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Car-free Hydra Town, Spetses's Old Harbour and Porto Heli on the mainland

Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Hydra and Spetses

Greece

3 dog-friendly luxury hotels.

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Where can my dog actually go?

Hydra has no cars and no scooters at all, which makes it one of the calmest island towns in Greece to walk a dog. Luggage goes up from the harbour by donkey, the lanes are stone steps, and a paved coastal path runs west to Kamini and Vlychos. Spetses keeps its traffic light too. For the dog, these islands are easy. Finding a bed is the hard part, and getting there is the part that catches people out.

Three hotels across Hydra, Spetses and Porto Heli make our list, and that's the honest count. Most of the better hotels here either say no to pets or publish nothing. On Hydra that includes Hotel Leto, Hydrea, Cotommatae and Bellevalia, which used to trade as Four Seasons Hydra. Mandraki Beach Resort's own FAQ says pets aren't allowed at the moment, whatever you see on booking sites. On Spetses the Poseidonion Grand doesn't take pets, and near Porto Heli, Amanzoe publishes no pet policy at all.

What separates the three is where the dog can actually be. Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli is the only one that puts it in writing: small, well-behaved dogs can join you at your table in the restaurant, on a lead and close to your seat. Bratsera, an 1860 sponge factory in Hydra Town, is the only island hotel that publishes its own rule, room type by room type, and its Standard Maisonette opens straight onto the garden. Orloff Resort, by the Old Harbour on Spetses, takes dogs on request and has two resident cats. Neither island hotel says whether a dog can come to breakfast, the restaurant or the pool, so ask before you book.

None of the three publishes a fee. Nikki Beach charges extra for a dog in the room and takes one small dog per room, without giving a kilo figure for small. Bratsera and Orloff don't publish a weight limit either way, which makes them the two to ring first with a big dog. Just don't treat silence as a yes.

The real catch is the boat. The Hellenic Seaways high-speed Flying Cats and Flying Dolphins from Piraeus only carry a dog in a small carrier up to 10 kg, with no pet area on board. A bigger dog goes by road: drive to Metochi opposite Hydra or Kosta opposite Spetses and cross by water taxi, or to Galatas for the few-minute car ferry to Poros. Water-taxi dog rules aren't published, so mention the dog when you book the crossing.

Daisy's picks

Where Daisy would book

  1. 01
    Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli

    The only hotel in the area that publishes dogs at the table: small, well-behaved dogs on a lead can stay close to your seat in the restaurant. One dog per room with an extra fee, but the amount isn't published and there's no kilo figure for small. Beach, pool deck and breakfast aren't covered, so ask.

    Unknown · max Small dogs only kg

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  2. 02
    Bratsera Boutique Hotel

    Dogs are allowed in six named room types, including the Standard Maisonette straight onto the garden and the terrace rooms with outdoor space of their own. Book one of those, not the Double Superior or the Lafina Suite without balcony. Fee, weight limit and whether dogs can sit in the courtyard restaurant or by the pool aren't published.

    Unknown · max Unknown kg

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  3. 03
    Orloff Resort

    An Old Harbour mansion hotel on Spetses that takes dogs on request, with the waterfront walk to the Armata lighthouse starting at the door. Fee, weight limit, breakfast and pool access aren't published, so confirm your dog when you book. Two resident cats live on the property.

