Monastery of Profitis Ilias

Perched high on the mountainside above Hydra Town, the Monastery of Profitis Ilias is the island's grandest monastic complex — and the reward for its most classic hike. The walk up takes roughly an hour through pine trees, following the old stone path; history records that Theodoros Kolokotronis, hero of the Greek War of Independence, was held here in 1825.

Just below it stands the small working convent of Agia Efpraxia. Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, carry water, and dress modestly — the view over the town, the harbour and the Peloponnese across the water is the finest on Hydra.

Photo: Nikos Giannes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons