The Monastery of the Prophet Elijah sits high on the ridge above Hydra town — a whitewashed compound of cells, a domed chapel, and a small graveyard, surrounded by terraces of olive trees. It is the most rewarding short walk on the island: an hour and a half from the harbour on a stony donkey path that climbs through pines and scrub, with the town and the Argolic Gulf opening below you as you rise.
The monastery is active — a small community of monks lives here — so dress modestly if you want to look inside. There is usually water from a tap in the courtyard, and the views from the bell tower over the whole island are the best you'll find. Take a hat, water, and a pair of solid shoes; the path is loose stone in places. The path continues another forty minutes to the nuns' convent of Agia Efpraxia just below.