    Unknown · max Unknown kg

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Before you go

What happens when you get there

Ferries
Hellenic Seaways' high-speed boats take dogs only in a small carrier up to 10 kg, with no pet cabins or pet areas. On its conventional ships dogs travel on the open deck, muzzled and on a lead, or in a pet cabin, and aren't allowed in the bars, restaurants or indoor lounges. Every pet has to be declared when you book, with its passport and microchip numbers, and the ticket is free. SeaJets also runs the route, so check its own rules if you book with them.
Getting there by road
Fly to Athens, then drive. Porto Heli is about three hours from Athens. For Hydra, drive to Metochi on the mainland opposite and cross by water taxi or small local boat. For Spetses, the crossing is from Kosta. Poros is a few minutes from Galatas on the small car ferry.
Car-free Hydra
There are no cars or scooters on Hydra. Luggage goes up the lanes by donkey or mule, and water taxis run to the beaches and back to the mainland. The stepped stone lanes get hot in July and August, so walk early and late.
Beaches
Dogs are allowed on unorganised beaches and in the sea across Greece. Sections with sunbeds are the operator's call. There's no Blue Flag beach on Hydra, Spetses, Poros or around Porto Heli and Ermioni in 2026, so that rule doesn't come into it here. Mandraki on Hydra is the resort's organised frontage, so it's the resort's call there.
Restaurants
Tavernas with outdoor tables almost always take a dog at your feet, and the harbour fronts at Hydra, Spetses and Poros are mostly outdoor seating. Indoors varies place by place.
Sights
The walk from Hydra Town up to the Profitis Ilias monastery is a good outing but steep and exposed. Monasteries are working religious sites, so dogs wait outside. The rules at Hydra's Historical Archives Museum and the Bouboulina Museum on Spetses aren't published, so ask at the door.
Vets
We couldn't confirm a vet on Hydra, Spetses or Poros. On the mainland, Georgios A. Karatheopoulos runs a veterinary practice at Kombos, Kranidi (+30 27540 22348). For 24-hour cover you're looking at the Athens area, so line one up before you travel.
Two Orloffs
Orloff Boutique Hotel on Hydra and Orloff Resort on Spetses are different hotels. The one on our list is the Spetses one. The Hydra one doesn't take pets.
Best walks
On Hydra, the paved coastal path west from the harbour to Kamini, about 20 minutes, and on to Vlychos, with swimming rocks and quiet coves along the way, or east towards Mandraki. Every lane in Hydra Town is traffic-free. The climb to Profitis Ilias is for cool mornings only. On Spetses, the waterfront from the Old Harbour out to the Armata lighthouse point, and the seafront back to Dapia, about 20 minutes. Beaches to try are Agia Marina, Agioi Anargyroi, Zogeria and Ligoneri on Spetses, and Askeli and Megalo Neorio on Poros. On the mainland, Porto Heli's harbour front is about 20 minutes on foot from Nikki Beach.
When to go
May, June, September and early October. July and August are hot, and Hydra's stone steps hold the heat well into the evening, which is hard on paws. Many hotels on Hydra, Spetses and Poros are seasonal and close over the winter, and dates vary hotel by hotel, so check opening dates before planning a shoulder-season trip.

Dog-friendly hotels in Hydra and Spetses

Questions we get asked

Dogs in Hydra and Spetses

Is Hydra dog friendly?+

For walking, very. There are no cars or scooters, the coastal path runs to Kamini and Vlychos, and harbour tavernas take a dog at your feet. For hotels it's thin: Bratsera is the only hotel on Hydra on our list, and most of the island's other good hotels say no to pets.

Can I take my dog on the ferry to Hydra or Spetses?+

On the Hellenic Seaways high-speed boats, only in a small carrier up to 10 kg. A bigger dog can't take the fast boat, so drive to Metochi for Hydra or Kosta for Spetses and cross by water taxi. Declare your dog when you book any ferry ticket, with its passport and microchip numbers.

How much do hotels in Hydra and Spetses charge for dogs?+

None of the three hotels on our list publishes a figure. Nikki Beach Porto Heli says there's an extra fee for a dog in the room. Bratsera and Orloff Resort don't publish a fee, so ask when you book.

Where should I stay in Hydra or Spetses with a big dog?+

Nikki Beach takes small dogs only. Bratsera on Hydra and Orloff Resort on Spetses don't publish a weight limit, so they're the two to ask. Remember the fast ferry won't take a dog over 10 kg, so plan to drive and cross by water taxi.

Which hotels let dogs into the restaurant?+

Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli is the only one that says yes in writing: small dogs on a lead can stay close to your seat. Bratsera and Orloff Resort don't publish a rule for the restaurant, breakfast or pool, so ask before you book.

Does Mandraki Beach Resort on Hydra allow dogs?+

No. The resort's own FAQ says pets aren't allowed at the moment, even though some booking sites list it as pet friendly. Go by the resort.

Can dogs go on the beach on Hydra and Spetses?+

Yes, on unorganised beaches and in the sea. Sections with sunbeds are up to the operator. There are no Blue Flag beaches on Hydra, Spetses, Poros or around Porto Heli, so that rule doesn't apply here.

Is there a vet on Hydra or Spetses?+

We couldn't confirm one on either island. The nearest practice we found is Georgios A. Karatheopoulos at Kombos, Kranidi, on the mainland (+30 27540 22348). For emergencies, the Athens area is your 24-hour cover.

Research updated 2026-09-27. Policies change, always confirm with the hotel.