically served with red onions and olive oil
  • Horiatiki: the famous Greek, or village/country (horiatiki), salad, consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, and olives, and dressed with oregano and olive oil
  • Keftedes: small, fried meatballs with oregano and mint
  • Kolokythakia keftedes: breaded zucchini balls
  • Kroketes: cheese croquettes
  • Melitzanosalata: puréed eggplant-based dip
  • Octapodi sti schara: grilled octopus in vinegar, oil, and oregano
  • Pantzarosalata: beetroot salad with olive oil and vinegar
  • Saganaki: fried mild yellow cheese
  • Taramosalata: purée of pinkish carp roe, breadcrumbs, onion, olive oil, and lemon juice
  • Tzatziki: yogurt puréed with cucumber and garlic

From the Stove or Oven

  • Arni sto fourno me patates: oven-baked lamb with potatoes.
  • Bamies: okra with tomato sauce (sometimes with potatoes, poultry, or meat).
  • Biftekia: baked, fried, or grilled beef patties
  • Briám: an oven-baked ratatouille of potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and olive oil
  • Fasolakia: fresh green beans stewed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and potatoes
  • Kokkonisto: beef stewed with tomatoes, onions, and often red wine, chili, or cinnamon
  • Yemista: baked vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, or other vegetables) stuffed with rice and herbs and sometimes mince
  • Yigandes plaki: baked beans stewed with onions, tomatoes, and parsley
  • Yiouvetsi: lamb or veal baked with orzo and tomatoes.
  • Horta: wild greens blanched and dressed with lemon juice and olive oil
  • Keftedakia: fried meatballs, often with mint
  • Kleftiko: lamb marinated in garlic and lemon juice and slow-baked
  • Kolokythoanthoi: zucchini flowers stuffed with rice or cheese and herbs
  • Kotopoulo sto fourno me patates: oven-baked chicken with potatoes
  • Lachanodolmades: cabbage rolls, stuffed with rice and sometimes meat, either served with avgolemono (lemon-egg) or a light tomato sauce
  • Loukaniko: sausage
  • Macaronada: classic spaghetti
  • Melitzanes: eggplant, prepared in various ways
  • Moussaka: a casserole of mince and eggplant, topped with Béchamel sauce
  • Papoutsakia: small eggplants stuffed with moussaka
  • Pastitsio: a casserole of layered Béchamel sauce, penne- or maccaroni-style pasta, and ground meat cooked in tomato sauce
  • Soutzoukakia: long meatballs spiced with cumin, wine, and garlic and stewed with cinnamon, clove, and tomatoes
  • Spanakopita: spinach and feta cheese pie
  • Spanakorizo: spinach and rice stewed with lemon and olive oil
  • Stifado: rabbit stew with onions, red wine and cinnamon

From the Grill

  • Souvlaki: A kebab of grilled meat (usually pork but also chicken or lamb)
  • Paidakia: grilled lamb chops with lemon, oregano, salt and pepper
  • Brazola hirini: grilled pork chop, dusted with oregano, served with potatoes and lemon

Sea Food

  • Barbounia: red mullet, generally fried
  • Garides saganaki: shrimp in spicy tomato sauce with feta
  • Gavros: fried or marinated anchovies
  • Kalamarakia: deep-fried pieces of squid
  • Kalamari: whole squid, grilled or fried
  • Marides tiganites: deep-fried young herring
  • Savridia: mackerel, baked or fried
  • Octapothi sti skhara: Grilled octopus in vinegar, oil and oregano. .

Fastfood/snacks

  • Gyros: meat (usually pork) roasted on a vertically turning spit and served with sauce (often tzatziki) and garnishes (tomato, onions) on pita bread, or served as a sandwich wrapped in pita bread together with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki and tomato sauce; a popular fast food.
  • Tyropita: a white cheese (usually feta) pie with phyllo pastry
  • Souvlaki: A kebab of grilled meat (pork, chicken, or lamb) wrapped in a pita with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki, and potatoes
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Hydra Wildfire ◊ May 24, 2013

We owe endless gratitude to our own citizen volunteers and the 40-45 firefighters who came from the mainland (Nafplio, Kranidi, and Trizoinias) and courageously battled all afternoon to quench a multifront fire that started around noon in Mandraki, in the area of the Mire Mare beach resort. Strong winds allowed the fire to spread quickly, and by evening it had crested the mountain surrounding Hydra Town; some say it extended as far as Zourva. The cause was likely accident, perhaps a stray cigarette. Many homes and the monasteries in that part of the island were under threat, and the Fire Department estimates that more than 2,500-3,000 acres of brush, dried grass, and low vegetation burned.


