Hydra Dokos Island

Location: Dokos island

Dokos Island, Hydra: Dokos is a small island of the Saronic Gulf, between Hydra, Spetses and the mainland coast of Ermioni Peloponnese. The landscape of the island is rocky and mountainous, while the highest peak is 308m. The island has few water reserves and the land is infertile. About 50 permanent inhabitants live today in Dokos and they occupy mostly with agriculture and fishing. Organized tourism is not developed there, but the island is known among nature lovers, hikers, and free campers. Beaches in Dokos are small and clean, while the remote landscape is ideal for camping.

Many archaeological excavations have taken place on Dokos, as apparently, the island was an important port in the ancient times. According to findings, Dokos was first inhabited in the 5th millennium B.C., while it flourished in the 3rd millennium B.C. In the antiquity, it was called Aperopia. As the remains of a castle show, this island had a strategic position in the Byzantine times and was used to observe the ships in the Saronic Gulf.

In summer 1975, the known underwater researcher Peter Throckmorton and archaeologist Giorgos Papathanasopoulos discovered an ancient shipwreck in the sea bottom close to Dokos. This shipwreck was full of ceramics vases and the experts dated it at around 2700-2100 B.C., making it the oldest shipwreck in the world. The findings from the shipwreck were transferred to the Museum of Spetses, where they are preserved.

On the eastern tip of the island, there is a lighthouse constructed in 1923. This 9m tall lighthouse has the form of a round tower and a focal plane of 23m. You can go to Dokos by water taxi from Hydra, Ermioni or Spetses.