Hydra is a delight that awaits just an hour and a half from the main port of Piraeus.
Its picturesque horseshoe-shaped harbour town with gracious stone mansions stacked up the rocky hillsides is known as a retreat for artists, writers and celebrities. There are no motorised vehicles (apart from sanitation trucks), leading to unspoilt trails along the coast and into the mountains.
If spirituality entices you along with meditative chants and riveting discussions with monks and nuns fascinate you, monasteries are your peaceful retreats. Housing monks and nuns, monasteries are a place to live in seclusion where the inhabitants explore faith. An array of religions has monasteries, including Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, where the people who chose this path believe in living humbly. The Greek root meaning of the term “monastery” itself signifies living alone. Not everyone can adopt such a lifestyle, albeit experiencing it for a while can bestow peace to the soul. This is a guide to remote monasteries on earth.