From Hydra it’s an hour by caique to Dokós, an islet named after the family of Hydriot captains who once owned it. Known in ancient times as Aperopia, it was inhabited off and on since Neolithic times. There’s a beach and excellent snorkelling in a pretty bay, where passing yachts often call.

A much much older merchant vessel, probably propelled by oars and a simple sail, sunk off Dokós. In 1975, this shipwreck dated to 2700—2200 BC (Early Helladic II) – the oldest ever found, anywhere – was discovered by the late Peter Throckmorton of the Institute of Marine Archaeological Research.

The wood had vanished, but its cargo of useful, beautifully handcrafted ceramics, including ‘sauce boats’ and amphora made just before the introduction of the potter’s wheel were intact, along with two stone anchors.

Between 1989 and 1992 it was excavated by the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology (HIMA) under the direction of Dr. George Papathanasopoulos. Because the seabed was uneven and there was no way to mark the find spots, they used a then new geospatial tool called SHARPS – the Sonic High Accuracy Ranging and Positioning System.

The finds today are in the museum in Spétses.

Inland are ruins of the walls and towers of the Kástro, built in the 7th century and last used by Morosini. Quarries yield marmarópita, a hard grey and red marble, often used in building.