The fire was brought under control by sundown. Fire forces remain in the affected area to avoid revivals. Investigation into the cause of the fire has been undertaken by the relevant Trial Chamber of the Fire. Encouragingly, the municipality has begun digging firebreaks in crucial areas around the island to prevent future fires from spreading, and the city council reaffirmed its commitment to creating a permanent fire brigade on Hydra.

For stunning images taken in Mandraki and giving an idea of the fire’s extent, see Sofia Mores’s blog post at Ύδρα η πατρίδα της ψυχής μου. The video clip below, posted to YouTube by fonitisydras give you a sense of the blitz-like atmosphere.

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Images of Summer 2013 on Hydra

Early summer (or late spring) on Hydra can still get quite cold and rainy, whereas July and August are characterized by real scorchers and often a few heatwaves. Temperatures for the summer of 2013 on Hydra are projected to hover in the early 40s. Luckily we always have the sea to cool off in!


 

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Advice & Assistance Finding Accommodation on Hydra

Whether you’re new to Hydra or visited long ago or even last year, finding the perfect place to stay, based on your desires and your needs, can be difficult. If you need assistance with finding accommodation that meets specific requirements (no climb, close to town, away from it all), please don’t hesitate to ask us for help. We know where all of the various houses and hotels are located, as well as their features and quirks, and can help you make the best selection.

Posted in 1 BR Homes on Hydra, 1 BR Houses on Hydra, 2 BR Homes on Hydra, 2 BR Houses on Hydra, 3 BR Homes on Hydra, 3 BR Houses on Hydra, 4 BR Homes on Hydra, 4 BR Houses on Hydra, 5+ BR Homes on Hydra, 5+ BR Houses on Hydra, Advice & Assistance, Hydra Accommodation, Hydra Hotels & Pensions, Long-Term Home Rentals (3+ months), Vacation Rentals (1 week up to 3 months) | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Note on Long-Term Rentals on Hydra

Long-term rentals include any rental period of three months or longer. A lease will be signed by you and the landlord stating the amount of monthly rent and the duration of your tenancy. Utilities (water, electric, phone, etc.) are generally not included in the rent. Your landlord or the property manager will receive the bills and let you know the amounts due.

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Exploring Hydra by Foot or Boat

There are a number of hikes through along the coast or through the hills and mountains of Hydra, all of which provide stunningly beautiful scenery and views, as well as some pretty good exercise. Those seeking less vigorous recreation can pack a picnic lunch and take a boat trip around the island, stopping occasionally at various beaches and secluded bays for a swim. (more…)

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Alexandra Guesthouse ◊ Hydra Town

Apartment for holiday rental on Hydra Greece

Newlty rennovated, bright, and immaculate

From €70 in summer. Highlights: 1 minute to Hydra Harbor with no climb, close to tavernas and shops, air conditioning, flat-screen televisions, Wi-Fi, minifridge & kettle, immaculate and brand new (more…)

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Da Barba Dimas ◊ Hydra Town

Hydra Greece's new Neapolitan restaurant

Pietro and Fabrizio of Hydra’s new Neapolitan restaurant

Reopened in May 2011 under new (Italian) management, Da Barba Dimas serves traditional Neapolitan cuisine in the heart of Hydra Town.

A select menu includes classically prepared pasta, seafood, and meat dishes, as well as authentic wines predominately from the owners’ region in Italy.

With seating mainly outdoors, reasonable prices, generous portions, and superior and friendly service, dining alfresco Italian style at Da Barba Dimos is a real treat! (more…)

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Kodylenia Taverna ◊ Kamini Harbor

Overlooking the traditional fishing boats in Kamini Harbor with spectacular sunset views of the Saronic, Dokos, and the mainland, Kodylenia’s tavern serves excellent, fresh food made daily in a magical ambiance.

Open daily from March through October, Kodylenia, with a capacity for 120 guests, can also be rented for weddings and other private events.

(more…)

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About accommodation on Hydra

A sea view from one of Hydra's quiet alleys

Hydra Island provides a range of accommodation for every budget, from luxurious villas and private houses to boutique hotels, self-catering apartments, family-run pensions, and independent rooms for rent. Rates vary by time of year and, often, length of stay, with the summer months being Hydra’s peak season. If you’re new to Hydra or would like advice about the best accommodation for your stay, please contact us. We’ll be happy to help you select your ideal Greek island vacation getaway.

A small pension on an Hydra side street

Pension Erofili

Visitors to the island planning to stay fewer than five nights are best off booking into a hotel as private houses and villas typically aren’t available for shorter holidays, and most require that vacationers stay at least one full week, particularly during the high season. You’ll find that Hydra has a wealth of hotels and pensions to accommodate just about every budget and comfort level, some close to the harbor, with its bustling cafes and restaurants and active nightlife, others tucked into quiet neighborhoods, away from it all. (more…)

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