Hydra-Spetses: Greek Gov Clamps Down on Vehicles to Protect Character of Islands

In a bid to keep two of Greece’s most cherished islands free of traffic-clutter and exhaust fumes, senior officials convened at the Maximos Mansion last night and agreed on tighter controls for every wheel that rolls on Hydra and Spetses.

The meeting brought together Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, Attica Governor Nikos Hardalias, Minister of State Akis Skertsos and a clutch of police, coast-guard and municipal leaders, each determined to safeguard what makes the Saronic pair special.

Hydra, long celebrated for its stone mansions, donkey lanes and total absence of cars, will see its existing ban on wheeled vehicles policed far more aggressively. Although the legal framework is already watertight—every bicycle and delivery cart technically requires a licence from the Ministry of Culture—officials admitted enforcement has not always kept pace. From now on, a live, online register will display every permitted vehicle, giving residents and visitors a transparent snapshot of who is allowed to move what. A dedicated hotline at both the Hellenic Police and Coast Guard will let islanders report rogue vehicles in real time, prompting immediate spot checks.

Spetses, whose pine-fringed lanes host a smattering of scooters, quad bikes and small trucks, faces a more nuanced shake-up. Exemptions have mushroomed over the years, blurring the line between essential mobility and creeping motorisation. With the mayor’s blessing, the National Technical University of Athens is racing to finish a traffic-capacity study by 15 June. Once its findings land, a special task force will draft measures aimed at trimming exemptions back to the bare minimum, ensuring that Spetses retains the scent of jasmine rather than tailpipe emissions.

Behind the bureaucracy lies a simple intention: to preserve the silence, the sea breezes and the slow rhythms that lure visitors to Hydra and Spetses in the first place.